Credentials 

When selecting a trusted advisor, you need to feel confident that the person you choose is competent and ethical.  We believe that education, beyond industry required investment license standards, provides our clients with a sense of confidence.  It also leads to specialization.    Following are some of our Partner's key designations:

CExP® - Certified Exit Planner

The BEI CExP™ designation is recognized by the industry and a Board of Standards for excellence in Business Succession and Exit Planning.  It is backed by an independent, non-profit, board of standards corporation and has adopted the Standards of Professional Conduct.  Specific training is a prerequisite to certification.  The program covers areas such as maximizing value from the sale of the business, tax strategy, transfer strategy and technique, and management retention and compensation reward programs. 

Note: This designation is being pursued by the senior partners with estimated completion date of Spring 2010.

CFP® - Certified Financial Planner

The four distinguishing CFP® requirements are education, passing a comprehensive examination, rigorous prior experience standards, and the adherence to Code of Ethics.  CFP®  professionals must develop their theoretical and practical financial planning knowledge by completing a comprehensive course of study at a college or univeristy offering a financial planning curriculum approved by CFP Board.  The examination is a comprehensive two-day, 10-hour CFP® Certification Examination that tests ones ability to apply financial planning knowledge in an integrated format. Topics include: the financial planning process, tax planning, employee benefits, retirement planning, estate planning, investment management and insurance.  CFP® practitioners agree to abide by the CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, and additional annual continuing education. See: www.cfp.net. 

RFC® - Registered Financial Consultant

The RFC® designation is awarded by the IARFC, International Association of Registered Financial Consultants, to financial advisors who meet high standards of education, experience, and integrity.  It is the only professional organization that requires it's members to meet seven stringent requirements in the following areas:  Experience, Education, Examination, Licensing, Integrity, Ethics, Continuing Education.  Designees must maintain significant annual continuing education focused on the Financial Planning Process (a cycle of professional service) and how to produce current, high quality, written personal financial plans.  See: www.iarfc.org.

AAMS® - Accredited Asset Management Specialist

This designation is awarded by the College for Financial Planning to investment professionals who complete its 12-module AAMS® Professional Education Program, commit to a code of ethics and agree to pursue continuing education.  Topics of proficiency are investments and retirement strategies as well as insurance and estate basics. See: http://www.cffpinfo.com/page_aams.php.

The New World Study Group's aim is to help participating advisors better serve clients with a number of strategies –from rebuilding portfolios to crafting alternative wealth management planning to navigate through the uncertain period likely to confront the investing public. The diverse and successful group was formed to bring branch managers in the Raymond James family together to help clients, assess trends and frame investment directions and strategies.  The Group has three major objectives:  preservation of capital, income and growth of principal.  The Group, pictured below with Shari and Laura, is led by Robert Krietler, CFP^®, of Kreitler Associates in New Haven, Connecticut, and by Todd Sanford, CFP^®, President of Sanford Financial Service in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Burnum said she was humbled to be asked to join the prestigious group of advisors.  “We certainly work very hard for our local clients and we have spent many years improving our financial knowledge and our methods for building and sustaining the long-term relationships with our clients, Burnum said.  “We believe there had been a fundamental shift in our economic landscape and in the investment environment for our clients,” she said.   

Sanford, the founder of the Group, collaborated with Kreitler who authored a white paper, Sea Change, in January 2009.  The paper assesses the changed investment landscape and looks at portfolio design in potential scenarios of the economy and the need for adjustments to meet goals of capital preservation, income and growth.  “We wanted to bring together these advisors who manage their clients money in an effort to share thoughts and resources.  We were looking for managers who could think outside the box, were willing to share their thinking with the group, and participate in the collaborative process,” Sanford said.

Burnum said the group will be sharing information with each other throughout the year, and as recommendations from the Group leadership and other participants surface, she will be sharing those strategies with clients as appropriate for their individual situation.

Click Here to Read Sea Change January 2009 Paper