When it comes to something as personal as your finances, I believe it’s important to have a close relationship and a connection with your financial advisor. After all, the more you know about a person, the more you can feel comfortable discussing personal details of your life, from your greatest financial goals to the fears that keep you up at night. With the goal of greater transparency and a stronger relationship with everyone I work with, I thought I’d share five things to know about me as your advisor.
1. My Why
Often, people are afraid to share their money issues with an advisor because they worry they may get lectured about their bad money habits or that an advisor wouldn’t be able to connect with their experiences.
One of the reasons why I became a financial advisor is because I’ve seen firsthand what financial concerns can do to a family. Growing up, money was often a source of stress for my family. With a father in law enforcement and a stay-at-home mom, we didn’t have a lot of disposable income.
Despite this, my parents instilled a strong work ethic in me, offering me an allowance in exchange for chores around the house. I quickly learned that I needed to work hard and that I had to spend my money wisely, saving for a rainy day as opposed to purchasing things I didn’t need. This inspired me to enter into this field to help families like my own.
2. My Family
One of the reasons why I enjoy working with families so much is because I’m passionate about my family. I believe it’s important to play a huge role in my children’s lives, whether it’s going on vacation or heading to the local park. Due to their activities and my belief that I should be there to spend quality time with my family, most client meetings held during the work week are either during business hours or occasionally on the weekend, rather than weeknights.
While some people may see this as a lost business opportunity, I like to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This allows me to focus on my clients when I’m at work and on my family when I’m at home.
3. My Health
Regardless of your age, it’s so important to focus on your health. I strive to live a healthy lifestyle so that I can be around for a long time to be able to see my children grow up, share my stories with you as we build our relationship, and hopefully transition my practice to my children should they decide to follow along in my footsteps.
While in the past it was easy for me to say I was too busy to exercise, today I make it a priority to find time to work out, whether it’s a jog around my neighborhood or a session at my local gym. Not only does exercising improve my health, but it also helps me reduce stress and remain focused at work. In fact, in 2017, my health was so important to me that I hired a personal trainer, focused on my diet, and lost 15 pounds!
4. My Focus
While every advisor has their various strengths, one of my greatest strengths is in my follow up and detail-oriented nature. I take a lot of pride in being very thorough in the planning work that I do, but also in my follow up communication to make sure things don’t slip through the cracks. In meetings, you’ll oftentimes see me with a long to-do list where I’ll check off items and occasionally say, “I had in my notes to follow up with you on …”
Open communication, ongoing education, and objective advice are essential for building and maintaining a trusted relationship with an advisor. I’ve even established a Client Bill of Rights where I outline how I’m dedicated to putting client service first in my practice. This Bill of Rights outlines three key elements, including providing objective advice, education to empower, and client-focused communication.
5. My Finances
A common question that is often asked in the planning process is “Do you yourself invest in this?” I believe in transparency and welcome the question because it reaffirms my belief in what I recommend to clients. Whether it’s an investment strategy or a type of insurance, the answer is almost always “yes.”
If I were to recommend something to a client and ask them to invest in it, I strongly feel that I should be doing it as well. I go to great lengths to research investment opportunities before making a recommendation, as I want to make sure I’ve found an appropriate option that aligns with my client’s needs and goals.
What Other Questions Do You Have For Me?
Is there anything else you’d like to know about me? Or, do you think there’s something I should know about you as we build our relationship working together? I’m always open for a conversation to get to know one another better.
Or, if after reading this you’ve thought of someone who could use my help, I encourage you to forward this to them and let them know that you were thinking of them. I build my practice by way of referrals, and I appreciate any time when you trust me enough to recommend me to a friend or loved one of yours.
If you have any questions, call my office at (949) 221-8105 x 2128, or email me at michael.loo@lpl.com.
About Mike Loo
Mike Loo is an independent financial advisor with more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. His mission is to provide a meaningful impact on the lives of clients and the people they care most about, help them make educated decisions with their money, and build a strong financial foundation for both themselves and their next generation. Mike is committed to meeting a high standard of excellence, taking the time to listen to clients’ needs, and designing strategies that aim to help clients save money and reduce debt. He seeks to fit a client’s investments into their life and educate them so they’ll understand their investments. To learn more about how Mike may be able to help, connect with him on LinkedIn, call his office at (949) 221-8105 x 2128, or email him at michael.loo@lpl.com.
Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SPIC. Investment advice offered through Trilogy Capital, a registered investment advisor. Trilogy Capital and Trilogy Financial are separate entities from LPL Financial.