Spending his entire career in the financial industry has yielded Matthew Kitz an abundance of experience in the field. A financial advisor at Edward Jones in Westwood for the past eight years, Matt’s professional journey has spanned various positions as a trader and portfolio manager with investment firms and banks in New York City. “I decided to realign my career several years ago because I wanted to provide financial services to help individuals,” he says.
Regardless of a person’s age, having a financial strategy can help individuals and families navigate life events and achieve financial goals. Matt works closely with his clients to get to know them and have a solid understanding of their short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals.
Invest the Time to Get Started
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of investing or working with a financial advisor. The key is working with someone you trust. “I consider it a partnership,” says Matt. “I want my clients to understand our financial strategy on a foundational level. I’ll explain the differences in investments and show you how your account and portfolio can be designed to suit your unique personal and professional circumstances.”
Consider Long- and Short-Term Goals
Matt says that getting to know the client is essential to developing the proper financial strategy. “When a newly married couple comes to me, I find out where they want to be in three to five years. They usually have short term plans for buying a home or starting a family. An investment plan balances your short-term and your longer-term goals with major life events like paying for college and preparing for retirement.”
Investments Should be Disciplined and Diverse
Different personal goals require varying timelines and risk tolerances which must be taken into consideration. “Investments are a vehicle to help get you where you want to go,” states Matt. “We can control what we choose to invest in, but we cannot control the market.” That is precisely the reason why Edward Jones promotes a disciplined approach with a broad base of investments in high quality products. Matt and his home office team of analysts research a wide variety of investments in order to know their track records.
“We work with you to create a personalized financial strategy that includes advice, tools and resources to help you achieve your financial goals,” states Matt. “We do this in three important steps: understanding what's important to you, using our established process to create financial strategy unique to you, and partnering to help keep you on track to achieve your goals.
Guidance for Any Financial Matter
Financial advisors can help with any type of financial matter from college and retirement savings, to investment accounts, and even life insurance. Matt also advises clients who received an inheritance and need guidance on how to invest it. As the baby boomer generation ages, they are leaving their wealth for the next generation, and Matt provides guidance for this segment of clients as well. “At the time of their inheritance, these individuals may not have a financial advisor, so we help with creating a financial strategy to ensure their needs, wants, and concerns are all addressed.”
With education costs skyrocketing and the overwhelming thought of funding retirement, developing a plan is critical--and you don’t need substantial wealth to begin. “You can contribute a small amount each month. You don’t need to be a millionaire to get started!”
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