What’s your why when it comes to your money?

What’s your why when it comes to your money?  This is one of biggest questions I help clients answer.  Why is money important to you?  We all know what we want life to look like, but to get there financially you must identify your “Why?”.  I help clients try and view money as just a tool to help them reach these goals.  Here is an awesome video of what we do.

In keeping with this “Why?” theme, I thought I would describe why I became a financial advisor.

As I grew up I was fascinated by how money could impact people’s lives.  I knew money was supposed to be a tool to financial freedom, but when used the wrong way it leads to endless stress.  This caused me to want to learn as much as I could about finances. I starting taking economics classes in college, but my “aha” moment came during an elective class I took on personal finances.  I loved the class and I thought by becoming a financial planner I could combine what I know about money and help people at the same time. I mean how awesome is that right!!!!  For me, that’s what it is all about.  The next year I had some free time in my college schedule so I emailed every financial advisor I could find within a thirty minute drive from my college (SUNY Geneseo).  I was lucky enough to hear back from one advisor in Rochester, NY.  I was fortunate enough to get an internship with her and, I didn’t know this at the time, but she is one of the top advisors in the country!  Learning from her was one of the best experiences I could have asked for.

The next year, I got another internship at a major insurance company and found out right away this was not a good fit for me.  It didn’t fall in line with what I learned during my previous internship, which was to seek out and find the best possible solutions for clients. These major insurance companies could only sell their own products and pushed us to sell expensive life insurance to our family and friends, which were not the best options if you looked past the company’s own proprietary insurances.  Needless to say I left this internship as fast as I could.

So why did I decide to specialize in working with teachers and business owners?  I found that I naturally relate to and identify with these two professions; I come from a family of teachers and am now I am a business owner myself.  I have a lot of first hand experience with what they deal with on a daily basis.

What I can do for Teachers:

• I can help teachers with which pension option to choose and why
• Which retirement plan to use and when to use it (hint: it changes!)
• Whether you need life insurance and what kind

What I can do for Business Owners:

• Choose the best retirement plan for their business and be sure they are maximizing the benefit through proper plan design
• I can work with your accountant on tax planning for your business to save every last dollar
• I can provide financial education to your employees

These are just some of the things I can do for both teachers and business owners.  If you would like to know more, please visit www.stevenwitter.com.  Online appointment scheduling is available through the website and the first appointment is complementary.

These early experiences helped to frame my thoughts that teachers and business owners deserve advice from an INDEPENDENT and UNBIASED financial planner who has a vested interest in YOUR long-term financial success.

‍