Versatility in addressing client needs

Cassandra Brashier • Bloomington, MN
ClearStep Financial • Harbour Investments Inc.

We position our firm as a full-service planning, investment, and financial-services solution for clients. That includes areas from college planning, tax and estate guidance, and long-term care planning—all of a client’s needs along various life stages with a variety of financial or protection strategies.

I think our point of differentiation in this regard is having the expert resources identified and ready to go on behalf of a client. We have access to experts who are either a part of our firm or a third party we have worked with many times, where we do not have to reinvent the relationship each time.

One key to this is having a phenomenal team of advisors across our branch offices who support each other, have a variety of outside relationships, and quite often possess some specific expertise of their own. Our people are constantly bringing information, resources, and new ideas to our group.

For example, one advisor in our office has specialized in the Social Security side of things. Whenever I have a client who is coming up on key Social Security decision points, I consult with my associate and run through the software analysis with him, providing our client with the most beneficial plan for taking Social Security benefits given his or her other projected income sources, assets, and expenses.

We are similarly positioned with advisors on staff or other professionals with expertise in areas such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 457(b)s, pension plans, all types of insurance, long-term care, and retirement-income planning. Our third-party relationships are with accountants and attorneys for tax strategies and legacy and estate planning. We also have several relationships with third-party money managers. When you consider our resources across several offices, it is very comprehensive. There are several benefits to this:

• We can provide virtually any service that a client needs and do it well and expeditiously.
• We can bring in our in-house or third-party experts to address a wide variety of topics in educational seminars.

Having so many touch points with clients, and this network of relationships, provides powerful cross-referral potential. Even if a prospect is not ready to consider a relationship immediately, they know we have the resources if a change in their circumstances happens in the future.

Disclosure: Securities and advisory services offered through Harbour Investments Inc. Member FINRA | SIPC
There is no assurance that active investment management will prevent portfolios from losses. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Photography by Marla Klein