Expertise in Every Role: Why You Want an Operations Team with a CFP® Professional

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How Others Do It

When clients interact with a top financial planner, the depth of knowledge in wealth management strategies is apparent and often indicated by the professional designation of the CFP® certification.  However industry-wide, many practices are structured so this knowledge is top heavy and siloed in the client-facing “advisor” role.  Meanwhile, the operations team, who often lacks this educational background, is left to execute the day-to-day tasks relating to the strategic management, trading and account maintenance for each client.

How We Elevate

To use a sports analogy, we stack our team with not only an outstanding quarterback but Hall of Fame receivers and running backs—quality at every position.

At Stratos Private Wealth, we champion the depth of the entire team and recognize the value of expertise dispersed amongst all departments. We’ve targeted not only our financial planning and investment management groups (with some members earning specialized designations tailored for the unique needs of the high-net-worth San Diego families we work with such as Certified Private Wealth Advisor®) but also extended the application of advanced certifications in areas that typically go unnoticed.  One example is demonstrated in our Operations Department, uniquely led by a CFP® practitioner with over a decade of experience, holding a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® credential and degree in Applied Mathematics.

What is a CFP® Designation?

The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ credential is arguably the most widely-recognized designation for financial planners and wealth managers.  The extensive coursework covers financial planning, portfolio management, budgeting, retirement strategies, estate and tax planning.  In addition to passing the CFP® certification exam, candidates must also complete qualifying work experience and agree to adhere to the CFP® Board’s code of ethics and professional responsibility and financial planning standards.  Simply, it’s the top broad-based credential for holistic financial planning.

Unique Design

A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner driving our operation acts as a strategic link – one person on our team with a foot in many domains.  Having this deep, yet broad, understanding of financial planning, investment management and operational considerations helps shepherd the ideal financial plan through practical constraints posed by investment custodians, regulatory limits, and real-world logistical challenges (paperwork, schedules, and technology to name a few).  While it’s unusual to find a highly-credentialed person in this role, we’ve found extraordinary value in having a team member with a global view to anticipate problems and generate practical solutions.

We’re engaging in intentional, acute and continued optimization of system efficiencies, technology, thorough and accurate communication between teams, and accountability for the execution of recommendations.  Our aim is to remove human error in cases where automated systems can improve accuracy and redundancies and expand the human touch where it adds discernable value.

We Learn More So We Can Deliver Better

We’ve chosen to leverage the CFP® designation to focus on our craftsmanship – not limited to only what we can do, but how we can do it better.  We provide an elevated experience: fewer mistakes caught sooner, accountability for results without detracting from advisor-client time, more trust and reliability throughout the practice, and an innovative culture.