By Steve Sanduski, CFP^®

The Green Bay Packers are famous for their devoted fans. In fact, more than 268,000 of them just paid $250 for a share of stock in the Packers that is—in financial terms—essentially worthless. There’s no dividend, no capital gain, and you cannot sell the shares. All you can do is transfer them to an immediate family member.

So, what do you get for $250? You receive admission to the annual stockholder meeting expected to be held at Lambeau Field. Of course, the actual benefit of owning a piece of the Packers is not financial. It’s the connection you have with one of the most storied teams in professional football.

Can you imagine creating a financial planning practice and having 150 clients who are as devoted to you as these 268,000 fans are to the Packers?

Here are three things you can do to create this Packer-like fan appreciation:

1. Really understand your clients. This goes way beyond the numbers. Sure, they have a “number” they’re shooting for in retirement, but numbers are cold. You need to know, understand, and appreciate what your clients want to do with the financial security you are helping them achieve. Help them see their vision. Help them make the second half of their life even more meaningful than the first half. Inspire them to “live the music in them” while they still have time.

2. Be uplifting. We live in an entertainment-obsessed world. Maybe it’s because with all the bad stuff that goes on, we need the distraction of entertainment. Regardless, make working with you something your clients look forward to. Make your office an upbeat, positive (yet professional) environment. Even if the markets are down, your clients should feel uplifted after meeting with you. Life is so much bigger than the number on the statement and you should model that by being grateful, positive (but not Pollyanna-ish), and in the moment.

3. Solve their problems and do it with extraordinary service. The first two items above are the “softer” side of the business and that will only get you so far. Clearly, if the Packers weren’t winning Super Bowls and pounding on the Bears (sorry Bears fans), they would have a lot fewer raving fans. Likewise, you have to do a great job with the nuts and bolts of being a financial advisor. This doesn’t mean you have to “beat” the market, but you better at least be close. You don’t have to be an expert in everything, but you better surround yourself with subject matter experts. You don’t have to be all things to all people, but you better be all things to a select group of people. And service, well, you better be obsessive about it.

I’m essentially describing a one-two punch here. You connect with your clients emotionally through understanding them and being uplifting. Then you cement that relationship by delivering on their goals and doing it with extraordinary service. You’re fusing each half of the brain so you fully connect with your clients. Follow this plan and you’ll not only have clients for life, but you’ll get referrals for life.

Here’s how the life of member Eric Shore, Shore Wealth Management in Danville, Illinois, has been transformed by partnering with Peak Advisor Alliance.

For almost two decades we have had the opportunity to work with incredible families. These families have been our motivation to improve, learn, grow, and become more efficient as they entrust us to work as their family’s CFO.

This is the reason we decided to join the Peak Advisor Alliance and, specifically, the coaching program.  From the onset, our relationship with Peak Advisor Alliance did all the things you would expect. We installed more systems and processes that created a better client experience. Our communication with our clients and our team improved. Our coach Greg Opitz helped us describe our comprehensive approach to planning and money management and helped us build a brand that truly represents what we do. We now have a more robust marketing plan that I believe will keep us focused on identifying those families that have similar values, goals, and concerns as the valued clients we have served over the years. Each of these benefits adds great value to our practice, but the true value of the program was what I didn’t expect.

As we started the program, I took the guidance from Peak Advisor Alliance and spent a lot of time on the Blueprinting process. I really took inventory of where I was, what was truly important to me, and where I wanted to go with my business life, personal life, and service life. This time has paid many dividends.  Yes, our revenues went up last year and I am very thankful, but these are a few of the things that I am most proud. I spent a lot more time with my family. Some of that time was spent during additional vacations or getaway weekends, but most of it was prioritizing breakfast and dinners at the dining room table. I lost 60 pounds and now control my blood pressure through diet and exercise rather than medication. I believe I have made a significant impact with two organizations that are important to my wife and me. The impact was not just from financial gifts, but also from the allocation of time and sharing of talents and ideas. Since the program is holistic in nature, I feel I am communicating at a much higher level with our clients and am now able to provide more focused solutions.

I think the information and guidance I received from Peak Advisor Alliance has helped me improve every aspect of my life.

Ready to transform your life like Eric did? Then take the first step and call Peak Advisor Alliance today at (800) 514-9116.

“I will tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful.” --Warren Buffett

“In investing, what is comfortable is rarely profitable.” --Robert Arnott

“Bull markets are born on pessimism, grow on skepticism, mature on optimism, and die on euphoria. The time of maximum pessimism is the best time to buy, and the time of maximum optimism is the best time to sell.” --Sir John Templeton

“Your success in investing will depend in part on your character and guts, and in part on your ability to realize at the height of the ebullience and the depth of despair alike that this too shall pass.” --John Bogle

“You make most of your money in a bear market, you just don’t realize it at the time.” --Shelby Cullom Davis

“To achieve long-term success over many financial market and economic cycles, observing a few rules is not enough. Too many things change too quickly in the investment world for that approach to succeed. It is necessary instead to understand the rationale behind the rules in order to appreciate why they work when they do and don't when they don't.” --Seth Klarman

By Steve Sanduski, CFP^®

Playing cards is about as American as baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie. So, here’s a trivia question for you: How many times must you shuffle a deck of 52 playing cards in order to ensure it is truly scrambled?

Mathematicians have studied this problem and determined that even after six shuffles you can still find patches of non-random sequences. It’s the seventh shuffle that does the trick. At seven shuffles, you reach a tipping point and the deck turns into chaos, according to the book Magical Mathematics by Persi Diaconis and Ron Graham as reported in The Wall Street Journal. So, if you are concerned that one of your table mates is a skilled cheat, make sure you shuffle at least seven times!

By Steve Sanduski, CFP®

Rip Van Winkle slept for 20 years and awoke to discover that his world had changed dramatically. The U.S. stock market has been “asleep” for about 13 years now and, in another seven, we may find our world is much different, too.

In the nearly 13 years between January 11, 1999 and November 11, 2011, the S&P 500 index rose as high as 1,565 and dropped as low as 676. During that volatile period, we witnessed numerous impactful events including the following:

• The bursting of the dot-com bubble
• The rise of the euro
• 9/11
• The war on terrorism
• The rise and fall of the real estate bubble
• The spectacular rise of the price of gold
• The Southeast Asia tsunami and the Japan tsunami
• The rise of social media
• The Great Recession
• The sovereign debt crisis

Yet, with all those world events and the tremendous moves in the S&P 500—both up and down—during those nearly 13 years, guess how much the S&P 500 price changed between January 11, 1999 and November 11, 2011?

Exactly zero!

That’s right. The S&P 500 closed at 1,263 on January 11, 1999, and at 1,263 on November 11, 2011.
 
Does this mean you should never invest in the stock market because it’s been flat for so long? Of course not. As an advisor, you know that the market can go through long dry spells. However, your clients may get very impatient. Here are five things that you can share with them to help them stay the course and follow your plan:

1. Dividends matter. While there was no price change between these two time periods, reinvesting dividends, or owning investments that pay dividends, may have generated a positive return.

Action Item: Make sure your clients reinvest their dividends.

2. Diversification matters. The S&P 500 was flat, but some other asset classes did fine over the past 13 years, so it’s important to search far and wide for investment opportunities.

Action Item: Make sure your clients understand that you’ve expanded the set of asset classes that you invest in to include “alternative” investments.

3. Perspective matters. It’s easy to get caught up in the large day-to-day swings in the market, but understanding the broader trend or context of the market is important to help prevent day-to-day volatility from causing you to make bad investment decisions.

Action Item: Make sure your clients realize that you take a big picture and historical view of the markets and know how to place market frustration in context. 

4. Patience matters. As long-term investors, we’re more like the tortoise than the hare. Short-term, rapid traders create a lot of noise and may lead the pack from time-to-time, but we’re focused on winning at the end, not at each checkpoint.

Action Item: Make sure your clients know that you place high importance on winning at the end and not necessarily winning each inning.

5. Valuation matters. The bubble-like values placed on some companies in the late 1990s were so out of whack with normalcy, that it’s taken the market many years to work off those excesses. So, while patience is important, it’s also necessary to understand that valuation at the time you make your investment could have a major impact on how long it takes to get a return on your investment.

Action Item: Make sure your clients know that you have a process to evaluate “value” in the market and are willing to pass when things get out of whack.

Nobody knows if the market will remain “asleep” for another seven years to match Mr. Van Winkle. Regardless, you can tell your clients that, “The world will be different and we’ll keep searching for ways to help you reach your destination without nightmares.”

By Steve Sanduski, CFP^®

Back in the early 1970s, pundits fawned over some of the era’s fastest growing, industry-leading companies who seemed to defy the sluggish overall economy. Dubbed the Nifty-Fifty, these glamour stocks were well-known “one-decision” stocks that institutional investors clamored to own. So, how well did these stocks do over the last 40 years? Were they truly “one-decision” stocks?

While there was no official list of the Nifty-Fifty, two competing lists of 50 stocks are commonly cited, according to a research report titled, “The Nifty-Fifty Re-Revisited,” by Jeff Fesenmaier and Gary Smith of Pomona College. For today’s purpose, we’ll look at the 24 stocks that made both lists and were dubbed the “Terrific 24” by Fesenmaier and Smith.

Some of the household names on the Terrific 24 list include: McDonald’s, Walt Disney, Avon, Johnson and Johnson, and Coca-Cola. These companies are still doing well. However, some other household names on the Terrific 24 list performed poorly. Consider the following:

Xerox: It’s still around, but is a shadow of its former self and trades for about $8 per share.

MGIC Investment Corp.: It went through various corporate restructurings throughout the years, but is still around as a private mortgage insurer. However, it got battered in the mortgage insurance meltdown of recent years and trades for about $4 per share.

Polaroid: The inventor of instant film couldn’t make the transition to a new world and filed for bankruptcy in 2001. It reorganized and is now trying to reinvent itself.

Eastman Kodak: Perhaps the saddest story of the bunch, Kodak has struggled for years to make the transition to a digital world and is now rumored to file for bankruptcy as early as this month, according to Reuters. Its stock sold for less than 50 cents per share last week. Ironically, Kodak invented the digital camera in 1975, but was never able to capitalize on it.

With 40 years of history, here are three key lessons we can learn from the Nifty-Fifty story:

1. Some “glamour” stocks do remain glamorous for many years, e.g, McDonald’s, Walt Disney, and Coca-Cola (although each had its “rough periods” over the past 40 years).

2. Promoting “one-decision” stocks is more of a headline-grabbing marketing strategy than a sound investment strategy.

3. Even the “best” stocks can fall to zero so it’s important to have a sell discipline. 

As the British statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke said, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.”

 

Read Steve Sanduski’s latest article, for Financial Planning magazine’s The Prosperous Advisor, Do You Have the Right ‘Why?’

Steve Sanduski, The Prosperous Advisor, says it’s important for financial advisors who want to succeed to understand the “why” behind each of their goals and ask themselves if they’re setting these goals for the right reasons and whether or not they’re in the best interests of their clients.

By Steve Sanduski, CFP®

Huh? Shouldn't you try to avoid controversy and not ruffle any feathers? No. In fact, you need to have a strong opinion and have people disagree with you in order to grow your business.

American Idol’s season one winner, Kelly Clarkson is the latest example of somebody who shared her opinion, ruffled a bunch of feathers, but laughed all the way to the bank as her CD sales soared. On December 28, Clarkson tweeted that she loved Ron Paul and would vote for him if he's the Republican nominee. Whoa! Clarkson was attacked on Twitter and the blogosphere for her stand.

But, guess what happened next? Sales of her latest CD soared as she picked up new fans. In fact, sales for the CD jumped more than 400 percent in a 24-hour period on Amazon.

What does this mean for you? As an advisor, don't be wishy-washy. Take a stand on important issues such as the budget deficit, the euro crisis, Washington politics, and how to grow our economy. Sure, you may "ruffle a few feathers," but you'll get attention and gain new clients and referrals who agree with your stand and want to work with someone who thinks the same way they do.

By John Mason
Manager, Information Technology
Peak Advisor Alliance

“The pen is mightier than the sword.” - Edward Bulwer-Lytton ,English author, 1839

Fast-forward one hundred fifty years or so and the modernized quote could be: “The media is more influential than weapons of mass destruction.”

We all get suckered in, whether we realize it or not. Perception is reality and the world is full of seemingly credible sources of information that aim to shape our perception. But, for whose benefit?  With the markets being so erratic and the resulting emotions that seem to be driving investment activity, one should acknowledge and consider the impact that media has on the world economy.

We've seen how the world has dramatically shrunk with the advancement of telecommunication technologies. Take the Gulf and Iraq wars, for example. Media coverage drew the average person into a new arena of war perception by putting them on the front lines and in the military planning rooms, so to speak. The impact played a large part in shaping public support/condemnation of those actions. In many cases, it could be argued that media coverage actually worked against the coalition’s efforts and what they were trying to accomplish. In fact, in some cases, it actually put military personnel in harm’s way.
 
Now, consider media coverage as it pertains to the global economy. At any time, people can turn on CNBC or navigate to their favorite financial website (e.g., Yahoo Finance) and get real-time updates on markets, etc., complete with "expert" opinions. But, haven't people preached for a long time that you shouldn't "watch" the daily markets? Doesn't long-term performance matter the most? It would seem logical that once you get people focused on the short-term activity, the standard rules of rational investing go out the window.
 
The bottom line is that the media is playing a large hand in shaping our perceptions, opinions, and, thus, our behaviors. This is in large part done via our emotional connection/reaction to what is being communicated through mainstream media. But, we must consider that the media does not exist as a public service. It exists to make money itself. Thus, the media will cover whatever it feels will draw interest. In most cases, this means it will cover issues that play to people's fears and other "negative" emotions. If you need proof, tune into your local nightly news. "Balanced" journalism only goes so far; ultimately, the opportunity to make money wins out.
 
So, in summary, freedom of the press, while one of our country's greatest assets, is also one of our country's greatest liabilities. Personally, I think our country is going through a major adjustment/re-acclimation phase, though not everyone realizes it yet. The media seems to be promoting irrational decision-making, whether intended or not. Thus, we are being forced to learn how to operate and thrive amidst the evolving challenges the media presents. For a financial advisor, this means they need to find effective ways to offset the potentially poisoning affect the media has on their clients’ perception of what they should do with their money.

The good news is: now you know and “knowing is half the battle.”

On December 28, one of our Peak Advisor Alliance members was notified by an affiliated CPA that a client needed to set up a Solo 401k by December 31. To expedite the process, our member went to our private message board and asked the membership who were their favorite Solo 401k providers. Within 24 hours, he had four responses and he was on his way.

That's the power of the country's largest network of financial advisors headed by the country's #1 independent financial advisor, Ron Carson.

If you're looking to save time and tap into the brain power of hundreds of the country's top financial advisors, then call us now at (800) 514-9116 and learn how you can become a member of our practice management Resource Center or our financial advisor Coaching Program.

By Steve Sanduski, CFP®

According to the book Happiness: Lessons From A New Science, by British Economist Richard Layard, the answer is yes, to an extent. As peoples' income rises from zero to about $20,000, happiness rises, too, but above $20,000, there is not a strong correlation between income and happiness. Layard also concluded that among other things, happiness is relative. If you earn $100,000 per year and your peer group earns $80,000, you feel good. However, if you earn $100,000 and your peer group earns $120,000, then you do not feel so good. 

As an economist, Layard was interested in the economic ramifications of a "happy" society versus a "sad" society. He noted that the idea of "keeping up with the Joneses'" tends to encourage people to work longer hours, which results in less family time, less leisure time, and less happiness. One of his most controversial suggestions is that higher taxes are actually good for society. Here is his logic. With lower taxes, traditional economic theory says people will work longer hours because they get to keep the majority of their extra income and that is good for the economy as a whole. However, working longer hours reduces family and leisure time and that may lead to less happiness. Conversely, higher taxes may discourage people from working longer hours because they keep less of their extra income. Working fewer hours leads to more family and leisure time and that may lead to greater individual happiness even if it leads to less growth in the economy as a whole. 

So, the moral of the story is – if your taxes go up, don't worry, be happy!      

Vickie Seitner and Scott Wood will be responsible for advising members on day-to-day practice management issues, helping Peak Advisor Alliance advisors to grow and improve their businesses, and add value to existing client relationships.      

Seitner has over 18 years of experience in management and consulting. Prior to joining Peak Advisor Alliance, she founded her own coaching company where she provided professional, career transition, and personal development coaching to individuals at all levels. Additionally, Seitner spent over 10 years in human resources at Charles Schwab where she was responsible for hiring, training, and managing new employees. She became an accredited Coach through the International Coach Federation (ICF) and is an active member of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Inc. (SIOP), the Human Resource Association of the Midlands (HRAM), the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the Psychological Association (APA), and the International Coach Federation (ICF).  Seitner earned her Master of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Wood has over 20 years of experience in financial services, working closely with Mutual of Omaha’s registered representatives and financial advisors to build their businesses with a focus on asset allocation analysis and fee-based transitions. He has extensive experience in coaching and training advisors in areas including presentation skills, sales concepts, accumulation and distribution strategies, relationship management, marketing, and value positioning. He has earned two designations from the College for Financial Planning and holds Series 6, 63, 65, 26 & 51 securities licenses. Wood earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing from the University of Nebraska at Kearney.  

“With their extensive industry experience and knowledge, we are thrilled to have Vickie and Scott join the Peak Advisor Alliance team,” said Steve Sanduski, Managing Partner. “Both are committed to our advisor members, working with them to identify the visions that move clients to action, communicate their value, and implement formal processes in everyday business.”


Read this article from Registered Rep magazine featuring Vickie and Scott.

By Steve Sanduski, CFP®

Investors have long believed in “stocks for the long run” and that stocks outperform bonds over a long period of time. Well, we need to re-evaluate that old truism.

New data shows that for the 30 years ending September 30, 2011, long-term government bonds outperformed stocks. During that period, bonds rose by 11.5 percent a year on average, beating the 10.8 percent increase in the S&P 500, according to Jim Bianco, president of Bianco Research in Chicago, as reported by Bloomberg. That’s the first time bonds beat stocks over a 30-year period since the Civil War!

Here’s some long-term historical data on how stocks and bonds have performed relative to each other:

Period	# of Years	Winner
1803 – 1857	54	Bonds
1803 – 1871	68	Tie
1857 – 1929	72	Stocks
1929 – 1949	20	Bonds
1932 – 2000	68	Stocks
1981 – 2011	30	Bonds

Sources: Index Universe, Bloomberg, Ibbotson SBBI

Is this an argument for dumping stocks and just owning bonds? No. The recent outperformance of bonds over stocks was a function of the starting point and the “lost decade” for stocks. Specifically, in 1981, long-term government bonds yielded in the historically high 13 to 15 percent range while, recently, the yield was down to 3 percent, according to data from Yahoo! Finance. As the yield drops, the price of the bond rises, thus, giving investors a capital gain on top of the interest return.

With yields so low now, you clearly won’t get the same capital gain boost from bonds that we experienced over the past 30 years. In fact, Professor Jeremy Siegel, author of Stocks for the Long Run, says, “It’s absolutely mathematically impossible for bonds to get any kind of returns like this going forward.”

Bonds also benefitted from the “lost decade” in stocks as stocks experienced two bear markets in the past 11 years.

As an advisor, here are three things you can do with this data:

1. Let your clients know that there are no “absolutes” when it comes to investing except, perhaps, that there are no absolutes. Stocks don’t always beat bonds. Key takeaway—be flexible.

2. Let your clients know that the markets are very cyclical. Bonds just experienced a 30-year bull market that is likely ending. Stocks are enduring a 12-year flat market that will likely turn into a mega-bull market at some point. Key takeaway—if you have a 10-year horizon, stocks may be safer than bonds.

3. It suggests that there is a time and a place for each asset class and placing each asset class within historical context is important. Key takeaway—know history.

Remember these wise words from super investor Seth Klarman:

“To achieve long-term success over many financial market and economic cycles, observing a few rules is not enough. Too many things change too quickly in the investment world for that approach to succeed. It is necessary, instead, to understand the rationale behind the rules in order to appreciate why they work when they do and don't when they don't.”

By Steve Sanduski, CFP®

Rip Van Winkle slept for 20 years and awoke to discover that his world had changed dramatically. The U.S. stock market has been “asleep” for about 13 years now and, in another seven, we may find our world is much different, too.

In the nearly 13 years between January 11, 1999 and November 11, 2011, the S&P 500 index rose as high as 1,565 and dropped as low as 676. During that volatile period, we witnessed numerous impactful events including the following:

• The bursting of the dot-com bubble
• The rise of the euro
• 9/11
• The war on terrorism
• The rise and fall of the real estate bubble
• The spectacular rise of the price of gold
• The Southeast Asia tsunami and the Japan tsunami
• The rise of social media
• The Great Recession
• The sovereign debt crisis

Yet, with all those world events and the tremendous moves in the S&P 500—both up and down—during those nearly 13 years, guess how much the S&P 500 price changed between January 11, 1999 and November 11, 2011?

Exactly zero!

That’s right. The S&P 500 closed at 1,263 on January 11, 1999, and at 1,263 on November 11, 2011.

So, what do you tell prospects who complain that their accounts have gone nowhere for more than a decade? Here are five things you can say to help them understand this long market malaise and help them realize that you can make a difference.

1. Dividends matter. While there was no price change between these two time periods, reinvesting dividends or owning investments that pay dividends would have generated a positive return.

2. Diversification matters. The S&P 500 was flat, but some other asset classes did fine over the past 13 years, so that’s why we search far and wide for investment opportunities.

3. Perspective matters. It’s easy to get caught up in the large day-to-day swings in the market, but we understand the broader trend or context of the market. This perspective helps prevent the day-to-day volatility from causing us to make bad investment decisions.

4. Patience matters. As long-term investors, we’re more like the tortoise than the hare. Short-term, rapid traders create a lot of noise and may lead the pack from time-to-time, but we’re focused on winning at the end, not at each checkpoint.

5. Valuation matters. The bubble-like values placed on some companies in the late 1990s were so out of whack with normalcy that it’s taken the market many years to work off those excesses. So, while patience is important, it’s also necessary to understand that valuation at the time you make an investment could have a major impact on how long it takes to get a return on your investment. We’re value investors.

You could end your prospect comments by saying:

“Nobody knows if the market will remain ‘asleep’ for another seven years to match Mr. Van Winkle. Regardless, the world will be different and we’ll keep searching for ways to help you reach your destination without nightmares.”

Print this post and use the data and comments in your conversations with prospects. This simple, plain language will resonate with them.

28 Members Tell Us How Peak Advisor Alliance Has Changed Their Business
(We Can Change Yours, Too!)

If these testimonials resonate with you, please call us at (800) 514-9116 and let’s discuss how we can speed up your success.

1. Being a member of Peak Advisor Alliance is a significant part of my personal and professional life and has provided me with a rudder in both areas.
Don Rich, Wealth Advisor
Kalispell, MT

2. The program has transformed the way I think and run my business.
Mike McGervey, President
North Canton, OH

3. We are on track to doubling our revenue in two years. We would have not been able to do this without Peak Advisor Alliance and our coach, James.
Rob Koczent, Vice President & Director of Financial Services
Geneva, NY

4. Peak Advisor Alliance holds me to a higher standard than any other organization of which I am associated. They are interested in helping me to be the best advisor I can be for the benefit of my clients.
Brian Ursu, President
Traverse City, MI

5. Having been involved with Peak Advisor Alliance for six years, I cannot imagine being in this business without them.
Mike Poland, Founder & President
Norton Shore, MI

6. In a world of continuous change, Peak Advisor Alliance grounds you and helps you plan for success. The Excell Meetings truly bring the best of the best ideas that will, no doubt, "Excell" your business significantly.
Kelly Campbell, President
Fairfax, VA

7. Peak Advisor Alliance is truly a community sharing ideas and offering advice.
Patrick Wallace, Founder & Wealth Advisor
Fort Worth, TX

8. The two Excell Meetings I attend each year are, by far, the two most important meetings I go to. They help refuel the fire and the motivation, they provide great ideas, and just give me a platform to help build and improve my business. The other thing the meeting provides is networking with other advisors. I have several colleagues that help challenge me and provide camaraderie for me.
Hal Otey, Founder & Owner
Memphis, TN

9. If you're a new or experienced person to the financial services industry, the "Peak" experience will get you to the next level faster!
Chuck Morris, CEO
Irvine, CA

10. The community and best practices are excellent and priceless.
Kyle Schiffler, Retirement Planning Specialist
Minneapolis, MN

11. The power of information, exciting motivation, and stimulating networking sessions with colleagues provide the components for success for all. The web site is fantastic!
Jimmy Williams, Founder
McAlester, OK

12. This is truly a unique program. A diverse group of entrepreneurs are committed to learn from and help each other (without the egos) knowing that the sum is greater than its parts.
Scott Pyle, CLU, ChFC
Irvine, CA

13. The best in the coaching business.
Marcy Haines, Investment Advisor Representative
Baker City, OR

14. Peak continues to give me the tools and, more importantly, the confidence to help my clients achieve their goals.
Dave Perry, Registered Principal
Seal Beach, CA

15. The Excell Meeting is a great opportunity to network with the best advisors in the country. The open discussion of ideas is unmatched by any other conference I have attended.
Trent Bradshaw, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
Salisbury, NC

16. A fantastic program that helps you serve your clients better, improve your quality of life, and helps grow your practice.
Jim Parks, President & Wealth Manager
Ridgewood, NJ

17. For 10 years, I was stuck at $500,000 to $600,000 gross. I didn't know how to take the business to the next level. Now I know and I feel like a sleeping giant that has been awakened.
Nick Callesen, Registered Principal & Investment Consultant
Manistee, MI

18. Peak Advisor Alliance can change your practice and your life.
Dan Saur, Financial Advisor
Dallas, TX

19. Great program. I would, and do, recommend this program to others.
Mike Piershale, President
Crystal Lake, IL

20. I thought the networking at the Excell Meeting was like a family.
Greg Farrall, President
Valparaiso, IN

21. Peak Advisor Alliance has given me an opportunity to not only measure my own failures and successes, but also gives me the platform to share those failures and successes with other advisors and receive feedback from those advisors.
Keith Dumas, Wealth Manager
Clarksburg, WV

22. Nearly seven years and I'm still learning.
David Littlejohn, Investment Manager
Roseburg, OR

23. Peak Advisor Alliance provides the tools and community to help you move your practice to the next level.
Kirk Tushaus, President
Scottsdale, AZ

24. Wonderful relationships are developed at the Excell Meeting.
Leo Lapito, Owner & Financial Advisor
Billings, MT

25. I've been a member since 2007 and I've never left a meeting without at least one good idea that helped my practice.
Brad Harris, Chartered Financial Consultant
Overland Park, KS

26. I was a disorganized, unfocused mess prior to my affiliation with Peak Advisor Alliance. Through the program, and those I spoke with at the Excell Meeting, I've found a way to channel my energy efficiently and those efficiencies have created more confidence than I've ever had. I'm so pumped for the growth that lies ahead!
Davis Smith, Vice President Investments
Lancaster, PA

27. I believe if you truly want to grow your practice and create a value-centric relationship with your clients and your staff, Peak Advisor Alliance is your answer.
David Swenson, President of Institutional Services
Denver, CO

28. These guys get it. They want to give you all the tools to succeed in business and life.
Steve Chantler, Advisor
Wilmington, DE