President Obama was still in law school. Steve Grogan was suiting up for the Patriots. Lady Gaga was 3-years-old.
It was 1989, the year I got my first real job – and my first real sense of what I wanted to do with my life.
I worked for an accountant, preparing taxes. (We still did it with pencil and paper!)
I didn’t have any experience yet, but I was learning fast. I loved the intensity of the office, and the rush of those weeks before Tax Day. I was providing a service people needed, and it felt good.
But then I started to see that I could do more.
I’d look at a client’s statements – income, mortgage, debt, and everything else – and I’d see how it could work together.
I was always curious about the larger picture, and I was often asking…
What’s the interest rate on your mortgage?
Is your 401(k) properly diversified?
Do you have life insurance?
And more. 
Today it’s what I call holistic planning. It means taking everything into consideration. For this, my curiosity is key, and it’s something that can set me apart from others. I know this: It always feels good when a client says to me, “My old financial advisor never asked me that!”
Listen to Stu’s podcast on wnbp.com with Win Damon on 1450 AM WNBP Newburyport