Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Robert Matricardi, Jr., CFP®, ChFC®. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Robert, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started sooner or later?

Yes, I went to school for business economics and finance, however, started installing sprinkler systems after I graduated. The reason was that I needed a job, so I took one. Also , I thought Finance meant “stock trading” and that was a tough business in the late 90’s. then there was the ski lift operator, the retail manager, and the bank teller positions before getting the career position.
There are jobs and there are careers.

Getting that first job in a real firm like T. Rowe Price, was the break I needed to start to understand what finance and personal finance really was and that it was the path for me. The break came later, so the lesson i learned was this .. you got to know yourself and your goals , and be very clear and specific on your goals, before you start making decisions that may make your path to your goals longer. On the other hand, these life choices has enabled me to be more empathetic with the positions my clients find themselves.
The path to become an expert in your field is a long one, and takes many hours, so Yes, I wish I had a clear specific, measurable, goal before I graduated college.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Rob Matricardi brings nearly 20 years of experience working as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, as well as a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) . Rob is passionate about honoring client relationships through understanding their unique situations, goals and behaviors.

This allows me to design customized financial plans, seeking confidence for clients to live the life they want and
enjoy retirement on their terms with the goal of protecting their families. Our goal is to have clients spend their time, resources, and gifts following their passions and not worry about finances.
In addition to his role as Head of Financial Planning, he also serves as an independent financial advisor. Prior to joining Financial Resources Group, Rob was Chief Financial Planning Officer at Equitable Advisors. Additionally, he served as Head of Financial Planning at Eagle Strategies of NY Life and Charles Schwab.

He currently holds his Series 6, 7, 24, 63 and 65 securities licenses
with LPL Financial.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Being authentic, having fun, being respectful of everyone I interact with, treating others as I want to be treated, and accepting of the person and situation I am asked to assist with.

I like people, I love personal financial planning, so this is the right spot for me, and I have fun doing it. I take me job and the trust given to me very seriously,… I just don’t take myself so seriously. Be humble, raise other up first, sacrifice for others, these are the mantras that should be going through your head, at least these are mine.
there are enough egos, and politics, and agendas, I don’t need to add more, I need to help my clients reach their goals.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

There is a great book called “who moved my cheese?”, this book askes a simple question “what would you do if you were not afraid?” Not so simple of a question. I was living in NYC working as an executive for a large firm, and we were considering moving out of the city.
My wife and I asked each other this question one Saturday. The answer was we would move to North Carolina. We decided that we were going to take fear of the unknown, loss of income, new careers, moving, and a host of other real fears, and make the move.

My pivot came when I was consulting and wanted more income, so took a job in construction. Going from staring at a computer to swinging a hammer, was a major pivot, for my mind and my body. This opened up other opportunities, I would up as a partner of the construction firm for a little bit, I found a job in finance, and my path continued.

Contact Info: 

• Website: http://www.financialresourcesgroup.net/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Financial-Resources-Group-Investment-Services

Image Credits
Jennifer Hallmark