Paul Romo of Impact Financial Advisors was feeling limited by his former broker-dealer. With over 17 years in the financial advising industry, he started to realize that he wanted to have more freedom to enable the financial success of his clients.
“I can't tell you how many clients have asked me at times in the past: Hey, can you take care of this for me?” Paul said. “I've had to say no in the past, and I'm looking forward to being able to say yes and really help them get it done.”
Paul understands that clients are looking for comprehensive solutions when working with a financial advisor, and he found that he could offer more support and options for his clients by making a change.
For the 16+ years that Paul was with his former broker-dealer, he knew making a change was a possibility, but he never actively went looking for something new. He noted that recruiters would reach out, or he heard about an opportunity from a colleague, but his knowledge of what was out there was limited.
Paul was introduced to Boston Cardinal and Vantage Impact by his business coach, who had worked with Boston before. From the beginning, the Vantage Impact team demonstrated a commitment to understanding Paul's business, his goals, and his challenges.
“Right from the start, in my first interaction with Boston and his team, they treated me like I treat my clients,” Paul remembers. “We sat down and we had easily over an hour-long conversation about what my business looks like now, what I want it to look like in the future: what are the things that I am really happy with, and what are the things that I struggle with?”
Paul noted that Vantage acted as a neutral advisor, prioritizing his best interests in helping him select a new broker-dealer. Through introductions to a handful of firms, Paul gained a much better understanding of his options, and what questions to ask as he considered which broker-dealer would enable him to get his business where he wanted it.
“They were all tremendous opportunities,” Paul said. “Really, it came down to what I felt was going to help me take my practice to the next level and cause the least amount of disruption for my clients.” The answer was Kestra Financial.
“Acting in our clients’ best interests is always at the front of everything that we do,” Paul explained. “And Kestra has this same ethos woven into their fabric.”
Paul transitioned to Kestra Financial and is already realizing the benefits of joining this network, made up of over 1,400 advisors across the United States.
“At Kestra, we get the feeling that we're in business for ourselves, but not by ourselves,” Paul said, noting he’s already plugged into their peer-to-peer networks and idea-sharing opportunities. “It has just been really collaborative, and it’s a culture of wanting to help others succeed.”
Not only does Paul benefit from having a dedicated concierge team that supports his business, but he is now able to be a lot more integrated and comprehensive with the services that he offers. This means better partnerships with estate planning attorneys, CPAs, mortgage brokers, real estate insurance agents, and more. In the past, he could offer loose referrals, but is looking forward to a much more holistic approach.
“That’s really why a lot of people come to us - they want us to be able to take care of those things and simplify the various aspects of their financial life,” Paul said.
Paul looks forward to the next phase of his career, continuing to educate clients and instilling the confidence that their financial lives are being taken care of.
Thanks to Vantage Impact, the overall experience has been “very comforting, putting my mind at ease,” Paul said.
Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisory Services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. Kestra IS and Kestra AS are not affiliated with Impact Financial Advisors or any other entity herein. Kestra IS and Kestra AS do not provide tax or legal advice. Investor Disclosures
