June 2017 Student Forum Meeting

Student Forum Meetings are intended for those students at UCSC-Extension who are enrolled in the Personal Financial Planning Program and for members of the Financial Planning Association (any chapter).
These meetings are not open to the public.

Client Acquisition Tips and Strategies

Meeting Description

As students we generally are in the position of imagining what steps we should be taking outside of the classroom to transition into a Financial Services career, especially once we’ve completed the Personal Financial Planning program. One large area of mystery to the new practitioner is: How do I find clients? What are some of the tactics and practices that lead to a new client signing on with a planner/financial professional? Are there things that I can be doing now to better prepare myself when I do launch into the profession? What types of clients should I be targeting?

We are inviting 3-4 diverse professionals to come and speak about their experiences in this area, sharing their learnings, successes, and areas for improvement. What are some of the successful techniques? What are some of the methods that are not so productive? What type of groundwork should be laid before even thinking of attracting clients? Please come ready with your questions for a dynamic and educational session.

Panelists Biographies

Ariadne Horstman, CFP�, is the Founder of Appreciate Financial Services. She specializes in cross border financial issues. Ariadne previously worked at Sensiba San Fillipo Financial Advisors, and prior to that, she worked in India for a Financial Services firm advising both locals and expats on a number of different personal financial planning issues. She remained on the board after relocating to the U.S. Her previous career was in Hi-tech. Ariadne was the Communiciations Director for the SV FPA, and is currently on the Pro bono committee. Ariadne completed the UC PFP Program in 2007.

Anandi Krishnamurthy, CFP�, began her work life as a software developer. During this time she became interested in the tiny windows of opportunity presented by our tax laws relating to stock compensation, the kiddie-tax and the impact of state taxes etc. Soon, she was advising her friends and coworkers on these topics. She found this experience so rewarding that she decided to make that her new career. She received her Personal Financial Planning certificate from the UCSC Extension in 2012 and her CFP(R) in early 2016. She worked at Wade Financial Advisory until recently, with clients from many walks of life, developing and presenting financial plans, analyzing and proposing social security, retirement and stock compensation strategies. She is in the process of forming her own advisory firm focused primarily on young professionals and their families as well as baby boomers contemplating retirement in the near future.

Ellen Lau, CFP�, MBA, is an Investment Advisor Representative with the Independent Financial Group, LLC. Ellen has over 13 years of experience in the Financial Services industry. Previously, Ellen worked at Wellspring Consulting and PacWest Financial Management. Financial Planning is a second career for Ellen, having worked in the tech industry for years. Ellen offers integrated financial planning and wealth management services to her clients. Ellen is an instructor at the UCSC Extension in Silicon Valley, teaching the Survey of Financial Planning course to new entrants. Ellen is a graduate herself of the UCSCX Personal Financial Planning Program. Ellen is actively involved in the Chi Am Circle, one of the oldest Chinese American community service organizations in the Bay Area.

Lavina Nagar, CFP�, is the President and Founder of Maya Advisors (www.MayaAdvisors.com), a Financial Planning and Wealth Management firm. Lavina worked for more than 15 years in technology for investment banks before making a career change to financial planning and founding Maya Advisors in 2007. Her clients include entrepreneurs, senior managers, tech professionals, even other financial professionals. She has an undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Economics, and dual Master degrees from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT) in Mathematics and Computer Science. Lavina is a member of Silicon Valley FPA, and has served on its Board of Directors. She is also actively involved in delivering financial education to local underprivileged youth.

Pricing and Registration

This is a free event. Registration is open through June 22nd. If you must cancel, please contact Susan Adams at execdirector@fpasv.org.

Note the new address for UCSC Extension: 3175 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara.

Student Forum Meetings are intended for those students at UCSC-Extension who are enrolled in the Personal Financial Planning Program and for members of the Financial Planning Association.