Dear Representative
The sunshine and blue skies are here, and 2025 is already off to a bright start! We hope your first quarter brought strong momentum and set the tone for a successful year ahead.
This quarter, we’re heading to the beautiful island of Maui to honor our 2024 Elite Advisors at the Fairmont Kea Lani. With an average production of $1.7 million across 81 qualifiers, this class has set a new bar—and we’re incredibly proud of their dedication and drive.
A heartfelt thank you as well to our sixteen Elite Partners. Your ongoing support is greatly appreciated, and we’re excited to celebrate with you in Hawaii and collaborate throughout the year ahead.
Following our Elite celebration, we’re returning to the stunning Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, CA for our 2025 National Conference, taking place July 30th through August 3rd. Be sure to keep an eye out for speaker announcements and the big reveal of this year’s conference theme—we have some surprises in store!
This fall, our popular Practice Management Exchange is headed to a new location: the Conrad in Nashville, TN, October 19th-22nd. We’re looking forward to bringing the PME experience to Music City for the first time.
For details on how to qualify for these events— as well as a sneak peek at our 2026 Elite Advisor Conference—check out page 51.
We’re also proud to share some exciting recognition. IFG was ranked #15 among Independent BrokerDealers and #2 among privately held broker-dealers based on gross revenue in Financial Advisor’s 2025 IBD Review & Ranking. On top of that, we’ve been
named a finalist for InvestmentNews’ Broker-Dealer of the Year, with winners to be announced on June 24th. Business remains strong, and interest from advisors looking for a more personal, independent model continues to grow.
A big congratulations to Elite Advisors Chris Vizzi and Dustin Blodgett, who were both named to InvestmentNews’ Top 100 Advisors for 2025 – Vizzi at #56 and Blodgett at #85. We’re so proud to see their hard work recognized nationally.
In this issue, we’re spotlighting our HR & Reception Department, featuring Mercedes Montanez, HR & Facilities Administrator, along with Alexis TamayoRomo and Ravyn Ferreira, the friendly faces who keep our front desk running smoothly. You’ll also meet Abbey Eastham, our new Director of Advisory, in this quarter’s Employee Spotlight, and hear from Elite Advisor, Dustin Blodgett, in our Advisor Spotlight.
We’re excited to bring you a packed issue full of updates, recognition, and inspiration. Thank you for being part of the IFG family—we’re grateful for your partnership and can’t wait to see what the rest of 2025 has in store.
Scott Heising
David Fischer
- DASHBOARD
RETHINKING PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT: WHY ADVISORS ARE EMBRACING OUTSOURCING PORTFOLIO CONSTRUCTION
ELEVATING CLIENT ENGAGEMENT: UTILIZING ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS TO HOST WINNING EVENTS ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS
DUSTIN BLODGETT ADVISOR SPOTLIGHT
WELCOME NEW TEAM MEMBERS WHEN YOU FAIL TO PLAN...HELP YOUR CLIENTS AVOID THE SECOND PART OF THAT SENTENCE (WHICH, IF YOU DON’T KNOW, IS “YOU CAN PLAN TO FAIL”) COMPLIANCE
MAXIMIZING CLIENT OUTCOMES: EMPOWERING ADVISORS WITH ANNUITY REVIEWS ANNUITIES SOLUTIONS
A NEW CHAPTER IN ADVISORY: WELCOMING ABBEY EASTHAM TO IFG CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
ONLY THE BEST TO SUPPORT RETIREMENT INCOME PLANNING INSURANCE SOLUTIONS
MEET THE FACES BEHIND THE SCENES: A SPOTLIGHT ON IFG’S HR AND RECEPTION TEAMS CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
CAPITALIZING ON TRENDS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
BUILDING A STRONG FINANCIAL ADVISORY BUSINESS: THE IMPACT OF BRANDING, MARKETING, AND CLIENT EXPERIENCE
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT FOCUS PARTNERS ADVISOR SOLUTIONS RECENT PROMOTIONS
WHAT IF YOUR BRAND AWARENESS WAS YOUR BIGGEST BUSINESS DRIVER?
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT NEXPOINT
BOB HILL ADVISOR SPOTLIGHT
"InvestmentNews - 2025 TOP ADVISORS" CHRIS VIZZI & DUSTIN BLODGETT
By Lauren Goettsche Vice President, Operations
Raise your hand if you’re using the newly designed NetX360+ web-based system… Bueller, Bueller… Anyone? If you didn’t raise your hand, or even if you did but you haven’t yet explored all the new features, this is for you! Over the past year, many enhancements have been made to NetX360+, and if you haven’t yet given it a chance, I encourage you to jump in and look. I think you’ll like what you see! Perhaps the most prominent change is the newly redesigned dashboard, complete with trending assets under management and useful client analytic tools. Let’s take a deeper dive into these tools and how they can support you and your business.
The homepage for NetX360+ is now an interactive dashboard. The first metric you’ll see is a large graph going across the top of the screen that reflects AUM, Net New Assets, and the number of accounts. The system allows you to change the time period of the data from month-to-date up to the last rolling 12 months. It gives a great visual of your business’s flow and growth. There’s also a toggle above the graph to switch to Featured Content, which will replace the graph with market-related news and insights.
Below the graph are several valuable widgets designed to give a quick glance of your Pershing business ranging from items that may need action taken, view of top clients by various categories, holdings performance by position, and quick access to frequently used reports.
TOP CLIENTS BY: NEXT BEST ACTION / ASSETS / GROWTH / DECLINE
The Top Clients widget allows you to view clients based on different criteria, including Next Best Action, Assets, Growth, or Decline.
• Next Best Action: This view shows the client’s name, current assets, and a lightbulb icon with a score. The higher the score, the more potential action items there are for that client. These could include RMD notices, recent correspondence, IRA participant contributions, missing cost basis, and even reminders about upcoming client birthdays.
• Assets, Growth, Decline: You can also toggle to view clients by assets, growth, or decline over a selected time period, both in terms of asset value and percentage change. The widget displays the top 15 clients, but you can select the View All icon in the top right corner to see a complete list in a new window.
BEST/WORST PERFORMERS
The Best/Worst Performers widget shows holdings across client accounts, which can be viewed by:
• Top Movers: Largest percentage changes.
• Growth: Best performers by percentage of growth.
• Decline: Worst performers by percentage decline.
The chart is also interactive. By clicking on the graph icon to the left of the security name, a pop out window will appear with a quick view of current market data.
By clicking on the name of the security itself, a box will appear with the options for Account List and
Security Details. Choosing the Account List option will display a list of all client accounts that currently hold that security and the current market value of the security in that account. The list can be exported to excel by clicking the View Report icon in the top right corner of the widget. Selecting Security Details will open a new window with current market data and news events related to the fund and the fund company.
Similar to the Top Clients widget, the Best/Worst Performers chart will only show the top 15 holdings, but you can click View All to open a full list in a new tab.
ITEMS FOR ATTENTION
The Items for Attention widget is an existing feature that deserves special mention. It’s incredibly valuable for identifying client accounts that need action. You can “Pin” categories to keep important items at the top of your widget, ensuring they are always visible— even when no open items are present. Unpinned items will only appear when there are open items for that category.
Here are a few categories that might be helpful to pin for daily review:
• Margin Details – Information on trade-related issues such as cash due, sell-outs, or 90-day restrictions. Review this daily.
• Required Minimum Distributions – Track client accounts subject to RMDs. The widget shows the RMD value, YTD amounts taken, and available cash in the account. It also allows you to mark an RMD as “MET” if satisfied from an outside account or another method.
• IRS B Notices – Notifications when the IRS reports a client’s SSN or Tax ID mismatch. Resolving this quickly can help avoid mandatory tax withholding or negative tax consequences.
• Insufficient Funds for Periodic Distributions – Alerts you if a client doesn’t have enough funds to fulfill their upcoming distribution.
• Positions Missing Cost Basis – Identifies accounts with holdings lacking a cost basis that need to be updated. Most cost basis updates may be submitted by the rep directly into NetX360+ via Cost Basis Maintenance. For assistance with missing cost basis for positions that transferred in from an outside company, please contact Operations.
These are just a few of the items that are helpful to keep flagged for review, but I encourage you to view all categories for important information on your client accounts. Reach out to Operations if you come across any that you need assistance with or have questions on.
The final two widgets on the page are Report Center and Total Available Funds Report Center acts as a shortcut to the Reports section of NetX360+. This chart lists recently generated reports and a favorites tab to quickly access reports that you may utilize on a frequent basis, such as Holdings or a Debit Balance report. Total Available Funds lists clients with the highest available funds as of previous day’s close, which takes into account both the cash/money market funds and any marginable balances available for margin accounts.
Hopefully this information has inspired you to dive into your own Netx360+ dashboard and see how these tools can support you and your business. As always, we welcome your feedback, which is shared with our Pershing support team. For questions or assistance on any of features of the dashboard, or to suggest additional features that you feel would be beneficial, please contact Lauren Goettsche at LGoettsche@ifgsd.com
Please note that all screenshots used for this article are sample images used for display purposes only.
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RETHINKING PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT: WHY ADVISORS ARE EMBRACING OUTSOURCING
By Colin Andrews, CFA Senior Due Diligence Analyst
Outsourcing the investment management function continues to be adopted among independent financial advisors. Cerulli Associates found that the share of advisor-managed assets that were outsourced rose by 13% in 2023, up from 9% in 2021. In practice, some advisors utilize their broker-dealer’s home-office model platform for a portion of client accounts, external managers for specialized client strategies, and personally manage bespoke portfolios for others. Home-office model suites, Turkey Asset Management Platforms (TAMPs), and model marketplaces have made outsourced strategies widely accessible. While most advisors still handle investments “in-house,” the outsourcing trend is clearly accelerating as advisors seek efficiency and scale.
The efficiency gain for advisors has made outsourcing an attractive solution. By delegating the portfolio construction, trading, and rebalancing functions to a centralized model, advisors can reduce time spent on day-to-day investment management tasks. Fidelity’s 2023 survey found that, on average, advisors who outsourced saved 9 hours per week.
Source: Fidelity, Morningstar, 2024.
This is meaningful time savings that advisors can refocus their energy on meeting with clients,
prospecting new business, and improving service offerings within their practice. TAMP provider, AssetMark, conducted a survey among financial advisors that outsource, which found that 98% of respondents claimed outsourcing enabled them to deliver better investment solutions to clients. 91% reported growth in total assets, 84% reported higher business valuation, and 83% reported higher personal income1. The reallocation of time spent from investment management and administrative tasks can materially improve an advisor’s productivity and revenue. Outsourcing practices free up capacity to serve more clients—on average, 33% more clients per producer than practices that rely on insourcing2
Advisors can also utilize outsourcing as a means of scaling their businesses. With portfolio management largely handled by the model provider, an advisor can confidently take on additional clients without a proportional increase in workload, removing a bottleneck to growth. There are cost efficiencies to be considered as well. Internally managing portfolios can be operationally intensive, requiring research, trade execution, and rebalancing efforts across accounts. Outsourcing shifts this operational burden onto the TAMP or model provider. More than 50% of advisors who outsource reported a decrease in operating costs since they began, with 40% seeing declines in costs of 5% or more3
There are several options to choose from when advisors decide to lean into an outsourced solution. BD home-office model portfolios are great for advisors seeking an efficient, low-cost solution. They offer seamless integration with the BD’s systems as well as compliance oversight. TAMPs are ideal for advisors that want a broad selection of external model providers and more specialized investment strategies, including tax and ESG considerations. TAMP options typically involve a separate technology platform and some additional costs.
State Street Global Advisors released new research
1 How Outsourcing Investment Management Services Gives You More Time, AssetMark, 2023.
2 Model portfolio adoption rises with financial advisors, Cerulli says, Financial Planning, March 22, 2024.
3 The Evolution of Portfolio Delivery, Markets Insider, February 16, 2024.
in December 2024, which noted that advisors report having an average of 39% of current assets under management in model portfolios—a figure that is up 32% over three years4. Most respondents utilize self-built models for clients, but a growing minority (45%) source models available on their home-office platform. The data shows that client satisfaction with model portfolios is high; notably, 95% of clients said they were satisfied with their advisor’s ability to earn their trust and confidence, compared to 79% of investors without assets in models. Clients report the top benefit of having their assets in model portfolios is that the advisor, “can spend more time helping me make more intelligent financial planning decisions (89%)5.” Clients in model portfolios tend to have greater trust and perceive more value from their advisor relationship, likely because the advisor has additional bandwidth to offer more proactive service. This boost in client satisfaction meaningfully drives growth—67% of advisors using outsourced models saw an uptick in client referrals6. Importantly, Cerulli research has shown that BD home-office models often outperformed the average advisor-managed portfolio over multi-year periods and exhibit less return dispersion7
In summary, outsourcing portfolio management is both an efficiency play and a strategic decision that enhances advisor productivity, client satisfaction, and regulatory compliance. There is a myriad of solutions for advisors to choose from, including TAMPs for a full-suite outsourced solution, and home-office models that offer a combination of seamless integration, cost-effectiveness, and oversight. Advisors seeking to grow their business and simplify operations should consider outsourcing as a means of implementing an institutional-quality framework while benefiting from efficiency gains and economies of scale.
For any questions, please contact Colin Andrews, CFA, IFG’s Senior Due Diligence Analyst at candrews@ifgsd. com or x214.
Source: Citywire, 2024.
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Elevating Client Engagement: Utilizing Alternative Investments to Host Winning Events
By Madison Turbeville Manager, Alternative Investments
In today’s competitive marketplace, building strong client relationships and standing out from the competition is essential. One powerful way to achieve this is through exclusive client events centered around alternative investments. By hosting events that educate clients on opportunities in private equity, real estate, hedge funds, and other alternatives, advisors can differentiate themselves, create memorable experiences that build trust, and ultimately win new business.
Featuring insights from top advisors who have successfully implemented these strategies, this article explores how to leverage alternative investments to create impactful client events that drive engagement, strengthen relationships, and grow your practice.
What types of alternative investments generate the most interest from potential clients at events, and what methods do you use to educate attendees about them? How has your approach to marketing alternative investments evolved over the years?
Cindy Couyoumjian Cinergy Financial
If you can build a seminar around the challenges and uncertainties people feel, back it up with facts, and offer real solutions, you’ll have people lined up to attend.
I start my events by asking attendees to open about their concerns and fears, often offering a gift card as an incentive. Then, I lean on my 20 years of research to explain why they’re feeling that way and who is responsible. And it’s all fact-based. From the 1960’s to today, we’ve had two new kinds of risk: political risk and economic risk. Political risk is the Federal Reserve constantly lowering interest rates. Economic risk is the idea of “profits over people.” If you look at the BlackRock 60/40 fund since 2007, it’s done a whopping 2.5% a year. My goal is to talk about the challenges over the last 20 years with that type of strategy and to offer solutions.
The 60/40 model has been broken for 20 years, yet many advisors still rely on it without question. Over the last two decades, low interest rates, rising volatility, and outdated asset allocation strategies have left retirees struggling to generate sustainable income. My seminars expose these failures and show clients a better way—one that institutions and endowments have used for years but that most retail investors have never been offered.
Alternative investments aren’t just a niche—they’re essential for modern retirement planning. They provide three major benefits: they’re non-correlated to the stock market, they generate higher income through the liquidity premium, and they reduce overall portfolio volatility. Private credit, real estate, and other alternatives have outperformed traditional portfolios, yet most advisors fail to incorporate them. I break it down in a way that makes sense, showing clients why a well-constructed portfolio with alternatives can give them stability, growth, and confidence in their financial future.
I fill every event with 35-45 new prospects, and I’m converting clients at record rates because people are hungry for guidance that works. Advisors who aren’t educating themselves on alternatives and evolving their approach are getting left behind. This is a new era of investing, and those who embrace it will dominate the future of wealth management.
How do you structure your events to balance education, engagement, and business development while showcasing alternative investments? In your experience, what common misconceptions do clients have about alternative investments, and how do you address them at events?
Chris Vizzi & Kelly Clyde South Coast Investment Advisors
Successful client events don’t happen in a vacuum. Success is built on consistency. At South Coast, we’ve been hosting in-person and virtual client events monthly since we started the firm 15 years ago. Our clients have become part of our community, and they’re constantly reminded about how special that community is. They know that coming to one of our events means they will learn something, can engage directly with our investment partners to learn about unique opportunities in a relaxed setting, and, most importantly, spend some quality time with their peers, sharing their experiences as well as learning from others. During these events, we lean heavily into education, breaking down complex topics into relatable stories that mostly everyone can digest.
Our clients don’t see alts as a scary or foreign concept because we’ve committed to including them in our events and portfolio discussions since inception. The biggest hurdle advisors need to overcome is their own bias toward maintaining the status quo. The alternative investment landscape has changed dramatically over the last decade. There are
numerous structures and strategies available at IFG today that are far more flexible and approachable than the “alts of old.”
Can you share a specific success story where an alternative investment-focused event helped you build relationships with prospects or convert them into clients? Were there any challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?
Jeb Bashaw
James E. Bashaw & Co.
One of our best examples is from my earlier life, when I was involved in a business with Olivia Newton John, the Australian singer and actress from the movie Grease. Upon her death in 2022, my former attorney reached out to me to reminisce about our experiences with her. He asked me if I was still doing investments, and I replied, “Heck yes!” He attended our next dinner on self-storage, sponsored by Pacific Oak and SmartStop Strategic Storage. After the dinner, he immediately committed to purchase. He then took me to lunch and asked, “I always get invitations from you. How often do you communicate with your clients?” I responded, “At least monthly through our client appreciation events, webinars and meetings.” He replied, “I haven’t heard from my current advisor in over 2 years. Would you be willing to handle my whole account?” He then moved his 401k and other accounts, totaling almost $10 million in assets. Thirty days later, he introduced us to his inlaws, who, after consultation, moved over $7 million in assets. These two families have since become our biggest referral sources.
The biggest challenge is convincing prospects and delivering on the promise. We are high-touch, and our clients expect it. Prospects think it’s all lip service because that’s what they’ve come to expect from their previous advisors—bum’s rush at the beginning and crickets after the sale. By delivering the high service level, we can use our expertise and uniqueness in alternative investments to convince them to transition their entire relationship to us. They are not customers; they become clients and friends.
Kelly Clyde (middle), Chris Vizzi (right)
Finally, when he referred us to his in-laws, shortly thereafter, the spouse had a healthcare issue with a probable diagnosis of ALS. After hearing their concern, and because of my position on the board of a local hospital, I was able to get them an immediate second opinion with one of the top neurologists in the U.S. Happily, the original diagnosis was incorrect. This is how you become part of the fabric of the clients’ lives. We aren’t just salespeople; we listen to their concerns and offer unbiased, objective, and customized advice.
What lessons have you learned from hosting client events focused on alternative investments, and what advice would you give to other advisors looking to do the same?
Scott Pilchard
Western Skies Advisory
Client events and alternative investments – what do they have in common? In my mind, both help me distinguish myself from other financial advisors.
My annual Masters party is a perfect example. Held annually on the Friday afternoon of the Masters Golf Tournament, it’s a chance for both golfers and non-golfers alike to experience the unique food and beverage menu
of Augusta National, as well as having a chance to receive instructions from a golf professional. Attendees tell me it’s like no other event, and they appreciate the unique pageantry of The Masters… but in Phoenix!
In addition to the fun and food, it also gives me the opportunity to identify clients for whom alternative investments may be appropriate. Interacting with them in a social setting allows me to better understand their personality and preferences, which ultimately is the key to making more informed recommendations.
Most of all, it’s a fun event and gives me an opportunity to say thank you to my clients, friends, and referral sources!
The best client events are not just about business— they’re about connection. Whether it’s a seminar, a dinner, or a one-of-a-kind gathering, successful events create an environment where trust and relationships can flourish. By incorporating alternative investments and our strategic partners into these experiences, advisors can provide real value, challenge outdated financial strategies and offer clients new opportunities for growth and stability. In a rapidly changing financial landscape, those who embrace innovation and prioritize client engagement will not only differentiate themselves but also build a thriving, future-ready practice.
For any questions or guidance on how to host client events, please reach out to the Alternative Investments department at (800) 269-1903.
Jeb Bashaw (left) with a client
Scott Pilchard (right)
SCOTT DAVIS Senior Vice President & CFO
SARAH KREISMAN Senior Vice President & General Counsel
CAMRYN BOLEK Specialist, Annuity Solutions
Michael Boswak of Chichester, NH
The Investment Center
Xiaomeng Dai of Pleasanton, CA
LPL Financial, LLC
Allyn Deininger of North Little Rock, AR
Crews & Associates
Matthew Devine of San Diego, CA
Osaic Wealth Inc.
Jason Dodzik of Richmond, VA
Osaic Wealth Inc.
David Heitner of Tenafly, NJ
Osaic Wealth Inc.
Andy Kim of Anaheim, CA Kayan Securities
Theodore Kourpas of Dallas, TX
Green Vista Capital
Rourke Martin of Roseburg, OR
Newly Registered
*Listed alphabetically
Building Trust and Success: A Conversation with IFG Elite Advisor Dustin Blodgett
By Ivana Gilger Marketing Specialist
As a financial advisor with a unique blend of experience, expertise, and a deep commitment to his clients, Dustin Blodgett has become a standout professional in this industry. With a career that spans working with some of the most affluent families in the country to earning prestigious accolades such as being named a Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisor and a Top 100 Advisor by InvestmentNews, Dustin has proven that success in this field is built on a foundation of trust, dedication, and a long-term perspective. In this interview, we dive into Dustin’s journey—from his early influences and career-defining moments to his philosophy on managing wealth and life balance. Whether you’re a fellow advisor or simply someone looking for insight into what it takes to build a successful career, Dustin’s story offers valuable lessons and inspiration.
Dustin's children, Lincoln, Kennedy, London, McKinley & Sydney
Dustin and his wife, Moriah
Can you describe your upbringing? Where are you from, and what was your childhood like?
I was born and raised in Walnut Creek, CA. I have seven siblings, and we lived near open space. We played sports year-round – basketball, soccer, and baseball. Those were some really good times!
Where did you go to college, and what did you major in? Were you involved in any clubs or extracurricular activities?
I attended BYU in Provo, UT, and majored in Business Management with an emphasis in Finance. While I was there, I was involved in the Wealth Management Club.
What was your first introduction to the world of finance and financial advising? How did you get started in the industry?
My father was a Stock and Bond Trader in San Francisco, so I saw markets a bit through him. I didn’t know what profession to do in college and attended a lot of informational presentations from professionals coming into the college. A financial planner presented, and I was hooked. Everything clicked and I was all-in.
What brought you to IFG, and what has your experience been like since joining the firm?
I was looking for a change and for a better brokerdealer, and I interviewed with a dozen firms. IFG was very professional, and it felt like a great firm. Since joining, the home office has been great. They’re knowledgeable, friendly, and always there to help support my business.
What do you believe differentiates you from other financial advisors, and what factors contributed to your success?
I talk a lot about the unique experience I had during my initial years in this industry, helping manage families that had $100-500 million of assets. It was challenging, unique, and a great experience most advisors don’t get. I have my CFP and a deeper focus on investments through the CIMA designation. I do think being younger has helped my success. Clients like that I will be around for a long while. I think advisors looking for succession planning really want that as well, as it is a good selling point to their clients on who will take over. I think being young with an education, experience, a successful firm, and thirdparty recognition and awards contributes to my success.
Dustin and his family at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park during the IFG National Conference
Dustin and Moriah at IFG's Elite Adivsor Conference in London
What has been the most challenging aspect of your career, and how did you overcome it?
I don’t know if this counts, but seeing clients pass away and working with their spouses that are still here has been tough. Seeing their sadness and wanting to do more than money management can be challenging.
Another challenge that comes to mind is when I decided to leave the asset management side and come to the wealth management side. I partnered with someone I knew and that allowed me to make the jump. After one year, that person decided to change, and it left me completely on my own, still building my own business from scratch. I had to work hard to make it all work out, and I’m grateful it did, but that was a challenging time.
How do you stay motivated, particularly during challenging times?
I stay motivated by knowing that many clients trust me to guide them through times that are very scary for them. People need help and feel lost, especially during harder market cycles. It is nice to be there and be reliable for my clients.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career?
Helping people realize the power of their money and understanding what they can do. Seeing it click for them, knowing they made it and can retire, and the joy that can come from that. I work with great people!
Second to that would be my work/life balance. The time I can take off, spend with my young kids, travel, etc. is rewarding.
What do you consider to be your core values or philosophy when it comes to managing clients’ wealth?
Markets are going to do what they do. There will always be scary headlines. Keeping a long-term focus and helping tilt the odds of success in my client’s favor will bring success over time. Trust is key.
How do you approach building trust and rapport with new clients, especially those who are new to financial advising?
It has to come from understanding who they are, what makes them tick, what their goals are, and what they want to achieve in life. Life is way more than money and helping them understand that and focus on what matters most helps build that trust.
What advice would you give to other financial advisors who are looking to take their business to the next level? Is there a specific lesson you’ve learned in your career that you wish you could share with others?
Hire help and delegate everything. Build systems and processes/workflows for everything you can in the business – that makes repeatable steps that you can then delegate. Don’t be afraid to take time off.
Can you share a specific story where you were able to make a significant difference in a client’s life?
Dustin's family visiting him for lunch at the office
I had a client who was 55 years old, and her mother was dying. Her mom was her best friend, and she really wanted to spend time with her before she passed. We reviewed everything, got creative with the planning, and helped her see the freedom she could have. She then retired, bought an RV, and traveled. I have many stories like that – it can very rewarding work!
You’ve received significant recognition in recent years, including being named a Forbes Bestin-State Wealth Advisor, Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisor, and more recently, a Top 100 Advisor in 2025 by InvestmentNews. How does it feel to be acknowledged in such a way?
It’s pretty cool! I remember seeing some of these awards and the advisors who won them when I was in college, just learning about the industry. I never thought I’d be included in some of these awards. There are a lot of great advisors out there, so it is nice to be recognized as one trying to do their best for clients.
I know you have a beautiful family—would you like to tell us a little about them? How did you meet your wife, and how many children do you have? What do you find to be the most rewarding part of fatherhood?
My wife and I grew up in the same area but didn’t know each other. We met in college and started dating there. Things clicked and she is awesome. After initially dating, we married one year later. We have five kids, ranging from 12 years old to 21 months – four girls and one boy.
I love being a dad. I love wrestling and playing with them. I love showing them new things and teaching them. It is fun to see their eyes light up about new things, new places, new foods, and trying something new.
Outside of work, what are your hobbies or interests? How do you find balance between work and personal life?
I schedule time away first. There will always be work and something to do. I schedule days off and add to it as the year goes on. I love to golf, travel with my family, workout, and run.
The Insight Capital Management team celebrating a birthday!
Looking ahead, how do you see the financial industry evolving over the next few years, and how do you plan to adapt to those changes?
I think there will always be a need for financial partners that know their clients and are in their corner. I don’t think robo-advisory is much of a threat. I think the industry will continue, as it has, to be consolidated into large private equity backed corporations. The development of teams serving clientele is the best approach to managing wealth, rather than solo advisors on their own. I think a team gives depth and coverage that builds strong relationships.
I think there are many advisors that are aging, and succession planning is vitally important to them to make sure their clients are taken care of. I have built out my team and firm to be able to take on advisors and help them transition their business and retire successfully.
Dustin Blodgett’s journey is a testament to the power of hard work, continuous learning, and a genuine commitment to his clients. Dustin has built a career centered around trust, long-term relationships, and helping people achieve their financial dreams. His story reminds us that success in the financial industry isn’t just about numbers—it’s about making a real difference in people’s lives. As the industry continues to evolve, Dustin’s focus on building strong teams and adapting to change will no doubt keep him at the forefront for years to come.
(Which, If You Don’t Know, is “You Can Plan to Fail”)
By Sarah Kreisman Senior Vice President & General Counsel
Ioften find myself on the lookout for good, interesting topics to write about. Unfortunately, that sometimes means diving into more difficult and emotional scenarios. Trust me, Compliance already gets enough of a bad rap – I don’t want to be the grim reaper or the dark shadow. But when I came across an article the other day titled, “Five steps to Prepare Clients to Navigate the Tragic and Unexpected” (Joe Duran, 2025), I found the inspiration I needed for what you’re about to read. The author did an excellent job of encapsulating the steps, making it about being prepared and expecting the unexpected.
Unfortunately, life itself throws plenty of curveballs. As financial advisors, your focus is typically on the bright side – encouraging clients to focus on growing their wealth, saving adequately for the future, and planning.
However, recent natural disasters have highlighted the importance of shifting some of those conversations to focus on financial preparedness. While, arguably, no one could have predicted or prepared adequately for these occurrences, there are certainly steps we can take and things we can encourage clients to do so that, when or if an unprecedented, unpredicted, or unfathomable disaster strikes, they can minimize the impact of what is typically a devastating, life-altering occurrence (or series of occurrences). Instead of focusing on large-scale calamities, we should concentrate on more isolated, manageable events that clients might face.
Know Your Customer and Know Who Will Be Responsible
The time to decide who’s in charge and who will make critical decisions is not after something has happened – or, for that matter, while driving 100 mph away from a fast-moving fire, storm, tornado, flood, etc. Encourage clients to make these decisions long before an emergency occurs. As part of their plan,
clients should designate who will handle things if they become incapacitated or are otherwise unable to manage their affairs. If they don’t have things formally documented (such as through a Power of Attorney or by naming a Trusted Contact), have them outline who they want as decision-makers in various scenarios. This will be helpful for you too, as things can happen quickly, and trying to figure these details out on the fly can lead to significant confusion, unnecessary delays, or can spark concerns from you and your office about whether you know what you’re doing, who you’re talking to, or the steps you’re taking are “the right thing.” Why leave such an important issue open to interpretation or criticism?
Understand Their Liquidity and Make Sure They Understand Its Importance
In certain situations, having ready access to cash can be crucial. This might include something as basic as bridging the rental of another home while theirs is being repaired, before insurance money is available. Of course, cash stored in a safe in a house that was destroyed doesn’t do much good. Building an emergency fund or maintaining a percentage of assets in cash or a cash equivalent can help reduce one more thing to worry about in a time of crisis.
Understand Their Debt and Make Sure They Are Managing It
Clients need to understand the risks associated with any debt they are carrying, and they must realize that debt doesn’t go away just because something happens. For example, a mortgage or rent on a living space that becomes temporarily uninhabitable (or worse, is destroyed) still needs to be paid. Likewise, a lease or car payment for a car, boat, motorcycle, or tricycle (just seeing if you are still paying attention) for items that are no longer usable. As part of assessing their overall financial health, help clients manage their debt, and encourage them to pay it down whenever possible. Reducing debt can significantly reduce stress during unexpected events.
Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
Encourage clients to simplify their finances and financial lives. This could be as simple as consolidating accounts or taking advantage of services (like banking) offered by one of their existing custodians. In such situations, less can often be more. Help them determine what they truly need and suggest ways to streamline things. For example, discuss whether selling an insurance policy with unnecessary benefits or riders might be the best choice. Maybe it is about an investment or multiple investments that are no longer aligned with their objectives and risk tolerance. The clearer their financial picture is in their mind, the easier it will be for them to make a potentially difficult decision when and if the time comes. This isn’t about questioning past decisions, but about evaluating their current situation through the lens of “What if something happened tomorrow?”
On a related note, I’ll never forget sitting down to do my estate planning for the first time. The attorney asked me, “What if something happened to you tomorrow?” which led me to name my then 90+ year-old father as my executor. Despite his age, he was the person I trusted to handle things. The second part of that story was the overwhelming feeling I had as I left the attorney’s office after signing everything, fearing I’d get into a car accident on the way home (thank you, Atlanta traffic). Luckily,
that didn’t happen. It’s often that fear that prevents people from starting—or finishing—their plans. It’s not illogical or irrational, but it’s important to recognize that allowing those fears to stop us from acting can create bigger problems down the road.
Information Is Power…Make Sure Your Clients Are Empowered
At all times but, more specifically, in a time of crisis, ready and easy access to information is power, powerful, and empowering. Clients should have access to and know how to access their important information. For starters, bank, insurance, and other financial information. One way you can help is by assisting them in organizing everything and ensuring they know how to access it (e.g., username/ password information stored securely).
While it’s crucial to stay focused on the future, having these preparedness conversations can set you apart in a competitive industry. Be real with your clients. Share stories and examples to make yourself relatable. You do not have to be the person who seems like they always had it all figured out. Illustrate what learning from life has taught you, and guide them to make changes, starting with small ones if that is needed. Some level of preparedness will make a difference. Sometimes, it is all about chipping away at the mountain, not boiling the ocean.
Planning doesn’t guarantee an event will happen (see my example of NOT dying in a car accident). But it does mean that, in a crisis, your client won’t be further impacted or paralyzed by the overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to turn. Instead, they’ll have something to anchor them—and they’ll have you to thank for it!
For any questions, please contact me at skreisman@ifgsd.com
Reference Joe Duran. (2025, February 10). Five Steps to prepare clients to navigate the tragic and unexpected. Investment News, p. 29.
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MAXIMIZING CLIENT OUTCOMES: EMPOWERING ADVISORS WITH ANNUITY REVIEWS
By Camryn Bolek Specialist, Annuity Solutions
Conducting research on our partners and continuously developing our skills are essential business practices. These objectives led me to attend the Ash Brokerage Annuity Audit Conference in Phoenix, AZ. As my hometown, this location was particularly meaningful as it allowed me to escape the harsh winter months of San Diego, CA.
The study group delved into essential annuity practices to enhance the client experience through diligent annuity management. The conference aimed to discuss the benefits of reviewing current annuity books, the importance of annuities in retirement planning, and strategies to improve the overall client experience. Over the course of two days, I engaged deeply with the annuity review landscape, conversing one-on-one with Ash Brokerage partners who share similar roles. I also reconnected with familiar faces and met some of our IFG Elite Advisors.
A key focus of the conference was the advantage of reviewing old annuity assets that are out of surrender and comparing them with current products. This practice ensures advisors perform due diligence on clients’ accounts as new products emerge. Ash Brokerage emphasized the importance of serving and protecting clients from retirement-related issues, particularly longevity risk and the need for lifetime income. Annuities, especially those purchased ten years ago at higher costs and lower interest rates (e.g., T10 at 1.75% vs T10 at 4.75%), can now be reassessed to potentially increase income, enhance death benefits, suggest LTC-enhanced products, reduce fees, or confirm the suitability of current products.
Empowering and educating advisors to inform clients about retirement income products is a goal shared by Ash’s advanced planning team and our home office. In January 2025, we assessed over 100 policies. Last year, the IFG Annuity Department conducted over 900 annuity reviews, achieving an 87% success rate in improving client outcomes. This success is attributed to a combination of favorable market conditions, including higher market values
for existing policies, and the elevated interest rate environment, which has led carriers to manufacture stronger products with better guarantees, creating a competitive landscape.
To ensure advisors have best-in-class strategies for their clients, our home office team has created a calculator tool that compares income scenarios from over 115 different income riders, supported by ongoing product due diligence. This support enhances the advisor and client experience by equipping advisors with a comprehensive onestop income solution that oversees the gamut of guarantees distributed by both direct carriers and FMO/IMO partners. The results include Variable Annuities, RILA/Buffered Annuities, and Fixed Index Annuities.
For an IFG advisor, reviewing their existing annuity book has never been easier. The new and improved advisor portal now has a revamped annuities department section. In partnership with FIG Marketing, our newest FMO partner, the site offers a comprehensive listing of an advisor’s current annuity holdings. It aggregates carrier data from all the major carriers, including Nationwide, Lincoln, Jackson, Brighthouse, Global Atlantic, etc., in one place, so you don’t have to log into multiple carrier sites. It provides a downloadable Excel file that you can sort through by surrender expiration, date, market value, carrier, etc. For direct access to your annuity book, click here or email cbolek@ifgsd.com for assistance.
Advisors can also access current annuity offerings/ product information, commission grids, rate sheets, client-approved materials, and wholesaler maps on the same site under the approved products section
For further inquiries on leveraging the annuity department to enhance your annuity client experience, please contact Erick Montiel at emontiel@ifgsd.com, Camryn Bolek at cbolek@ifgsd.com, or Michael Spence at mspence@ifgsd.com
A New Chapter in Advisory: Welcoming Abbey Eastham to IFG
By Ivana Gilger Marketing Specialist
We are excited to introduce Abbey Eastham as our new Director of Advisory! Abbey brings a wealth of experience to IFG, most recently serving as the Head of Advisor Relations at Realta Wealth. Before that, she spent over a decade at Cetera Financial Group, where she held key roles including Senior Investment Solutions Manager, Product Manager of Investment Solutions, SVP of Advisor Relations, and Associate VP of the GPS Group. At IFG, Abbey will lead our Advisory business within Wealth Management, overseeing the P&L and driving the strategic direction of our advisory services. She will report directly to Chad Cristo and is already making an impact with her expertise and leadership.
Chad Cristo, Senior Vice President of National Sales and Marketing, shared his thoughts on Abbey’s arrival:
“One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is assisting with the growth and development of our people, and it is always a special day when I can welcome a new member to the IFG family! Abbey brings extensive Advisory solutions experience to IFG and has quickly proven her capabilities as a senior member of the team. It is important to me that the new Director of Advisory can actively collaborate with the other team Directors, so we continue to crosspollinate ideas and solutions designed to maximize benefits for our advisors. She has already tackled important projects related to AccessPoint and will continue her assessment of the overall business to see where we can add additional efficiencies. Overall, I am thrilled to welcome Abbey to the Wealth Management team!”
I sat down with Abbey to learn more about her journey, her vision for the future of advisory, and what excites her most about her new role at IFG. Here’s what she had to say:
How did you get started in the financial industry, and what has your journey been like up until now?
AE: In 2008, during the financial crisis, I lost my job in advertising and marketing, which forced me to make a change and explore a new career direction. That’s when I stumbled into the financial industry. A friend of a friend, who was a financial advisor, was looking for an operations manager for their expanding wealth management and tax practice. Even though
I had no experience in the industry, they took a chance on me because of my drive, strong work ethic, and willingness to learn. Once I got started, I quickly realized this was the path I was meant to be on. Over time, I got licensed and worked my way up, discovering that the advisory business was where I truly felt at home.
Can you share an example of a pivotal moment or decision in your career that shaped your professional path?
AE: A pivotal moment in my career came early on when I was balancing being a new professional in the financial industry with being a parent to a young child. I was determined not to miss out on important moments in my child’s life, but I also knew I needed to work extra hard to advance my career, since I got a later start in the industry than most. To make it work, I decided to adjust my schedule and work East Coast hours, while living on the West Coast. This strategy allowed me to dedicate the time necessary for growth and development, while still being present for my family. It turned out to be a game-changer, helping me build strong, lasting relationships, which eventually led to a position as the head of Advisor Relations for the East Coast.
What attracted you to joining IFG?
AE: I spent over 11 years at Cetera Financial Group, and during that time, the company experienced significant growth. While that was exciting, I noticed that the personal relationships I had built started to wane as the company scaled. Tasks that used to be completed quickly were now taking much longer due to increased bureaucracy and additional steps
Abbey and her family rafting on the American River
in the process. That’s when I realized I wanted to be part of a team where relationships are prioritized, and I could make a more meaningful impact. I value IFG’s emphasis on family, relationship building, and efficiency, which aligns perfectly with my own priorities.
What excites you the most about the future of the advisory business, and how do you see the role of advisory evolving in the next 5-10 years?
AE: I’m excited about how technology will transform the advisory business in the coming years. Technology can streamline many time-consuming tasks for advisors, like data analysis and portfolio management. It can also enhance the client experience by providing actionable insights for advisors. As technology
continues to evolve, we will see the tools compliment the expertise of financial advisors, not replace them. Ultimately, this will strengthen the advisor-client relationship.
What do you hope to accomplish as the Director of Advisory, and what goals are you prioritizing in the short and long term?
AE: As someone who is brand new to the firm, my immediate goal is to assess the needs of our advisors and ensure they are fully aware of the tools and resources available to them. One key focus will be making sure our advisors are familiar with two powerful tools offered through AccessPoint: Envestnet Intelligence and Vantage. Envestnet Intelligence uses advanced analytics and AI to provide insights into client portfolios and business opportunities. Vantage, on the other hand, is a robust data aggregation tool that offers a unified view of various types of accounts beyond advisory. In the long term, my goal is to highlight the importance of the advisory services we offer, particularly by emphasizing the benefits of outsourcing portfolio management. This approach allows advisors to focus on relationshipbuilding, while ensuring clients have access to the expertise of top-tier seasoned professionals.
How do you approach fostering collaboration across teams, and what’s your strategy for empowering advisors within IFG?
AE: Collaboration has always been a core part of my approach, as I’ve spent my entire life involved in team sports, where working together toward a common goal is essential. I believe that collaboration between teams isn’t about competing or diminishing anyone else —it’s about complementing one another’s strengths to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Collaboration across different areas like insurance, annuities, alternative investments, and advisory can create a holistic approach that truly benefits clients.
What is the most rewarding part of working in the financial services industry, and how do you plan to bring that into your new role?
Abbey with her wife, Cara and son, Joe at the Carlsbad Race
Abbey is an avid hiker! Here she is hiking Sedona in the summer.
AE: The most rewarding part of working in the financial services industry for me has always been the opportunity to help people in a meaningful way. Throughout my life, I’ve placed a high value on doing the right thing and being there for others, and that sense of purpose is something I’ve carried with me into the financial services world. Outside of my professional life, I also make it a priority to volunteer my time, which allows me to continue helping others in different ways. It’s this passion for service and doing the right thing that I bring into my role, and I plan to carry that commitment with me in my new position.
What are you most looking forward to in this role?
AE: I am looking forward to becoming a true valued member of the IFG family, building strong relationships, and having a meaningful impact on the firm’s growth…and, of course, Hawaii!
We are thrilled to have Abbey on board and look forward to the impact she will make in her new role. Join us in welcoming her to the IFG family as we continue to grow and strengthen our advisory services!
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Abbey hiking Sedona in the winter!
WELCOME
NEW HOME OFFICE TEAM MEMBERS
Abbey Eastham Director, Advisory
Abbey Eastham has joined IFG as the new Director of Advisory, reporting directly to Chad Cristo. She brings a wealth of experience to IFG, most recently serving as the Head of Advisor Relations at Realta Wealth. Prior to that, she spent over a decade at Cetera Financial Group, where she held key roles, including Senior Investment Solutions Manager, Product Manager of Investment Solutions, SVP of Advisor Relations, and Associate VP of the GPS Group. At IFG, Abbey will lead our Advisory business within Wealth Management, overseeing the P&L and driving the strategic direction of our advisory services.
Dylan Hauser Media Content Specialist
Dylan Hauser has joined IFG as the new Media Content Specialist, reporting directly to Paige Heising. Dylan has experience as a Web Designer and SEO Specialist at Car Media Group and as a Marketing Manager at Pacific Pearl La Jolla Healthcare. His expertise includes SEO strategy development, website design, marketing automation, and UX/ UI development. In this role, Dylan will be responsible for overseeing website content creation and updates, podcast development and production, and managing the conference app and website. Dylan earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from CSU Fullerton.
ONLY THE BEST TO SUPPORT RETIREMENT INCOME PLANNING
By Paul Larrabee, RICP, CLTC Director, Insurance Solutions
Two is almost always better than one. Choosing between a Mercedes and a BMW is a great decision, and that is precisely the top-of-the-line program choice you are presented with at IFG when selecting support for your Life Insurance Retirement Plan (LIRP) platforms. Patrick Kelly’s Tax-Free Retirement (TFR) program has been available on IFG’s platform for several years through our FMO Partner, Simplicity Life, with numerous IFG Advisors successfully using the program. In 2024, the addition of FMO Partner Financial Independence Group (FIG) to the IFG platform introduced the David McKnight program, The Power of Zero (POZ).
Both LIRP programs are led by well-respected authors in the financial services industry who have engineered resources to help financial advisors integrate life insurance as a powerful component of a complete retirement and wealth-building strategy. Harnessing the immense power of mortality credits within a financial plan has been referred to as the “ninth wonder of the world,” following what Einstein famously coined as the “eighth wonder” – compound interest. Ibbotson and Ernst and Young have both conducted intensive model research demonstrating that portfolios containing permanent life insurance and annuities produce greater wealth over time compared to portfolios that don’t harness these products’ mortality credits. The TFR and POZ programs are marketing platforms designed to help financial advisors communicate the challenges facing retirees and demonstrate how life insurance plays an integral
role as a financial tool in their portfolio. These programs help advisors attract high-income earning prospects and convert them into long-term clients.
Patrick Kelly’s Tax Diversification and Retirement TDR program, re-branded from Tax-Free Retirement, is hosted by IFG FMO Partner Simplicity Life. Kelly is a best-selling author of several retirement planning books, including The Retirement Miracle, Stress-Free Retirement, The Five Retirement Myths, The Retirement Dilemma, and Seven Secrets to a Happy Retirement. These books focus on helping people avoid retirement pitfalls by leveraging products and strategies to build consumer confidence in retirement. TDR directs attention toward future taxation, sequence of return risk, dying too soon, living too long, or getting sick along the way, and it guides the reader to life insurance products that do an excellent job of mitigating these retirement risks. Kelly has created a full marketing suite of videos, social media posts, webinars, and other marketing tools to assist advisors in their marketing efforts. His comprehensive training program educates advisors on how to leverage this marketing system and close sales effectively. Additionally, software is included in the program to assist with illustrating future retirement income projections. There is no cost to use this marketing program.
The program is centered around the Tax-Free Retirement book, which advisors can distribute to prospects as a gift, with the condition that they read one chapter and share their thoughts with the advisor who gave it to them. For young advisors working to build a successful client base, this marketing system is the most complete, thorough, and cost-effective option available.
David McKnight, author of the best-selling book The Power of Zero (POZ), has been featured in Forbes, USA Today, The New York Times, Fox Business, Bloomberg Radio, MarketWatch, CBS Radio, CNBC, Yahoo Finance, Nasdaq.com, Reuters, Investors Business Daily, Kiplinger’s, and numerous other publications. His POZ book was made into a full-length documentary film, The Power of Zero: The Tax Train is Coming, and his latest book, The Guru Gap, was a #8 best seller on USA Today and top-selling business book worldwide.
In 2024, IFG introduced FMO Financial Independence Group (FIG), which has long been aligned with the POZ marketing platform. The program has been proven effective, as an Elite IFG Advisor and top insurance producer utilizes the program with enormous success. The program focuses on the undeniable tax advantages that life insurance holds and that can be leveraged into a tax-efficient retirement income plan. The
POZ system provides full training and content to be successful at marketing to high-income professionals and other successful savers concerned about how future tax rates will impact their retirement accounts and their ability to stay solvent if they have longevity.
If you’re interested in learning more about Patrick Kelly’s TDR and David McKnight’s POZ programs, additional information can be found on the Insurance Marketing page at IFGSD.com. Direct links to the programs are included below. However, you are encouraged to enroll in the programs through our FMO partners to receive the special rates for IFG Advisors.
Tax Diversification and Retirement
The Power of Zero Marketing Program | David McKnight & Company
The IFG Insurance Solution Department is fully equipped to support your marketing and business development opportunities. Reach out to Paul Larrabee RICP, CLTC, IFG, Director of Insurance Solutions, for information and support.
MEET THE FACES BEHIND THE SCENES: A SPOTLIGHT ON IFG’S HR AND RECEPTION TEAMS
By Ivana Gilger Marketing Specialist
In this article, we’re shining a spotlight on not only our reception team but also the HR department, which works closely to support them and the rest of the company. We’re excited to give you a chance to get to know these team members better — whether you’re one of the many who rely on them daily or you’re curious about the behind-the-scenes efforts that help IFG run smoothly.
I sat down with our Human Resources and Facilities Administrator, Mercedes Montanez, and our two receptionist, Alexis Tamayo-Romo and Ravyn Ferreira. Get to know them better below!
Mercedes Montanez, Human Resources and Facilities Administrator
What sparked your interest in Human Resources, and how did you get started in the field?
Mercedes: My interest in Human Resources was sparked a few years ago at my previous
San Diego Employer Association, which provided me with foundational knowledge in HR practices. This course, combined with my ongoing hands-on experience, has deepened my understanding of HR and the impact it can have on both employees and organizations. I am passionate about continuing my learning journey in HR and am excited to take more HR-related courses to further develop my skills and contribute even more effectively to this field.
What
do you find most rewarding about working in
Human Resources?
Mercedes: I find it incredibly rewarding to be in a position where I can help employees grow and develop in their careers. Whether it’s through onboarding new hires, facilitating professional development, or helping to resolve issues, HR allows me to contribute to creating a positive work environment where people can thrive. I also take pride in knowing that employees can rely on me to
Alexis Tamayo-Romo, Mercedes Montanez, Ravyn Ferreira
help create an environment where they feel valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.
How do you balance the needs of the company with the needs of the employees when making decisions?
Mercedes: I strive to make decisions that are sustainable and mutually beneficial – helping the company grow while also ensuring employees feel supported, respected, and motivated.
What advice would you give someone interested in pursuing a career in Human Resources or office management?
Mercedes: My advice for anyone interested in pursuing a career in Human Resources or office management is to focus on developing strong communication and interpersonal skills. Both roles require the ability to connect with people at all levels of the organization. Additionally, I recommend gaining a solid understanding of organizational behavior, employment law, and HR best practices. Finally, it’s crucial to remain adaptable and open to continuous learning, as the HR landscape is always evolving.
How do you support the receptionist in their role, and what kind of training or guidance do you provide?
Mercedes: I believe in providing the receptionist with strong support during their first few weeks to ensure they feel confident and well-prepared in their role. My priority is to make sure they not only gain a solid understanding of IFG’s operations but also become familiar with everyone in the office and their respective roles. Building these relationships is key to making them feel integrated and comfortable. I always keep my door open for any questions or concerns they may have, creating an approachable and supportive environment. Additionally, I actively encourage them to pursue opportunities for
growth and development. While my goal is to help them thrive within IFG, I also want to set them up for success in their career, even if that means helping them move up or explore new roles within the organization. Ultimately, I want to ensure that they have the tools, knowledge, and confidence to succeed in whatever path they take.
What do you think is the most important quality for someone in a receptionist role to have?
Mercedes: I believe the most important quality for someone in a receptionist role to have been excellent communication skills. A receptionist is often the first point of contact for visitors and callers, so being able to communicate clearly, professionally, and warmly is crucial. It’s not only about conveying information accurately but also creating a positive first impression of the company.
Alexis Tamayo-Romo, Receptionist
Ravyn Ferreira, Receptionist
Can you share some of the most common or unique questions you get asked daily?
Alexis: The reps and admins usually know which department they need to speak to, and the departments that get the most traffic are operations and software support.
Ravyn: The most common questions we receive are probably tech issues.
Is there a particular question or type of inquiry that you enjoy answering most?
Alexis: I love when I can solve a small issue right away—it makes me feel like I’ve made someone’s day a little easier.
Ravyn: I like when somebody makes the call more personal, whether it’s sharing their weekend plans or simply asking how I’m doing.
How do you manage high-pressure situations when multiple calls or tasks come at once?
Alexis: Remember that at the end of the day, it’s all about keeping things moving. Also, a good sense of humor helps!
Ravyn: I just take one call at a time and remind myself that I can only do my best! Staying organized is key, plus I love a good list.
What’s the funniest or most memorable phone call you’ve had while working here?
Alexis: Anytime an advisor or admin repeats my name, their Alexa device wakes up, and I can hear it responding in the background. I hear from Alexa, “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that,” and the caller tries to shut it off before continuing our call. It happens way more often than you’d think, and it always makes me smile.
Ravyn: I answer every call by stating my name, and sometimes people mishear me…so I have a list of the different names people have called me because I think it’s so funny! My favorite one was “Raisin.”
What’s something most people don’t know about being a receptionist?
Alexis: It’s way more than answering phones. You must juggle multiple things at once, remember details about different departments, and always stay professional.
Ravyn: People don’t realize how much we recognize voices! If you call often, we probably know who you are before you even say your name.
Ravyn: The most rewarding part is building relationships with reps/admins and knowing that I’m contributing to their positive experience with the firm.
Receptionist Quick Facts:
How many calls on average do they receive each day? 125 each / 250 total
How many calls on average do they handle each month? 2,500 each / 5,000 total
What’s the average number of calls they handle in a year? 30,000 each / 60,000 total
What’s the busiest time of day for calls? 10 AM – 1 PM PST
Get to know the team!
Hometown:
Mercedes: Vista, CA
Alexis: Chico, CA! The scenery, food and the people made it a great place to grow up in. It is always such a treat to go back!
Ravyn: Chico, CA! I feel so lucky to have been raised in such a cool place. Worth a visit if you’re ever driving through Northern California.
Education:
Mercedes: Bachelors in Natural Science from Felician University, in Rutherford, New Jersey
Alexis: I graduated from Chico State in 2022 with a bachelor’s in business. I’m proud to be a Wildcat!
Ravyn: I earned a B.A. in Psychology from Chico State, class of 2023. Go Wildcats!
Favorite part about working at IFG:
Mercedes: My favorite part about working at IFG is the opportunity to collaborate with such a talented and supportive team daily.
Alexis: Getting to work with such great people. Everyone here is hardworking, personable and supportive!
Ravyn: The close-knit feel we have in the office. Feeling comfortable and supported enough that I’m never afraid to ask for help.
Fun fact about you:
Mercedes: I received a full-ride scholarship to play softball at a D2 college!
The HR and Reception teams are essential to the smooth operation of IFG, ensuring that both employees and visitors feel supported and welcomed. Now that you know them a little better, be sure to say hi next time you call in or visit the home office. We hope this spotlight has given you a deeper understanding of the hard work and dedication these teams put in every day to make IFG a great place to work.
Alexis: Believe it or not, even after clocking off…I still get to hang out with Ravyn!
Ravyn: Alexis and I are roommates!
What If Your Brand Awareness Was Your Biggest Business Driver?
Imagine shouting about your business in a packed marketplace—only to have your voice drowned out by the noise. You know your products or services are great, but no one’s paying attention. You’re just another name in the crowd.
Then, you start making strategic moves. You show up where your audience is, engaging on social media, sharing valuable insights, and getting featured in industry news. Slowly, things shift. People recognize your name. They trust your expertise. A year later, when they need what you offer, you’re the first person they think of.
What if building brand awareness was the missing piece that finally sets you apart?
In this article, you'll learn about why brand interactions are a key driver of brand knowledge. Every touchpoint a client has with your brand shapes their perception, influencing how they view your practice and defining its reputation. Each interaction is an opportunity to reinforce who you are and what you stand for –ultimately building the trust needed for clients to feel confident in your guidance and the care you’ll take with their financial future.
Brand Interactions are just as valuable as your brand knowledge
71% of people will make more transactions from a brand they trust.
Brand interactions are just as important as your brand knowledge. While understanding your brand’s values is crucial, ultimately how you engage with clients will leave the lasting impression. Meaningful interactions build trust, loyalty, and emotional connections, ultimately influencing customer satisfaction and driving business growth.
Building trust and delivering an unforgettable experience are key to long-term success. Trust forms the foundation of strong client relationships, ensuring repeat business and referrals. Personalizing the client experience is essential for building trust and loyalty.
Four Ways to Build your Personal Brand
Host webinars and workshops to educate and engage with your audience while establishing yourself as an industry thought leader – without breaking the bank.
Webinars are an efficient way to position yourself as an expert by providing educational content to your target audience. Utilize resources such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams for hosting and AI-Powered resources such as OpenAI to generate topics and agendas. You know your audience, so start with hot topics like retirement, saving for college, planning your next vacation, and building generational wealth.
2. Host Client Events
Host client events to strengthen relationships and expand your network—without overcomplicating the process. Events don’t have to be elaborate or expensive to be effective. The key is to align them with your brand and values while offering variety to accommodate different clients’ schedules and interests. Some clients are free during the workday, while others prefer weekends, so choose formats that fit your audience. Consider options like a sunrise yoga class, a sporting event viewing party, a lunch-and-learn at your office or a family friendly casual barbecue. These events create valuable touchpoints to engage with both existing clients and prospects in a meaningful, low-pressure setting.
3 Personalize Every Interaction
Personalize every interaction by leveraging the details you already know to strengthen client relationships. You know your clients – use that to your advantage by overcommunicating in meaningful ways. A quick note, call or email to acknowledge milestones like birthdays, anniversaries, a child starting college or a new baby goes a long way. Automated tools like MailChimp or Constant Contact make it easy and cost effective to personalize mass emails, but the real impact comes from using what you already know to make every interaction feel intentional.
Offer educational resources without the need for extensive marketing support. Creating guides, brochures, and other materials doesn’t have to be time consuming or complicated – tools like Canva make it easy to turn your ideas into polished content. NexPoint offers cobranded educational materials that you can personalize with your logo and share with clients. These resources help position you as an expert and add ongoing value to your relationships. Reach out to us if you’re interested in leveraging this resource.
These strategies will help to reinforce your personal brand, demonstrate your expertise, and build authentic relationships with both clients and prospects.
Reach out to info@nexpoint com for any questions or marketing assistance.
4. Educational Resources
Congratulations on Your Retirement!
Bob Hill, a 17-time Elite Advisor, has been with IFG since 2007. Throughout his career, Bob consistently exemplified excellence and dedication, attending every IFG conference and continuing to attend the National, even in retirement, to reconnect with old friends and the IFG family.
As Bob transitions into this next chapter, he has entrusted his practice to his successor, Chad Schiel, ensuring that the high level of service his clients have come to expect will carry on. While Bob’s professional journey may be winding down, you can still find him in the office supporting Chad and at the horse stable, riding and caring for his horses alongside his wife, Cheryl.
IFG wishes Bob a successful and fulfilling retirement. Thank you, Bob, for your years of partnership and dedication—you will be greatly missed, and we look forward to seeing all the exciting adventures that lie ahead for you!
CAPITALIZING ON TRENDS
By Mason Moore Director, Information Technology
‘The Great Transfer of Wealth,’ in which $30 trillion is estimated to be leaving the hands of the baby boomer generation, presents financial advisors with an amazing opportunity to expand their business. Often, assets from long-time clients will stick around, and management will simply continue with another family member. Other times, there is an opportunity to attract new clients to your practice as individuals look to work with new advisors. AI is transforming how we create efficiencies in our dayto-day operations. Share your experience with your clients on how you continue to invest in your practice by staying on top of the latest trends in technology.
As more clients from generations that grew up with modern technology, like smart phones, look for financial guidance, they may find a more relatable conversation and comfort in knowing that every effort to optimize their success is being evaluated with topics they are more familiar with.
The number of people choosing the financial advisor career is declining. It is predicted that by 2034, advisors will have roughly 100,000 less individuals in the field. This presents an opportunity to have informed discussions about how AI and machine learning can enhance your practice, giving you an
edge in making sound investment decisions or simply improving visibility in a world overflowing with data. Dive into the operational savings that will directly translate into spending more time optimizing benefits for your clients. This could be in the form of data or trend analytics or simply expanding the knowledge your practice has by focusing less on administrative tasks and more on industry trends, world economy news, and political impact on the markets.
Over the past several years, AI has been a topic of interest for governments and regulatory agencies. There is an active collaboration between the public and private sector to ensure the future safety of using powerful, new, and somewhat misunderstood technology. One incredibly powerful way to leverage AI is the use of chat services such as Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, or ChatGPT, with the right prompts, of course. Asking these tools for guidance on a specific topic or even the solution to a problem is often enough to propel us down the path of solving challenges that we otherwise might have struggled to resolve. For those with a paid license for Microsoft Copilot, this service includes seamless integration with apps like Excel, making it much simpler to ask questions about your reports. Instead of learning the interworking of Excel or its specific functions, you can ask a simple question naturally within the Copilot prompt and receive a quick response – sometimes even a graph to help visualize data. Tools like these can help improve the quality of information you prepare for client meetings, if not speed up the process, allowing for more time to focus on other, more impactful activities.
Quantum computing has been a mission for several organizations for years, if not decades. With the recent breakthrough from Microsoft and their Majorana platform, we may see a significant increase in the number of organizations finding interest or value in this new technology. Microsoft’s new chip is reportedly more efficient than the current platforms
used by the more powerful quantum computers in operation today. We may benefit from awareness around this change, as we saw how impactful the personal computer was for the financial industry.
Revisiting the use of AI in the workplace, particularly within Microsoft 365: the adoption of this technology has been steadily climbing. Many organizations are unaware of some of its use cases, so let’s discuss a few.
• Gather financial articles, white papers, and other marketing materials and place them in SharePoint or OneDrive. Use Copilot chat to ask questions about the data instead of just querying the web.
• Use the same technique as above to search through records to find a key piece of information, without spending lots of time searching through folders only to find an old copy of the document you were looking for.
Use Copilot in Outlook to quickly summarize a long email thread or draft an email response when you just don’t know where to start.
Whether or not some of these technologies make it into your business operations or are set aside for a bit while other objectives are accomplished, having an awareness and understanding of challenges that can be overcome with the latest trending technology will help set you apart in a positive way. From strategic planning for future business investment to enhancing conversations with your clients and speeding up the time it takes for a client to say, “That’s right!” in your sales pitch, technology is sure to support a positive experience for both your team and for your clients.
For any questions, please reach out to the IT Department at (800) 269-1903.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
July 30 - August 3, 2025
Omni La Costa Resort - Carlsbad, CA
• $0 - $149,999 GDC *
Invitation to attend; Registration fee waived
• $150,000 - $249,999 GDC *
50% coverage of room and tax up to four nights within conference dates
• $250,000+ GDC *
Four nights of coverage of room and tax within conference dates
*Total 2024 GDC production
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Known as the “Best Conference in the Industry,” the 2025 IFG National Conference will take place at the Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California. The National is IFG’s most widely attended event of the year, incorporating multiple continuing education tracks with product sponsor seminars, a tradeshow hall, motivational speakers, and fun activities for the entire family.
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT EXCHANGE
October 19 - 22, 2025
The Conrad - Nashville, TN
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT EXCHANGE
This advisor-led, two-and-a-half-day conference is built around the most innovative practice management ideas, with topics including proven sales ideas, training & hiring, technology adoption, marketing & branding, and client experience. Our program includes case studies and panels that will introduce you to advanced tools and strategies that you can immediately implement into your practice. The PME also offers you constructive networking time with leading industry partners and ample opportunities to connect with and learn from your peer advisors.
Includes three nights of accommodation at conference hotel; elite qualifiers receive roundtrip economy airfare for one $500,000 GDC *
*Total 2024 GDC production
ELITE ADVISOR CONFERENCE
March 1 - 5, 2026
St. Regis – Rome, Italy
$1,000,000 GDC *
Includes round-trip economy airfare for two plus four nights of accommodation at conference hotel
*Total 2025 GDC production
The highest level of success demands the highest level of recognition. Our elite advisor conference is designed to reward our top-producing representatives. This conference combines education, networking, fun, and relaxation.
ELITE ADVISOR CONFERENCE
CONGRATULATIONS!
22
13
11 YEARS
Diane Rook-Johnson
9 YEARS
Yuehua Yuan
Jason Yamamoto
Thomas Kehoe
Ernest Cox
John Velez
Carl Riding
Kenneth Burkett
8 YEARS
Ronald Appler
Tatyana Bunich
Dean Crouthamel
Gennaro Savarese
Matthew Belardes
7 YEARS
Katherine Salter
Shunsuke Fukushi
Futoshi Hoshino
Gary Keller
6 YEARS
Eric Moskoff
Frank Ruggeri
Blake Bonner
George Dobbs
Gail Urban
5 YEARS
Kirk Weldy
Matthew Mundy
James Yee
4 YEARS
Rachel Hoang
Kyle Wong
Tom Dahl
Zach Dahl
Matthew Newman
3 YEARS
Huong Nguyen-Muth
Mark Elmore
Keen Butcher
Alec Kozak
Ben Arie
Rourke Martin
Jim Fahy
Jeff Nero
Kai Swick
Wesley Chapman
2 YEARS
Scott Berg
Rebecca Leonard
James Franklin
Michael Kolacz
Bradley Epstein
Matthew Scanlon
Robert Cain
Kathleen Bing 1 YEAR
Jesse Bristow
Jeffery Iseler
Terry Griffith, Jr.
Trevor Rupp
Thorne OConnell
Wei Ping Lo
