Bryce Winkel • Portland, OR
Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc.
I have been running my advisory practice since 1992 and have been blessed with having a terrific client base. A good share of my business was built back when the estate laws had taxes come into play for any estate over $600,000, at a pretty significant tax rate.
The interest level was strong for individuals and couples to learn how to best structure their estate and investments to mitigate the tax burden. A successful marketing technique for me was working in conjunction with estate attorneys to help pull together an integrated retirement and estate-preservation approach. We often held joint seminars on the topic.
Usually, the attorneys would handle the actual invitations and main structure of the event, and I would be there to offer informal guidance and thoughts on investment advisory issues. This could lead to further discussions with prospects and creating a financial-services and investment relationship.
One of my daughters has recently decided to join my practice. She is smart, hard-working, and I think will be very successful. She will start out with her life and health licenses and then move on to obtaining her securities licenses. This process has generated consideration of a whole new marketing approach in taking the message of estate preservation—and ultimately advisory services—to a much younger audience.
Younger people need to understand the importance of having a will or living trust and issues such as custody of children. They also need to consider the big issues around having adequate insurance for things like catastrophic illnesses. These topics are really not top of mind, and often younger people think they are invulnerable to these type things. It is a target segment that is very receptive to this message if positioned properly.
Through my daughter, we are speaking to far more prospects in the 25-to-45 age range, and I am also in the early stages of working with attorneys who have younger clients. We have several younger professionals joining our company’s office who look to me to partner with them on their clients as they learn the ropes. This entire process has reenergized me and is taking my practice in an exciting direction working with a new generation of clients.
Disclosure: Bryce Winkel is a registered representative and an investment advisor representative with Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc. (TFA). Securities and investment advisory services offered through TFA, Transamerica Financial Group Division, member FINRA, SIPC, and a registered investment advisor. Non-securities products and services are not offered through TFA. TFG006279-04/15
Photography by Joni Kabana
