Over the last 22 years I have come to realize on many occasions that we are not in the numbers business but in the people business. Clients like to know that we understand their investments, and more importantly, the people behind the investments. While numbers are crucial and we spend a lot of time in the depths of many calculations, I find the most value when I get to understand the people behind the numbers.
Recently, I met with many of the managers from the PIMCO family of funds. PIMCO has been a long time resource, providing portfolio management services for the funds of Center clients for over a decade. I alone have made this trip 3 times in the last 10 years while others from the Center have also made the trip. These onsite visits take time, usually a day of travel to their offices and back and many hours of sitting, talking and listening to their strategies, philosophies and themes. I listen to their logic, really like to see that passion that drives them to succeed for Center clients.
I joke with our investment department about passion, “The managers we want jump out of bed like a piece of toast in the morning to get to work.” These managers could retire but they would prefer to manage money rather than golf. I always find these meetings with our managers as worthy time spent. I have come back from meetings with conviction in people and their teams we have in place and sometimes found that we need to look elsewhere for a replacement.
Some things can’t be discerned in the numbers alone.
Matthew E. Chope, CFP ® is a Partner and Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Matt has been quoted in various investment professional newspapers and magazines. He is active in the community and his profession and helps local corporations and nonprofits in the areas of strategic planning and money and business management decisions. In 2012 and 2013, Matt was named to the Five Star Wealth Managers list in Detroit Hour magazine.
Five Star Award is based on advisor being credentialed as an investment advisory representative (IAR), a FINRA registered representative, a CPA or a licensed attorney, including education and professional designations, actively employed in the industry for five years, favorable regulatory and complaint history review, fulfillment of firm review based on internal firm standards, accepting new clients, one- and five-year client retention rates, non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered, number of client households served.