Why We Love Working With Teachers

Though we help all sorts of clients with their financial planning and investing needs, Teachers are some of our favorites.

Here's why:

1. Teachers are life-long learners

Good educators are life-long learners. Regardless of what grade or subject they teach, there are always new teaching methods for the classroom, and new challenges that their students are facing. Teachers prioritize continuing education and are open to trying new things to help their students achieve their learning goals.

As clients, teachers come into the office ready to learn. They may not be interested in learning the complexities of stock valuations or becoming day traders, but they're interested in learning about important financial concepts, and they want to understand and apply new strategies that can help them pursue their goals.

2. They're more like the tortoise, not the hare

We've all read the children's story of the tortoise and the hare. The tortoise knows he's slow, which motivates him to get started and keep on track, knowing that's the only way he's going to make it to the finish line. The hare knows he's fast, so thinks he can put off the work and take a snooze, and still win the race. But turns out he procrastinates too long, and the tortoise finishes the race before him.

We aren’t by any means saying teachers are slow! But they know they have modest incomes to work with, and they need to start early and save consistently if they want to reach their retirement goals. They're not waiting on some big promotion, or to close some big sale, or to feel like they have money to save. They get started, even if it's just $50 a month. They increase their savings consistently, even if it's slowly. And as they say, slow and steady wins the race!

3. Teachers tend to stay at their job longer than the average in other industries

As a Financial Advisors, we spend a lot of time upfront with our clients to evaluate the benefits they already have through their current employer, such as life insurance and retirement savings options. We then get to spend the rest of our time focusing on their goals and plans. We find that since teachers change jobs less often, it's much easier to help them stay on track with long term goals, without the distraction of regularly having to evaluate a new employer's plan every couple years.

4. Honestly, we really appreciate them

We understand what it's like to be a teacher- the low pay, feeling under-appreciated, the feeling of pouring yourself out into the future of our society. Teachers deal with class sizes much larger than the ideal capacity, a range of parents from absent to helicopter, not to mention all the student behaviors they have to manage while trying to teach a lesson. But they do it, because they know they're not just teaching algebra or spelling. They're providing the building blocks and life skills for our children to be successful adults who give back to the world. We find it a privilege to help these teachers as they guide the students in their care.

Are you a teacher or educator looking for some financial guidance? We are happy to provide a free first meeting with no obligation, and would love to help you with your financial goals. You can schedule with us here. And thank you for all you do for our society. The work you do is appreciated!