Why I Stay At Consolidated Planning: Insight From A Seasoned Financial Advisor 

Sometimes it’s hard to know if your decision will be the right decision. 

When you don’t make the right decision for your career, you end up with a firm that doesn’t fulfill your goals, and frankly, isn’t what you want or need. 

What can help you better evaluate Consolidated Planning is understanding the experiences of our financial advisors – where they’ve been and where they are now. 

To help you pick the right firm for you, this article will share the experience of a seasoned financial advisor in the industry, their specific experience with Consolidated Planning, and ultimately, why they choose to stay with us, all to help you decide what you value in your career. 

 

Experience In The Financial Industry 

I’ve been in the financial industry to some extent for the majority of my career. It wasn’t until 2012 that I joined Consolidated Planning. 

Leading up to my start with CP, I spent time in banking, owning my first financial advising practice, and years later transitioning to a large firm. 

With such different experiences I realized one common thread: planning philosophies. While all are great companies, with some great products, it was all very transactional. 

Some firms think that everything can and will be solved with insurance and some think everything can and will be solved with investments – and that’s just not the case. 

However, at the time, I thought I was adequately planning for my clients. But then I started at Consolidated Planning. 

 

Experience With Consolidated Planning

My initial draw to Consolidated Planning was the planning philosophy. This contract allows me to have strong insurance products in my wheelhouse but also an open platform on the investment platform. This means together, with my clients, we can determine the best option for them and their unique situation. 

Thirteen years later, this is still the case with my career at Consolidated Planning. And that’s just part of the reason I stay here. 

 

4 Reasons To Remain A Financial Advisor at Consolidated Planning

Because building strong relationships is at the foundation of a successful financial advising career, it behooves you to do your due diligence in your career search. There is no better feeling than knowing you’re at the right firm – where you can focus on building your practice, not spending time finding the next firm for your career. 

 

#1 Culture of Support 

My career with Consolidated Planning is possible with this culture of support in place. 

Advanced Case Coaching 

The collaborative approach to case planning and preparation for your client meetings will help sift through your client data, look for gaps and opportunities, and draw illustrations and meeting narratives to set you up for a successful and robust client meeting. 

 

Underwriting Team 

The process of ensuring your clients are a worthy risk is where our Underwriting Team comes in. This team acts as the liaison between you and your client for gathering data related to underwriting policies for disability and life insurance. 

This requires timely communication and attention to detail making this a crucial piece of building your practice. 

Having your own case manager gives you a point person to order medicals and ensure this time sensitive process remains within the allotted time frame. 

 

The New Business Hub 

Something most financial advisors don’t enjoy doing is paperwork. And that is true for me. The New Business Hub is part of your workflow from day one as a financial advisor at Consolidated Planning. The New Business Hub team is made up of highly knowledgeable individuals whose sole focus is onboarding and processing new business paperwork for you and your clients, including life and disability applications and investment solutions. 

 

The Living Balance Sheet 

This is a big one. The Living Balance Sheet® (LBS) is your greatest tool. Clients LOVE it as well. This tool follows a process that provides clients financial clarity, organization, and an understanding of how each financial decision affects the other. The Living Balance Sheet® (LBS)* helps your clients envision their personalized, holistic financial picture – and journey. 

All in one place. Organized and consolidated. 

These resources and tools allow you to focus on your revenue-generating activities – building relationships, finding and keeping clients, and doing it all over again. 

 

#2 Income Potential 

Part of the draw to becoming a financial advisor is the truly unlimited potential to make the income you want to make and know you can make. Depending on the compensation structure of the firms you’re evaluating, you might have more or less flexibility in your income potential. Advisors at Consolidated Planning can benefit from income potential outside of their yearly income in a few ways: 

 

Guardian FR’s Have A Pension 

Some financial firms, depending on who they’re affiliated with, may offer a pension. Yes, a pension as an FR. Your pension with Guardian at Consolidated Planning is based on your last 20 years of service and your age. This is calculated by the average of your last earning 20 years and your age. Once those numbers meet 85 – you can retire with a pension, according to the Guardian Field Representative Plan Handbook. 

Renewals from Life and Disability Policies 

With a planning philosophy that focuses on protection first, your renewal income is an important piece of building your practice. 

Not only does your renewal income compound overtime, but you own your renewals at Consolidated Planning. This means that even when you retire – you earn compensation for your life and disability renewal policies for the following 15 years.

 

#3 Levels of Autonomy 

You’ll find that at Consolidated Planning, you work for yourself but not by yourself. 

You have the freedom and support to build your practice in a way that makes sense for you. This might include: 

• Your work schedule
• Your compensation structure on your investment business
• How you utilize our back office programs 
• How you meet with your clients 
• The ways in which you network 

 

#4 Opportunities For Growth 

Your career as a financial advisor can be so much more than just advising your clients. Consolidated Planning gives you the opportunities for growth beyond that. For my career, as a natural coach, I found myself drawn to positions that allow me the opportunity to coach my peers. 

This opportunity at CP helps me fulfill my desire to coach those around me – new financial advisors, experienced financial advisors, and our market leaders. 

Having these opportunities for additional growth is ideal for those financial advisors who want to further build relationships with their peers and become less siloed. 

Oftentimes a career in financial advising is thought to be a siloed position, but that doesn’t have to be the case here. 

 

Become A Financial Advisor At Consolidated Planning 

I understand that CP might not be the right firm for your career. Maybe you want to just put your head down, find clients, and be transactional. And that’s ok. 

But for those who want their career to be centered around truly helping people paired with a high income potential, Consolidated Planning might be the right fit for you. 

Chat with a team member to understand our interview process and what your first year will look like.

 

 

8274779.1 Exp. 8/2027 

Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS). OSJ: 6115 PARK SOUTH DRIVE, SUITE 200, CHARLOTTE NC, 28210, 704-5528507. Securities products and advisory services offered through PAS, member FINRA, SIPC. Financial Representative of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. PAS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guardian. Consolidated Planning, Inc. is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian.

*The Living Balance Sheet® (LBS) and the LBS logo are service marks of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), New York, NY.