Michael Knight, CFP®
Libertyville, IL
Garrett Member Since 2004

“I love my work. I enjoy what I’m doing and I really, really love the Garrett Network. A question that I know that you wanted me to address is “Why the Garrett Planning Network?” The general answer is that I did my research, and for me, this is a fit with my personal values and it is really an opportunity for me to provide objective advice to my clients. Starting my own practice was part of a plan and it was also part of a personal dream.

So, back to the “Why?” question. There are three specific reasons “Why?” Garrett Planning Network for me. The first is that I found Garrett to provide a framework, a defined process, and it really accelerated my start-up time. It’s a great template and I follow it. Quality. I’m able to take some of the best practices and modify them to fit my own practice and it’s been an enormous time saver. The second reason is the Garrett members themselves. We have an active Intranet so it’s kind of like a live, real-time most frequently asked questions so that we can stay on top of issues, get perspectives from other planners. It really addressed one of my biggest concerns that I had before I started my practice which was, “What’s it going to feel like to work alone?” and I don’t feel that I am. To me it seems like we have a group of siblings who are smart, encouraging and open and that it is an opportunity for us to learn from each other, so it’s something that works and I feel like I’m part of a community. The third reason is there’s value in client acquisition. Whenever Jonathan Clements from the Wall Street Journal writes an article about where to go for objective advice or, I’m in Chicago, so when one of the Chicago columnists writes an article about where to go for advice, they frequently mention NAPFA and they mention the Garrett Planning Network. I see valuable leads come from a variety of different clients within specific employment bases which has yet led to more referrals and more clients so it’s really been something that has helped the momentum of my start-up in my practice.

So, that sums it up. The big answer is that there is real value here. There are compelling reasons for me to focus only on my client’s needs. I don’t have to worry about any potential conflicts. I have an hourly based practice and I find that there is strong demand, enormous demand, for the services that I provide and the Garrett Planning Network has really helped me get up and running and sustain this momentum that I have in my practice right now.”

Return to Member Quotes