Tiffani Hamilton: Finding Family in Finance | My Member Story
Tiffani Hamilton always knew she was on the right path as she built a career in financial planning, but it wasn’t until she came to Mountain America Investment Services that she understood how adding the right workspace culture to her already impressive skills, knowledge and professionalism could be the secret sauce for happiness.
What she found at Mountain America Investment Services
For over two years, Tiffani has been a wealth advisor at Mountain America Investment Services. Throughout her career, her commitment to her clients never wavered. So why did she seek out a new employer? She was looking for something more.
“It just feels like family,” says Tiffani. “I would ask people all the time when the honeymoon was going to be over. When are people going to stop being so kind?” What she found out is that it never ends. The honeymoon is still going after more than two years.
Where she finds joy and fulfillment in her job
Tiffani helps all kinds of clients. However, her experience at other employers focused more on bringing in clients with bigger account balances.
At Mountain America Investment Services, Tiffani gets to do what she loves—help people at every financial level. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or where you are in your retirement savings plan—or if you don’t even have a plan yet—Tiffani and her team will help you define and prioritize your financial dreams.
Many clients seek out help at Mountain America Investment Services because they feel like they haven’t saved enough for retirement. Often, they just don’t realize what they have already started.
This is where Tiffani finds fulfillment in her job. She explains, “About 90% of the clients I sit down with have accounts in several different places.” She loves pulling it all together, crafting a plan, showing the client why this plan can work and seeing the look on their faces when they realize they CAN do it! “They feel comfortable and secure going into retirement. I love providing that confidence. That’s why I love my job.”
Best advice for young people when it comes to saving for retirement
We like to think we are invincible when we are younger, right? Unfortunately, retirement planning and safeguards have changed over the years. You can no longer rely on Social Security alone to fund your retirement. Today’s workforce will have to save on their own to help bridge the gap between what they will receive from Social Security and what they will need in retirement. Luckily, young people are beginning to understand the value of starting to save early.
Tiffani offers this advice, “Learn to live on less.” That means cut back where you can and put that money into a retirement savings account. Now is the time to build the habit—and take advantage of compound interest. The younger you are, the more time you have for that interest to grow. Meaning less money out of your pocket to reach your savings goals.
The power of women
Being a woman working in a male-dominated industry can be intimidating. People still perceive women as being task-oriented and, when meeting with Tiffani and her team, often assume she is the administrative support person in the room instead of the decision maker. She knows how to gracefully handle this situation but hopes that someday soon the male/female ratio in her industry will become more balanced.
For younger women who are considering a career in finance or investments—or even those who like math but haven’t considered financial advising as a career path—Tiffani encourages you to give it a try. “The key is finding the right clients. Those clients then become like family because we discuss so many personal details. As you grow your book of business, you grow your family,” says Tiffani.
Tiffani in real life
Speaking of family, Tiffani’s family keeps her on her toes! She isn’t shy about sharing the fact that while she may have it together during the day at work, her home life can certainly be crazy. Her husband and three kids all love to ride dirt bikes. Tiffani doesn’t share their desire to ride but is always there for support.
She and her family also love to camp. When they can carve out the time during the warmer months, you can usually find them in one of their two favorite places—Bear Lake (Tiffani loves the beach) or Soldier Summit. A place which is nostalgic for her husband because his family spent time there growing up.
“It’s always hard to balance family with work. It’s tough for any mother—and there’s always mom guilt,” shares Tiffani. “To be honest, it’s been difficult in the past at other jobs. Working at Mountain America Investment Services has helped me develop a better work/life balance than I’ve had in the past.”
When it comes to her personal finances, Tiffani had her accounts with another financial institution when she first started this job. She quickly realized the products and member service at Mountain America Credit Union were leaps and bounds better than what she was currently receiving. She explains, “Even though it took a while to unwind a 20-year banking relationship, I moved my accounts over and couldn’t be happier.”
How to find the right wealth advisor for you
We asked Tiffani what we should consider when looking for a wealth advisor. She says, “Of course, you want to know how long they’ve been in the business and what type of clients they like working with, but making a connection is number one. Are they asking you questions, listening to your answers and taking an interest in your life and goals? Are they building trust?”
After meeting with her clients, Tiffani likes to tell them it’s now an open door—come with any questions, any time.
Schedule an appointment with a wealth advisor today.
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