Financial A-Team: Financial Advisors like Kristin Thompson CFP® focus on guiding women in their financial journey, helping them learn how to protect, save and invest in their futures.
Your personal financial journey does not need to be a solo one!
We are not self-made men, we are community-made women; let’s celebrate those who help by being our Financial A-Team. Meet Kristin Thompson, a Financial Advisor, who can help your long-range financial goals, like retirement.
1: What is your designation? How did you earn the designation? What does it mean?
I earned the designation of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM professional by taking the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM exam. CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM is a formal recognition of expertise in the areas of financial planning, taxes, insurance, estate planning, and retirement. Owned and awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., the designation is awarded to individuals who successfully complete the CFP Board’s initial exams, then continue ongoing annual education programs to sustain their skills and certification. It also confirms that I complete on-going education to maintain this status.
One of the hallmarks of being a fiduciary is a continuous level of care and attention to clients.
I also have a decade of experience helping clients purchase homes, navigate death of a family member, start a business and/or retire from their career and enter their next phase of life.
2: How do you help your clients achieve Big Financial Goals?
There are various points when I join a client on their financial journey: sometimes I assist them to identify the goals.
For example help someone realize they only want to work to age 60, 65, or 50. Once identified, we make a roadmap from there from everything to how much to save, the appropriate investments and investments accounts and the protection pieces to put in place including life insurance and disability insurance to name a few.
Often a goal is established (for example, to retire at age 60) and I work with what they have already put in place and enhance or advance that strategy to hit their goals.
Finally – and I think this is most overlooked – I help clients monitor the goals to ensure everything continues to operate successfully. My job does not stop when a client retires, I’m still meeting regularly to ensure they have what they need, and the strategy for what happens next.
3: What are some of the questions people should ask a Financial Advisor before they officially join their Financial A-Team?
I think most information I have as an advisor is available to the average person. But what sticks is what works for you – and an accountability partner doesn’t hurt.
The questions to ask would be about their onboarding and monitoring process, conversation on what matters to you and how it aligns with your values and goals.
Lastly, I expect people think I’ll say fees, it’s always good to know cost of any good and service, yet you get what you pay for and it should be one component on the long list of what helps you make a decision.
4: What are some red flags that an advisor may not be the right fit for someone?
A general red flag would be an advisor who has views that do not align with your views or who you feel ignores what is important to you. Other specific red flags would be:
Lack of transparency in fees
Inability to disclose conflicts of interest
Providing advice without considering how a goal impacts your total financial picture, today and in the future
5: Who is on your Financial A-Team?
Other advisors in my firm, we have a good system where we exchange ideas and I’m always willing to learn from others. There is a group of other female advisors I have met in the community from other firms who also serve as resources. Last, my accountant. A good accountant can do wonders, 😊.
6. How can people find you and connect with you?
Directly through email or phone. Also LinkedIn and Facebook are where I share also ideas and other content.
Kristin Thompson is a registered representative and investment advisor representative of Securian Financial Services, Inc. Securities and investment advisory services offered through Securian Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Renaissance Financial is independently owned and operated. 5700 Oakland Ave suite 400, St. Louis, MO 63110
4327037 DOFU 03/2022
