Butcher vs. registered dietician

September 5, 2018 | TS Prosperity Group

I am often posed the two following questions, “why TS Prosperity Group” and “what sets you apart from my broker?” Those are great questions, and to answer I first have to tell you a story.

The guest list was ready and the landscaping was perfect for our upcoming Labor Day barbeque. The only thing left to do was to see Jim, a good friend and owner of the local family-owned butcher shop. He and his wife were on our guest list for the barbeque.

I mentioned to Jim that my wife and I had been having some stomach problems. I knew I could rely on Jim to give a good suggestion to help solve our problem. “Your family has gone through a lot of beef this summer so, why don’t we try some of this chicken?” Jim said as he pointed to the end of the counter. I took his recommendation and we ate chicken for our Labor Day celebration.

A few months later, my wife and I were still experiencing our stomach issues. We felt that our issues were coming from our diet but were unable to figure out what the problem. We felt Jim gave sound advice and had always tried his suggestions in the past. We felt that he had our best interest at heart, however, this time, we decided that we were going to see a registered dietician.

As we went into Sarah’s office (the local dietician), we were greeted warmly. She efficiently went right to work taking numerous tests and asking many questions. At the end of the session and after looking at our entire health picture, her recommendation was that we need to cut back on our protein intake for a while and focus on fruits and vegetables. We took this advice and found our stomach issues were quickly resolved.

You may be asking, what does your butcher have to do with investments? Let’s circle back to the original inquiry of “why TS Prosperity Group” and “what sets you apart from my broker?” The answer lies in my experience with Jim, the butcher and Sarah, the registered dietician.

Jim was trying to do what was in our best interest but was limited in his recommendations. He only had the meat in front of him to sell and his expertise with those options as his recommendation. We still appreciated Jim and his advice, however, he was simply limited in what he could and could not offer to resolve our dietary issues. On the other hand, Sarah had nothing to sell us. She simply took tests and told us to cut back on the meat all together. She had endless choices of nutrition to recommend and had a picture of our overall health.

An investment broker is similar to Jim. They are experts with a few mutual fund families and try to do what is in your best interest, but are limited to those funds they know best. Additionally, when a prospective client comes in and I review their current investments, I usually find expensive hidden costs. Some of these funds may appear diversified, yet often times many of the eggs are in the same basket. With this limited scope, often they recommend what their company has made available to their clients.

At TS Prosperity Group, we serve like Sarah. We are required by law to provide fiduciary care and always do what is in the client’s best interest. We will only offer potential solutions based on a client’s bigger financial picture.

Just like Sarah, we take a look at your financial situation and run tests along with reviewing your goals. We can select from the endless amounts of investments choices and look to see what will help accomplish your goals. This includes funds with the best combination of highest return for the amount of risk along with the lowest fees.

Many times, we find that prospective clients have not adequately planned for all aspects of their family’s financial future. At TS Prosperity Group, it is great to help clients navigate the holistic picture while allowing them to sleep better at night. This includes looking at the holistic picture of tax planning (minimizing taxes now and later), investment planning (reducing risk without giving up return), estate planning (keeping the most amount of wealth in the family and not going to taxes and other legal fees), and more.

At TS Prosperity Group, we IGNITE PROSPERITY® by helping our clients do more with their money. Whether it’s saving a little extra cash each month or accomplishing a long-term strategy, our goal is to help you transform your financial life. Call and schedule an appointment today, one of our team members would love to help you do more with your money at TS Prosperity Group. TS Prosperity Group is based in Council Bluffs, Iowa, with clients across the midwest. For more information visit tsprosperitygroup.com or call 844-487-3115. #igniteprosperity

Cody Forbush, CFP® Investment Strategist, AVP Cody joined TS Prosperity Group in 2017. As an Investment Strategist, Cody sits on the Investment Committee and helps with the research, investment recommendations, and portfolio construction. His role also includes taking the message from the Investment Committee and delivering it to the client in a way that makes sense.  He does also does all of the financial planning for TS Prosperity Group clients.  Cody comes from a rural farming community in Idaho. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Investment Science and Portfolio management from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO).  He also completed a MBA degree from UNO with an emphasis in Risk Management. Cody is CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM. His work experience includes assisting high net worth clients plan around their goals, and developing an all-encompassing strategy to help accomplish those goals.