My Story
How I Became a Financial Advisor
3 years after college I chose a different career path. I was supposed to be a forest engineer working for the government managing water resources, but for some reason I decided selling life insurance was going to be my ticket to career greatness. 3 years later and only 7 clients to my name I questioned if begging strangers to buy my single insurance product was what I wanted to do the rest of my life. After convincing myself the financial industry was still for me, I joined Ameriprise Financial Services. I earned my Series 7 investment license, a graduate level designation from the College for Financial Planning, and started learning the ins and outs of working with clients in a financial planning and investment capacity.
Why I Started My Own Practice
I spent 5 years working for Ameriprise. The experience taught me a lot about the industry. The more I learned, the less and less I liked what I saw. I saw clients being restricted to expensive investments, and I could never offer cost effective insurance products. The products available to me weren’t bad, they just weren’t best in class. After a few challenges and some business lessons hard-learned I decided to go out on my own and start my own company, Aspen Leaf Partners.
Benefits to Clients
Clients that work with me enjoy many benefits that aren’t typically available at other firms. The most important benefit clients receive is unbiased advice. Many firms pretend to be in the financial advice business, but in reality a large portion of their revenue comes from product sales. I’ve structured my practice so that we don’t sell any products and we never receive commissions. This FEE ONLY compensation model ensures my advice isn’t tied to a product sale, and therefore free from a major conflict of interest. The other big benefit to clients is my low fees. My advisory fee to manage assets is below the industry average, and the investments I select for clients are also below the industry average. Last, many of my clients qualify for a financial plan at a reduced or zero cost, which helps them stay organized with the big picture in mind.
My Life Outside Aspen Leaf Partners
My wife Melissa and I have two beautiful daughters, Maggie and Penelope. We live in a quiet neighborhood on the south side of Green Mountain in Lakewood, Colorado. We are close to my office, as well as numerous outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and skiing. Outside of my company and family commitments, I spend any extra free time training and racing my mountain bike. Keeping my fitness up keeps my body and mind healthy.
