The Sterling Difference
1. Elizabeth Barrett is not only a Certified Financial Planner®, she also holds a master’s degree in psychology.
Elizabeth’s background and education make her uniquely qualified to help clients identify and adjust patterns and behaviors related to money. This background also gives Elizabeth a special ability to lead clients through goal setting related to their business and/or personal lives.
2. We are committed to acting as a fiduciary in a client-centered relationship.
By law we must act in your best interest.
3. We are fee-only, meaning we're compensated only by our clients.
We receive no commissions from the sale of any products, and we will never try to sell you anything. We provide objective advice tailored to your specific needs. We respect you as a thoughtful and financially responsible person who knows the value of our fiduciary responsibility to you.
4. We help you clarify your goals, and we ensure that we understand them.
We take the time to help you define exactly what you want out of your life, your personal definition of fulfillment.
5. We conduct a comprehensive financial review.
We find that the most successful and effective plans are those in which all of the pieces are working together toward one common goal. We provide a comprehensive review of your financial assets and the integration of all the pieces. We include tax planning because we know taxes are your biggest cost in life. Without reducing the amount you owe in taxes, the road to financial independence is much longer.
6. We partner with you to develop an action plan for your unique circumstances and goals.
We could take all your information and produce a "black box" financial plan for you. But instead, we feel it's essential that you are part of the process. We work with you to develop a written timeline to get you from where you are now to where you want to be in the future. We start with short-term goals, and we outline realistic steps that we can take to move toward your long-term goals.
7. We manage your financial plan and investments, keeping your goals in mind.
Financial planning is a process, not an event. We continually help you handle all the complicated procedural issues around money.
8. We act as a buffer between your emotions and your investment behavior.
Greed, hype, fear, despair, and pride can slip right past the rational mind and result in self-destructive financial decisions. We act as a buffer between your emotions and your investment behavior by providing meaningful intelligence, perspective, wisdom, experience, and expertise.
9. We provide clear, bottom-line reports.
We organize everything in one place so you always know exactly what you have and how it's working to move you toward your goals. We provide a regular analysis of your net worth to access diversification and review investments.
10. We remain in your corner throughout life’s transitions.
Along the way, your financial plan is updated as life changes occur. And as you achieve your goals, we'll help you identify your next challenges.
