Merriman

One of life’s happiest moments for any financial advisor who seeks the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation is the day a letter arrives in your mailbox, congratulating you on passing the very challenging ten-hour comprehensive CFP® exam.

After using all your free time for one to several years to study for this difficult exam, it’s a huge relief to know you’ve accomplished what you set out to do. Soon, you’ll be able to use and display the CFP^® credential proudly and forever.

This week, two of our financial advisors at Merriman, Mark Metcalf and Eric Jonson, received their “pass or fail” letters from the CFP^® Board of Standards. Opening the envelopes to discover they had passed the exam was a very proud moment for the two of them, their families and for our entire company.

As the good news spread around the office, there were a whole lot of high fives, hugs, laughter, slaps on the back, sighs of relief and very big smiles. When I learned the news, I threw in my own loud “WOO HOO!!”

An advisory firm is only as good as its people. That’s why we are very proud that all ten of our advisors have successfully gone through the very challenging process of acquiring this credential. Throughout our advisory offices, you will see our CFP^® diplomas displayed proudly.

Why do we care about this designation and why should you care? Click here to for more information about the CFP^® designation.

Not only has the sun been shining all this week in Seattle, it came out just in time to shine a spotlight on two of our talented advisors! Congratulations, Mark and Eric, on a job well done!

Most people can benefit from the help of a financial advisor, either on an occasional basis or in a lasting relationship. But not all advisors are created equal. In this section of our online workshop, I’ll explain what to look for and how to avoid financial help that may lead you down the wrong path.

Watch Section 5: Finding the right financial advisor now.

Working at Merriman has many great benefits because of the importance this company places on taking care of its employees creating a truly unique work environment. But one benefit that is often forgotten about is the fact that we also get to take advantage of our own services. It is so awesome to work at an office so rich with knowledge. I love sitting down with my own advisor, Phuc Dang, to go over my savings and expenses. Having a third party review my financial situation is extremely helpful – Phuc always finds a little something I missed, and can point out ways to use or save my money more wisely. (more…)

The other day a friend asked me a good question. If she became a Merriman client, what exactly would we advise her about?

Like many people, she is very smart and has a successful career. But also like many people, she’s not sure she has made the best decisions about her money.

“First and foremost,” I told her “we will manage your money to make sure it’s doing the best job possible of helping you achieve what you want in life. So one thing we’ll talk about is how your investments are doing.” (more…)