Tag: CPA

How to Be a Financial Advocate for Your Clients with Mike Ringel (Ep. 12)

How to Be a Financial Advocate for Your Clients with Mike Ringel (Ep. 12)

Financial planning is not just about numbers and calculations. It is also about understanding your client’s values, goals, and dreams so that you can assist them in achieving them through sound financial strategies.

Whether you are an attorney, a CPA, or a financial advisor, you need to have the skills and mindset of a financial advocate to serve your clients well.

In this episode, Greg DuPont sits down with Mike Ringel, CPA, RICP®, CDFA®, CExP™, Financial Coach at Wealth Design Group, to dive into the secrets of financial advocacy. They explore the importance of embracing a consultant mindset, the value of specialized knowledge in financial planning, and the need to create holistic financial plans that align with your clients personal values.

Greg and Mike discuss: 

  • Mike’s transition from being a CPA to becoming a financial advisor and the challenges he faced along the way
  • The importance of viewing yourself as consultants rather than salespeople
  • Focusing on uncovering clients’ real issues and helping them achieve their desired state
  • The shift in the legal industry towards providing holistic financial guidance
  • The purpose of Mike’s practice, which is to empower families to discover purpose, freedom, and abundance in their lives through investing and financial planning
  • Mike’s experience in working with solo and small law firms to help them protect, grow, and eventually exit their businesses
  • And more!

 

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About Our Guest:

As the son of a college professor (Dr. Herbert Ringel, Ph.D., Physics), Michael’s passion for teaching began at a very early age. While his father wanted him to pursue the same noble profession, Michael’s mathematical mind and entrepreneurial spirit led him down a different path. After pursuing his CPA and MBA, he explained to his father that he would be pursuing a career in teaching and education, except in a nontraditional setting. He decided to teach families about money and investing.

Since 2004, Michael’s has been working with business owners, divorced women, families with children with special needs, and typical families to build confidence around their money.

Michael’s philosophy is to guide each family to discover for themselves what is important to their family, both personally and financially. Then, Michael shares with each family a variety of financial strategies that are prudent for them. He shares with them what may be financially possible for them in the future. It is only then when they agree upon a prudent strategy, that financial products and services are recommended to fulfill each strategy. Michael’s academic approach to financial planning has served his clients well.

The Role of Influence in The Mindset Pillar of Financial Advocacy (Ep. 11)

The Role of Influence in The Mindset Pillar of Financial Advocacy (Ep. 11)

Switching the mindset from selling to influencing is a game-changer.

The top advisors in the financial industry don’t sell – they let people come in pre-sold. 

This approach helps build trust and, eventually, strong relationships with clients.

What steps can estate planning attorneys take to become more influential with their clients?

In this episode, Greg DuPont and Matt Halloran share the sixth pillar of financial advocacy: Mindset with a shift into the importance of being influential. They explore the art of influence over sales and the importance and power of effective listening as attorneys. Greg and Matt also delve into building trust and the importance of authenticity and humility.

Greg and Matt discuss: 

  • How top advisors focus on building influence rather than selling
  • Greg’s journey of transitioning from using convincing arguments to being more influential
  • The need for experts to present their views in an easily understandable way for people to accept
  • The difference between sales and influence
  • The importance of stepping into your authority and using a humble approach to build trust in professional relationships
  • The challenge of gaining trust as a financial advisor in a world of readily available information and the importance of providing insight over opinion
  • And more!

Resources: 

Connect with Greg DuPont:

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