Enjoy today while planning for the future

When I founded The Starner Group nearly four decades ago, I had a simple mission – to help my clients achieve their financial goals. At that time, I decided on a few guiding principles that I thought would be critical to my success. The first principle was listening. I promised myself that when a prospective client walked into my office, I wouldn’t offer any advice until I listened to everything he or she had to say. Beginning with the first meeting, I wanted to know every detail – from the mundane information about a client’s assets to his or her lifelong goals and aspirations. I gathered this data both in face-to-face meetings and by asking people to complete questionnaires and surveys about their goals and investment beliefs.

As you might imagine, there were some who resisted my labor-intensive approach. They wanted answers immediately or had no interest in my surveys. This leads to my second guiding principle – I would only work with a client if I could make a difference in his or her life. Those who weren’t interested in collaboration, or who wanted only investment advice rather than a full financial plan, would be referred to other advisors. I learned that shortcuts always led to less commitment and, thus, to disappointment. Why embark on a relationship that’s bound to disappoint both of us? Life is too short … and too long.

These two guiding principles have worked remarkably well over the years. Today, The Starner Group of Raymond James & Associates is a nationally recognized, invitation-only financial planning team. We have built long-term multi-generational relationships – through good markets and bad – with our clients because we have listened to their goals and dreams and are steadfastly committed to making them a reality.

We offer a team approach to financial planning, offering you a broader scope of expertise than you will likely find in any one person. Clients are our main priority, which is why we work to understand your unique circumstances and ultimately create a distinctive plan that provides a roadmap for your financial journey. Helping clients define what they want gives the plan the focus it needs for us to deliver their dreams and wishes.

Each of us at The Starner Group looks forward to helping you live your best life.

Margaret C. Starner, CFP^®
Senior Vice President, Financial Planner

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