On December 1st, 2014, the company that is now known as Gary Alpert Financial Strategies started.
We are celebrating our 10-year anniversary! Thank you for allowing me to serve you. I have immensely enjoyed working with you and your families – some for over 25 years now. Below is a brief timeline of my personal journey:
Humble beginnings
My search for a career began after graduating from the University of Georgia’s MBA program in the Spring of 1998.
I didn’t have a drivers’ license and lived in a small college dorm. I relied on the Greyhound bus to take me from Athens Georgia to Atlanta on each of my job interviews. The route went from Athens to Atlanta with a stop in Monroe; about a 2-hour bus ride each way. I would then take the train from Atlanta’s Garnett MARTA station, connect with a local MARTA bus, and get the rest of the way to the interview location by foot. This was my strategy for the first 12 interviews, which were unfortunately all unsuccessful.
I was on fire - almost
My career in financial planning began in the summer of 1998, on my 24th birthday. I had just accepted a position with a small investment firm. They were my 13th interview, and I continued to call their office until they offered me a position, any position.
My friend drove me to Atlanta the day before I was set to start on my new job. He lent me $120 to pay for 3 days at an extended stay hotel. He also purchased me 5 ties (one for each day of the week) and pre-tied each since I hadn’t mastered that art just yet.
The extended stay studio seemed luxurious, and it was mine; the very first time I lived anywhere on my own.
During my first evening at the Extended Stay, I put a cinnamon pop tart in the toaster oven and went to the bathroom to wash my hands. I came out after about a minute and found that the pop tart, the toaster oven itself, and part of the backsplash had caught on fire.
I eventually extinguished the fire, but the smoke in my unit set off a loud smoke alarm. I had to open all my windows and my door to let the smoke out. It was after midnight, and I was freaking out. After about 20 minutes, the smoke dissipated, and the alarm stopped blaring.
That morning, at about 7:00 AM, I got on Atlanta’s MARTA bus to embark on my very first day of a career as a financial planner. My circumstances slowly improved, although I do remember a couple of occasions during my first month of work where my bank balance got below $1. Money had to be managed very carefully at the start.
16 Years Later ….
On December 1st, 2014, it was time to start my own business, to take a leap of faith that enough folks would believe in my mission to provide comprehensive financial planning advice at a very high level coupled with excellent customer service.
I was very lucky to be supported from the start by the Integrated Financial Group, a Consortium of Independent Financial Planners. They provided me with an office and administrative assistance to get my business off the ground.
Initially, the practice was just me. However, it was quickly apparent that I needed to grow a strong team to best serve our clients. We now have 3 full-time team members, a virtual team member, and access to the full resources and support of the Integrated Financial Group and LPL Financial.
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And Now …
Today, 10 years later, our practice has grown considerably. We have phenomenal clients, a great team, and our practice is still part of the Integrated Financial Group. During this time, we have helped individuals and families with their estate planning, investment planning, executive compensation planning, retiree tax planning, and insurance planning. These are just a few of the areas we focus on for our clients.
I eventually got my drivers’ license (at the ripe age of 27), married my lovely wife, Wendy, and purchased a home in Woodstock GA complete with a fire extinguisher on each floor and a built-in sprinkler system.
Working with my amazing team to best service you has been the ultimate privilege. Our team will continue to expand our range of offerings with the goal of responding to all your financial planning needs. We will also make sure to do so without ever letting up on our service and responsiveness to you.
Thank you so much for being part of this journey.
Most investments are meant to be long term. Always evaluate whether the time horizon required for an investment to succeed matches your timeline for liquidity.
Imagine in mine and Wendy’s case if the doors and the windows locked just as we were trying to leave or that someone came down the stairs just as we were wandering around the main level.
Our motto is “we can help you with that.” We will collaborate with you on any financial decision you make, engaging other subject matter experts when necessary. We will not stop until we get things right. We encourage you to reach out to us for assistance in making important financial decisions and we always appreciate you recommending us to others.
by Hetmayar
Authored by Gary Alpert
Tracking ID: 667445
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