Getting Started as a Financial Planner (Hardcover)

by Jeffrey H. Rattiner (Author) "FINANCIAL PLANNING IS a relatively new profession..." (more)
Key Phrases: client management system, financial planning practitioner, financial planning practice, Social Security, Bloomberg Press, Certified Financial Planner (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
A must-read for emerging financial planners. -- Advisor Today, November 2000

[S]o much of what the new practicioner needs to know is readily available in [this] volume. -- Horsemouth.com, September 2000

Review
"When asked to recommend books for new advisers, we often suggest Getting Started as a Financial Planner." --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Bloomberg Press (July 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576600351
• ISBN-13: 978-1576600351
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #541,191 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful!, October 26, 2001

By	Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

How can you plan other people's financial futures without a firm grip on your own professional plan? If you are trained and ready with the know-how and skills to be a financial planner, but could use some help getting your professional practice together, here's the book you need. Author Jeffrey H. Rattiner guides you through the basics of setting up your business. While he doesn't teach you how to be a financial planner - that would be an entirely different book - he does cover everything else you need to open your office, including an explanation of the education and certification process in the U.S.. He shows you how to create a business and marketing plan, how to deal with clients and understand their needs, how to comply with regulations and how to protect yourself legally. His book is filled with useful lists and charts; We [...] were particularly impressed with his excellent resource section. Fledgling financial planners, line up here.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jeffrey Rattiner's book hits the mark, March 14, 2002

By	PTHahn (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

When I started out as an independent financial planner almost 8 years ago there was little on the market in terms of well written, content-rich references on financial planning. I recently came across Jeffrey Rattiner's "getting started" book for financial planners. First, I wish I had this book 8 years ago. It would have saved me time and mistakes when I got started. The second point to make is that Rattiner's book, especially the sections on managing client relationships and marketing, is thorough and practical. For example, as Rattiner points out there are important psychological issues at play (denial,guilt,avoidance, etc.) between planner and client that affect the relationship.These issues need to be recognized and managed to forge a productive, long-term association. The section on marketing is also right on target. While Rattiner's advice largely focuses on the new planner, I found his range of marketing strategies to be a good reminder of the broad approach the financial planner needs to take to get the best ROI on marketing spending. Overall, Rattiner is very successful in presenting the various challenges and solutions the new(and experienced)planner needs to address. "Getting Started as a Financial Planner" is money well spent.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Marginal Value If You Don't Know Anything, March 30, 2007

By	Robert Croft (Columbus, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Getting Started as a Financial Planner: Revised and Updated Edition (Hardcover)

Bottom line up front - you will not gain a top down view of the industry, the understanding of the types of businesses within it, or the nitty gritty of the components needed to do financial planning or run the business. From the other reviews, most that liked this book didn't have much perspective in this category.

I've bought a number of books to familiarize myself with the financial planning industry before setting off on an educational track. This book has been my only complete disappointment. I'm sure Mr. Rattiner knows his business, but this book does not serve any particular purpose. The scope is too broad and the depth of analysis to shallow to be helpful. No one will "Get Started" in one book. Many parts of the book are more like bulleted/paragraphed lists which can't possibly reveal the extent of the author's knowledge on any of the topics. Other parts skim through the technical parts of financial planning (e.g. types of life insurance policies) which have to be learned later in official certification courses. The aspects of running a small business he mentions don't reveal anything significant or truly specific to this type of business - you could get as much from a good article on the subject.

If you have not yet read anything on the industry, try In Search Of The Perfect Model which gives an excellent overview of very successful and inspiring corporate visions of real financial planning businesses from sole practitioners to regional firms. An alternate bottom-up book which does not sugar coat anything and will specifically point you toward further research in a variety of areas is So You Want To Be A Financial Planner. If you are looking for how the business should be structured for financial success under any model, Practice Makes Perfect written by industry consultants (no "this worked for me" bias) is phenomenal. For office operations, Virtual Office Tools for a High Margin Practice will get your mind spinning with what technology can do for you as a planner. For marketing, I recommend The Brand Called You which gets down to what weight of card stock you should have for mailings.

Sure it's better than nothing but...