Getting Started as a Financial Planner: Revised and Updated Edition

Book Description

Recent years have witnessed the rapid expansion of the personal financial-planning market, with tens of thousands of new planners entering the field. In addition, numerous advisers in the banking, accounting, and insurance fields are beginning to offer planning services. And according to a report from the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of personal financial advisers is "expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012.... As the number and complexity of investments rises, more individuals will look to financial advisers to help manage their money." Updated throughout to reflect the latest industry trends and regulations, Getting Started as a Financial Planner is a hands-on guide to making the move to becoming a fee-based financial planner. Noted practitioner Jeffrey Rattiner covers everything a beginning financial planner will need to know, from setting up a practice and communicating with clients to managing investments and marketing services. In addition, he has added a new chapter covering the latest planning models.

Customer Reviews:

Marginal Value If You Don't Know Anything.......2007-03-30

Bottom line up front - you will not gain a top down view of the industry, the understanding of the types of businesses within it, or the nitty gritty of the components needed to do financial planning or run the business. From the other reviews, most that liked this book didn't have much perspective in this category.

I've bought a number of books to familiarize myself with the financial planning industry before setting off on an educational track. This book has been my only complete disappointment. I'm sure Mr. Rattiner knows his business, but this book does not serve any particular purpose. The scope is too broad and the depth of analysis to shallow to be helpful. No one will "Get Started" in one book. Many parts of the book are more like bulleted/paragraphed lists which can't possibly reveal the extent of the author's knowledge on any of the topics. Other parts skim through the technical parts of financial planning (e.g. types of life insurance policies) which have to be learned later in official certification courses. The aspects of running a small business he mentions don't reveal anything significant or truly specific to this type of business - you could get as much from a good article on the subject.

If you have not yet read anything on the industry, try In Search Of The Perfect Model which gives an excellent overview of very successful and inspiring corporate visions of real financial planning businesses from sole practitioners to regional firms. An alternate bottom-up book which does not sugar coat anything and will specifically point you toward further research in a variety of areas is So You Want To Be A Financial Planner. If you are looking for how the business should be structured for financial success under any model, Practice Makes Perfect written by industry consultants (no "this worked for me" bias) is phenomenal. For office operations, Virtual Office Tools for a High Margin Practice will get your mind spinning with what technology can do for you as a planner. For marketing, I recommend The Brand Called You which gets down to what weight of card stock you should have for mailings.

Sure it's better than nothing but...

Good Introduction for newbie, comprehensive scope.......2007-02-27

Jeff Rattiner is a well-known planner who operates a handful of planning companies and has served as President of the Financial Planning Association (FPA). He's a trustworthy source of information on how to become a financial planner and the important things to consider before embarking on this journey. I work in a related field and found his book helpful to illuminate me on all the issues you'll face. I would encourage you to view this book in terms of a basic introduction to the field and career of financial planning - don't expect advanced tactics or strategies. Established financial planners may find much of the material redundant. Overall, I recommend this book for people considering becoming a financial planner or those who work as an employee in financial services and are considering opening an independent practice.

This book is scam.......2006-02-05

This book is a scam. He's trying to get people to sign up for his training program.
The actual information in the book is minimally helpful.
He charges $40 for you to read marketing tool for his business.

I have no doubt he also wrote these other glowing reviews of this book.

An emerging Ethical, Caring and Holistic Profession.......2004-07-26

Initially, there is a typical cheap-sell impulse about this book (even labeled on the back of it) that breaking into the lucrative financial planning field has never been so easy! Such misleading comments will only damage a highly respectable profession.

Before reading this book, I was intimidated with a perception that financial planners were just another concoction of pesky stockbrokers reborn. When I began reading Chapter 2, I realized that becoming a Certified Financial Planner requires many years of acquired wisdom with scores of training to best understand the needs of their clients. Mastery is comparable to the same level of other respectable professions!

Rather than push product-centered transactions, services offered must be sophisticated, personal and accommodating to ensure long-term success. Now, subjective and objective targets must be met, along with technical prowess and imagination.

As a novice for this review, it seems that financial planning is still in the nascent stages. Therefore, anyone can be a Certified Financial Planner, an exhilarating but also frightening thought. I agree that this is the ultimate mid-career switch for the burned out CPA, attorney, stockbroker, or college-grad housewife.

This leading expert must publish a new edition to reflect the many changes occurring in a burgeoning, potentially volatile, financial service sector. The book was written right before the dot-com bubble bust, so financial planning does not seem to be taken seriously enough.

Jeffrey H. Rattiner portrays the profession in a warm-hearted position, similar to the motion picture Jerry Maguire, where the celebrity athlete is the only loyal client on a hard road to redemption and personal growth for both individuals and their families.

Outstanding book !!.......2004-07-10

I read many business books and when I find one worthwhile I type a summary a page or two long and file it categorically. Not only was this book worthy of a writeup for my personal files but I couldn't get my "summary" under 7 pages. I am a CPA and MBA who was considering starting a personal financial planning practice at some point in the future. That point in the future will probably be much sooner than anticipated after reading this book. It is very insightful and has been instrumental in the business plan I have been working on for a PFP practice.

Average customer rating:

Finally! A Book for People Who Work for a Living

Blue Collar & Beyond: Resumes for Skilled Trades & Services

Delivers the goods!

Top of the Line!

Finally! Resumes the non-executive job searcher understands.

Blue Collar & Beyond: Resumes for Skilled Trades & Services
Yana Parker
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Communications | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Resumes | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0898156890

Customer Reviews:

Finally! A Book for People Who Work for a Living.......2003-04-13

Finally, a resume book for jobs that do not require a college education. The book has 171 resumes for jobs such as master cake decorator, clerical office worker, plumber, cruise line customer service. It has a helpful section telling how to get around difficult problems such as job gaps, lack of experience, a spotty education record, and age discrimination. It is readable and encouraging.

This was adapted from the Annotated Bibliography of Learning A Living; A Guide to Planning Your Career and Finding a Job for People with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Dyslexia

Blue Collar & Beyond: Resumes for Skilled Trades & Services.......2000-07-08

This author produces the best resume writing materials on the market! This book fits perfectly for those individuals not targeted by many other resume writing books. Many of these skills are transferrable and I encourage clients to browse through the entire book.

Delivers the goods!.......2000-01-02

This resource is a gold mine. As an employment consultant I have found Parker's book to be practical, realistic and extremely helpful, especially since I primarily work with the Blue Collar sector. If you are experienced in writing your own resume, this book offers great tips on polishing it and if you are new to the resume process, Parker also takes you through it step by step in a manner both instructional and interesting. This should be on every employment consultant's bookshelf. Easy to read and easy to understand; simple but not simplistic.

Top of the Line!.......1999-07-04

In my position as a state and federal employment counselor, I deal with large numbers of displaced blue collar workers. Many have limited computer skills and writting ability. BLUE COLLAR & BEYOND has become my most used source book. (In fact I recently purchased a second copy as the first on was wearing out) Using BC&B to teach folks how to prepare their selves to re enter the workforce has raised my success in placement rate to over 75%. VERY EXCELLENT TEXT! Must HAve! Must Buy! Must USE! C. Baugh

Finally! Resumes the non-executive job searcher understands........1998-05-15

We provide workshops on job searching, resume writing, interviewing, hidden job market etc. for a varied background of people. Some of our customers do not relate to resumes prepared for the executive or highly educated job seeker. These customers can now understand and see how their similiar skills can be marketed. We now use this resource in every district office. With many employers using the resume instead of applications for screening and with most occupations now requiring resumes, this book is essential for all job seekers.

Book Description

Designing and Managing Your Career is a collection of 30 Harvard Business Review articles on various aspects of developing one's career. Areas covered include finding what you are good at, ways to succeed in your career, how to manage others' careers, how to handle career stress, and how to retire with grace. A Harvard Business Review Book.

Average customer rating:

Designing and Managing Your Career
Harry, ed Levinson
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

Designing and Managing Your Career
Harry LevinsonHarvard Business School Press
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

Great book on investing

MORE FOR THE OLDER INVESTOR

Okay, I have to ease off a little

Mr. Pond on Channel 23

Great investment guide - especially with rocky stock markets

Your Financial Future: 4 Easy Steps to Successful Investing
Jonathan D. Pond
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Introduction | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Your Money Matters: 21 Tips for Achieving Financial Security in the 21st Century

1001 Ways to Cut Your Expenses

You Can Do It!: The Boomer's Guide to a Great Retirement

Jonathan Pond's Financial Management Guide : Retirement Planning for Asset-Rich Individuals

The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need

ASIN: 0380791811

Book Description

Hundreds of thousands of people nationwide already have benifited from the fanancial expertise of Jonathan D. POND---author, speaker, radio and televison host and commentator, and one of america's most respected authorites on investing. In just four easy steps, Pond effectively demystifies the investing process, offering simple, step-by-step guidance for assembling and managing a well diversified portofolio that will enable you to reap substantial monetary rewards without having to pay exorbitant commissions, loads, and management fees.

No matter what your age, means and background---whether you wish to invest $500 or $1million---the key to YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE is 4 EASY STEPS TO SUCESSFUL INVESTING. Here are all the valuable strategies to help you achieve your financial dreams, and in language that is easy to understand and follow, so that any potential investor can effortlessly grasp even the most complex investing concepts

Exploring every viable option---from stocks, bonds and mutual funds to CDs, IRA's, 401(k)s and real estate---Jonathan D. Pond helps your figure out how much to invest, where to invest it, and when and how to rebalance your investment allocation most profitability.

Customer Reviews:

Great book on investing.......2003-10-30

With such a preponderance of lousy information out there by so called "financial experts", I found it refreshing to read Ponders book and find advice that actually worked.

I also enjoy your commentaries.

Thank you Mr. Ponder!

MORE FOR THE OLDER INVESTOR.......2002-03-11

I agreed with alot of what he had to say,but I think his approach is too conservative for the younger investor.He is very strongly into bond funds and feels that everybody should have at least 6 or 7 different bond funds.Are you kidding me? Why should a 30 year old have bonds at all? I prefer to be a little bit more aggressive at least until I'm 50, then maybe bonds would make more sense.Just my opinion.

Okay, I have to ease off a little.......2000-02-04

I'm going to ease off quite a bit here from the (previous message) on the book and author...there, I've taken most of the headlock squeeze off of little J Jonathan ... and say that I think these books; like JPs for example, can set a good financial foundation for kids, adults, and successfully retire you at 65; BUT if you were wrecked by reading Market Wizards or New Market Wizards where everything else now falls short AND you're now looking to make..... 200 BILLION DOLLARS..... in 3 to 5 years, like ME and DR. EVIL, then it might not work. I'm always looking for the next real level so I toss most stuff back on the shelf. Now where are the REAL experts who can get us THERE? I can hear them laughing already.

Mr. Pond on Channel 23.......1999-04-25

I was watching Mr.Pond's commentary on Business Channel 23 about the great market we've had and three choices if it doesn't stay great: stop loss orders, options, and diversification. He's full of it! I have a page full of blue chip stocks that stopped me out 7% plus, then soared without me. It doesn't work. Most people lose on options and I lost out on thousands to the indexes from being diversified. This guy makes his money selling books. I'll tell him to his face he's full of it.

Great investment guide - especially with rocky stock markets.......1998-10-14

If the very idea of learning about investing gives you a headache, take a deep breath, then relax and read this book. Personal finance expert Jonathan Pond lays out all the strategies clearly and simply, then guides you toward creating a balanced investment portfolio. His chapter, "Oh No! Surviving a Market Decline," will help you sleep nights even when the Dow takes a big dip.

Average customer rating:

4 Easy Steps to Successful Investing
Jonathan D. Pond
Manufacturer: Avon Books (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Introduction | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 038097472X

Average customer rating:

4 Easy Steps to Successful Investing
Jonathan Pond
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GRBTZ2

Book Description

Learn how to budget, protect, and save your money! Charles Ross brings the resources and wisdom of sound financial planning to the door of the everyday person through this book. Filled with helpful tips and great advice, Your Commonsense Guide to Personal Financial Planning could be the answer you have been looking for.

Average customer rating:

A Waste of Time and $

Beginners Must Read

A practical, often humorous, look at branding.

Fun but flawed book

Short & sweet, but packed with meat

The Revenge of Brand X: How to Build A Big Time Brand - on the Web or Anywhere Else
Rob Frankel
Manufacturer: Frankel & Anderson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Marketing | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Web Marketing | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding

Permission Marketing : Turning Strangers Into Friends And Friends Into Customers

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ASIN: 0967991218

Book Description

In his book, Rob Frankel shows you how "Branding is not about getting your prospects to choose you over your competition; it's about getting your prospects to see you as the only solution to their problem. "

With The Revenge of Brand X, you'll be able to: * Learn what a brand really is and how it affects all aspects of your business
* Turn your user base into an army of evangelists promoting your brand
* Make your product or service less susceptible to price-cutting competition
* Generate more sales and higher profits
* Charge more for commodity products and services
* Understand how big companies make the worst branding errors
* Learn why bigger is almost never better
* Implement bottom-line tactics that stem from a solid branding strategy
* And much, much more.

Customer Reviews:

A Waste of Time and $.......2007-02-05

10 of the 23 reviews were done within a 2 day period - and they all happen to be positive. Well it's nice that Rob has at least 10 friends - however I doubt if 10 people actually read the whole book. One of his first points is that the customer does not want to hear about how great you think your company is. He then goes on for a large part of the book telling what he supposedly did and how great he supposedly is. Give me a break. The multinational businesses and celebrities he includes as his clients are probably 2 ebay sellers who each shipped a postcard to Japan and Michael Bolton. Don't waste your time.

Beginners Must Read.......2005-05-02

The Revenge of Brand X: How to build a big time brand on the web or anywhere else is a must read for any small business looking to make a name for themselves. If you don't understand what branding is and want a book that not only explains branding but gives you real life scenarios, then this is the book to buy.

A practical, often humorous, look at branding........2001-09-12

Rob Frankel's "The Revenge of Brand X, How to Build a Big Time Brand on the Web or Anywhere Else" is a practical, often humorous, look at branding. Frankel, who spares no ink to promote his own brand ...lays out his approach to branding in a series of directives and laws.

For example, Frankel's Prime Directive says, "Branding is not about getting your targets to choose you over the competition. Branding is about getting your prospects to see you as the only solution to their problem."

Then there is Frankel's First Law of Big Time Branding: "Brands are not about you.Brands are about them."
Frankel goes on to enumerate a total of ten laws of "Big Time Branding," a law about media hype, two laws concerning web branding, an "Inverse Theory of Branding," a "Ubiquitous Brand Test" and a "DYI corollary" (Doing it yourself works...)

If you really get the meaning of Frankel's First Law of Big Time Branding (Brands are not about you. Brands are about them.) you may be able to forgo reading the rest of the book. However, if you do, you will miss out on some pretty funny and thought provoking material about how big brands have blown it and how some have actually gotten it right.

Besides using examples of well-known brands that have, according to Frankel, done it right or have blown it, Frankel shares some case studies of small to international-sized businesses that have used branding to help them achieve financial success. The book features lists of action items at the end of each chapter. These lists challenge the reader to apply the principles of "Big Time Branding" to their own business making it a book that you'll want to keep close at hand for quick reference as you make decisions that effect your brand.

Fun but flawed book.......2001-06-27

Rob Frankel is an amusing writer with a tremendous enthusiasm for his subject. His book is full of pointed anecdotes and useful case studies that illustrate the principles he expounds. The book is also an excellent example in itself of a man branding himself -- the hierarchy of "Frankel's laws of branding" for instance. Frankel has a way of making a point from an unusual perspective that becomes obvious and clear after he explains it. However, the book is marred by several flaws. First, some of his examples of poorly branded companies simply don't hold up. He claims that Coca-cola is a weak brand because customers will accept a Pepsi in a restaurant rather than (I assume) leaving the restaurant to find one that serves Coke. No beverage company brand, of course, could ever inspire that kind of loyalty because soda just isn't important enough in anyone's life. Frankel's branding mantra is that it's all about your customers seeing you as the only solution to their problem. Is Coke supposed to be the only solution to my sweet carbonated syrup beverage problem? He's clearly missing an important part of the equation there. Another example is his discussion of Microsoft. After arguing that Microsoft has a terrible brand (which I won't necessarily dispute) he later says that if the branding is wrong, so is everything else. Because that branding problem has really hampered Microsoft from being a successful company. Apple, of course, is one of Frankel's favorite brands. This book would also have greatly benefitted from an editor (it was self-published) who could have tightened the organization, caught some of the inconsistencies, and fixed the embarassing number of hideous typos. For [what it's worth] Mr. Frankel's readers deserve a little more proofreading on his part.

Short & sweet, but packed with meat.......2001-05-21

Not a manual for brand-building, but a fountain of smart thoughts. It won't tell you how to do everything, it expects you to have some clue yourself. But it does a great job destroying myths and shedding brilliance on the little things great brands do to achieve lasting power. You'll need to think & take notes to figure out how it all applies to your own brand, but if that's asking too much your brand is doomed anyway.

Average customer rating:

The Revenge of Brand X: How to Build a Big Time Brand on the Web or Anywhere Else.(Brief Article): An article from: Alaska Business Monthly
Henry Holtzman
Manufacturer: Alaska Business Publishing Company, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Web Marketing | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Alaska Business Monthly, published by Alaska Business Publishing Company, Inc. on March 1, 2001. The length of the article is 693 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Revenge of Brand X: How to Build a Big Time Brand on the Web or Anywhere Else.(Brief Article)
Author: Henry Holtzman
Publication: Alaska Business Monthly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2001
Publisher: Alaska Business Publishing Company, Inc.
Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Page: 28

Article Type: Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

During the last decade many countries in Africa have undertaken political, economic and social reforms with far-reaching implications for the long term development of the continent. So far the results of these reforms have been mixed, and as yet there has been no concensus on the outcome and impact of them. Aware of this lack of consensus the participants in the fourth Organisation for Social Science Research Congress selected political and economic transformation and socio-economic development responses in Africa as its theme for the fifth congress. The contibutions were presented under five major sub- themes: political reforms, economic reforms, the socio-economic implications of the political reforms, the socio-economic implications of the economic reforms, and development strategies for Africa in the 1990s and beyond.

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Taiwan Business & Investment Opportunities Yearbook (World Business & Investment Opportunities Yearbook Library)
USA International Business Publications
Manufacturer: International Business Publications, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0739722646

Book Description

This yearbook contains basic information on export-import, investment and business opportunities in the respected country. Provides information on government structure, economy, business climate, regulations, and more... Includes basic statistics, information on the most important business contacts and business travel. Updated annually.

Taiwan Business and Investment Opportunities Yearbook

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Taiwan Business and Investment Opportunities Yearbook
USA International Business Publications
Manufacturer: International Business Publications, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Taiwan Investment & Business Opportunities Yearbook (World Investment & Business Opportunities Library)

Average customer rating:

Taiwan Investment & Business Opportunities Yearbook (World Investment & Business Opportunities Library)
USA International Business Publications
Manufacturer: International Business Publications, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0739713647

Book Description

This yearbook contains information on investment business opportunities, international economic projects, tenders, government projects, marketing and export-import opportunities information.

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