Why Independent?

A majority of financial advisors are employed by national brokerage companies, banks, or insurance companies. When an advisor represents a larger institution, there can be pressure from corporate leadership to maximize company profits. This can lead to advice that isn’t necessarily in your best interest.

Members of the Sacramento Financial Advisors Network all own their own independent firms in order to be free of such conflicts of interest.

Benefits of working with an independent advisor

Client focused

As independent financial advisors, our loyalty is to our clients, not a major corporation. We are bound by a strict fiduciary standard while serving them.

Because we don’t represent anyone but our clients, we are free from the pressures to put someone else’s interests before our clients’.

Access to solutions

Since we’re not employed by big investment firms, we have access to a wider range of financial solutions. Many investment firms will limit their advisors to proprietary products, or products from third parties who ‘pay to play’.

Independent advisors have the freedom to recommend a much wider array of solutions, and their compensation structure does not incentivized to recommend particular products.

Consistent client experience

Turnover can be very high in the big corporate wealth management companies. Most new advisor don’t generate enough revenue to survive long term, and the successful ones might be lured away by signing bonuses from competing firms.

There’s no guarantee that an independent advisor won’t leave their firm or the industry at some point, but independent advisors tend to have lower turnover. This results in a more consistent experience for the client.

Creativity & flexibility

Financial advisors who work for large corporate firms are generally limited to the technology, systems and processes dictated by the firm. This often results in outdated financial tools and a less customized client experience.

Independent advisors have the flexibility to adapt their tools and processes to reflect their clients’ needs. Many independent advisors choose to specialize in a particular type of client (retirees, young families, widows, etc.), and are able to completely tailor the experience for clients.