Being a young Financial Advisor is not easy. Building your client base takes a lot of time, effort and patience but the payoff can be a lifetime of relationships cultivated. We sat down with several Vanderbilt Advisors and asked them “What advice would you give to a young Financial Advisor trying to make it in Financial Services?” As you read on, you’ll notice most Advisors aren’t giving advice on products or services. There’s a thorough line of advice around communication, listening and relationship building.

Summary:

• The Financial Services industry is not all about greed. Many Advisors’ intrinsic drive is helping others with planning their goals or driving capital towards impactful ventures.
• Financial Planners providing thoughtful and customized roadmaps that cater to exceptional circumstances in wealth management is an advantage over Passive Investing.
• Financial Advisors do want to bridge the Financial Literacy gap and teach clients the fact-based financial concepts relevant to their situations.

Vanderbilt’s 295 solar panels show our commitment to sustainability.

Summary:

• Companies who practice greenwashing can make both deliberate claims and unintentionally misrepresent their sustainability efforts.
• As a Financial Advisor, you can help your clients avoid these bogus claims with resources outlined at the end of the article.

Many businesses promote their credentials with the promises of having green buildings, eco-labels, and clean technologies. But how many of these pledges are authentic? How many of them are just empty corporate spins? We called these inauthentic claims “greenwashing” in our past article “Will "Impact-Washing" Be the New Greenwashing?”

Jeso O'Neill is a season marketing and communications professional with a passion for sustainability. As the Director of Communications at Vanderbilt Financial Group, she has the pleasure of working with a variety of dedicated advisors and staff looking to make a difference in the world through impact investing.Jeso O'Neill is a season marketing and communications professional with a passion for sustainability. As the Director of Communications at Vanderbilt Financial Group, she has the pleasure of working with a variety of dedicated advisors and staff looking to make a difference in the world through impact investing.Each month Vanderbilt Financial Group features an Advisor in the Vanderbilt family who exhibits the VFG values of Gratitude, Respect, Innovation, Teamwork and Trust on a consistent basis. These values impact their work with clients and VFG staff, and ultimately pushes for an excellence in their business practices that is unparalleled and incredibly unique. Beyond high-level producers, these Advisors offer sage advice and best practices for boosting your business on your terms according to your values.  

This month, we feature Mike Evans of Evans Financial Group in Cheshire, CT. Mike has a long career in several companies, and his knowledge is expansive. It was really great to chat with him and his wife/business partner Mary.