By Joseph R. Weiland, CFP, Managing Partner
In the last month, Arlington Financial Advisors has crossed One Billion Dollars of client assets under advice. This is something that we as a firm are very proud of. Each one of those dollars is owned by an individual. Each of our clients has entrusted a portion—usually all the liquid investments—of their life savings to us. In almost all cases these funds were earned by that client through hard work and saved over a lifetime. In a few cases, the funds were left to the person through an inheritance; in a few others they were the result of a settlement. In every case, these funds are being held for real people. The real future needs of our clients and their families depend upon these funds. These are important dollars. We hold with our clients an important bond of trust, a trust which is first given and then earned over years. Once trust is earned, Arlington’s name is shared with friends, and new clients find their way to our door. One client at a time.
Not every firm reaches the milestone of one billion dollars. In fact, few do. Fewer still do it one client at a time. Most firms grow through a process of “consolidation.” That means buying other firms or hiring other advisors who bring a book of clients with them. The firm pays upfront for these advisors and their books… an expensive way to grow. But if you do not have a business full of clients who are excited to tell their friends about you, this may be your only way to grow.
At Arlington, we have long maintained that our single biggest asset is our reputation: a reputation for quality work, professionalism, respect for all parties involved, community involvement, and of course, results. I like to sum it up by saying that we do good things for good people. With this basic strategy, we will always have success.
Everyone at Arlington is thankful to each client who has chosen to use our services. Each client is a person to us and the trust they have with us is a bond that we honor. A billion dollars is a great deal of trust and a great deal of responsibility. We do not take this lightly. We plan to keep earning that trust one client at a time.