Meet Elise Roberts: Secure Today Financial

In our latest episode, Elise Roberts shares her extensive expertise on the evolving landscape of annuities and the importance of tailored financial planning. With a focus on personal connections, she emphasizes the significance of understanding clients’ individual needs for successful financial outcomes.

• Discussion about Secure Today Financial and its unique focus 
• Elise's personal journey and her father's influence 
• Detailed exploration of fixed indexed and fixed annuities 
• Importance of financial suitability in investment decisions 
• The role of VIP dinners in client engagement 
• Elise's hobbies and passion for jewelry-making 
• Overview of how listeners can connect with Secure Today Financial

www.securetodayfinancial.com

954-401-1067

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Transcript

Financial Expertise in Evolving Annuities

Speaker 1 0:07

Welcome , welcome everyone to Local Living . We are a community podcast for Palm Beach to Parkland . I'm David Conway , your host , and we are in for a treat . Today we have Elise Roberts . She is the owner of Secure Today Financial . Elise , welcome to the podcast .

Speaker 2 0:30

Thanks for having me , Dave .

Speaker 1 0:32

You know I was looking forward to this one because we've chatted before and I had a feeling that you just might be a natural not to put any pressure on you a natural not to put any pressure on you . But can you start off by telling us a little bit more about your business ? Tell us about Secure Today Financial .

Speaker 2 0:51

Thank you for letting me share . Secure Today Financial is a very unique financial firm . We focus on protecting assets and building income , and we do that by using fixed indexed and fixed annuities , and they're very different than they've ever been . So we really , really have a niche that takes a specialty to do the right thing and do it the right way .

Speaker 1 1:17

So you said they're different than they've ever been . How are they different ?

Speaker 2 1:22

They have evolved so much that there's no way that anyone that's just a financial advisor . I've done each aspect of financial planning and this is where I focus because of the changes . There's so many moving parts . Really , to do the right thing you have to do only annuities . There's just too much to keep up with and they're evolving quickly . So when someone comes to one of our events or listens to how they work , I think they're a little shocked at how much they've changed .

Speaker 1 1:55

So tell the listeners a little bit more about your journey . How did you get started ? How did Secure Today Financial get started ?

Speaker 2 2:06

you get started . How did Secure Today Financial get started ? Well , that all came from my dad , my dad and I . I joined him when I was 29 and he taught me financial everything . Don't follow along behind the herd . You know , truly help individuals . And this is how you do it . Everyone's different . He gave me a gift that I want to share with everyone and that's the gift of awareness , the differences for each person . It's not about here's a plan and you can go . You know your neighbor sees what you're doing . Oh , I'm going to do that . Well , that neighbor has a different life , a different goal , different desires and it's all very customized to the person . So my journey started when I was 29 .

Speaker 2 2:50

This is my 37th year in this great industry . I have been a full financial advisor , an employee benefits specialist , a long-term care planning specialist . I've always pretty much had a niche and at this point of my career , fixed index annuities is my niche and there's a reason for it . It is a very , very evolving industry and they're not created equal . So my journey has been from many aspects of financial to get me here and I know I can bring the most value to each individual and each family by focusing individually on where these might fit and where they don't fit .

Speaker 2 3:34

Should you have one , should you not ? Do you have a good one ? Is it really good we can help you , say you know , understand what you have , and I love that part . People come to see me and say to me I don't want this , get me out of it . And when I call the companies , it's really good and I'm able to help them stay where they are , learn how to use it and realize they had something that nobody was helping them with , so they didn't understand it and maybe it is good . So my journey has been pretty amazing . The whole thing is about my dad . He taught me how to help people and he used to drive across a state to save somebody $5 . And I would say to him Dad , that's $5 . You drove two hours . He'd say to me it made a difference to her and he changed my life and he helped me how to truly focus on that person . And I get emotional when I think about my dad because of all he did for me to get me where I am today .

Speaker 1 4:37

So I know that you're qualified to handle all sorts of different financial vehicles . You obviously have a wide breadth of experience , but you've chosen to focus and make your area of expertise annuities . Would you say that's a competitive advantage that you may offer as opposed to a traditional financial advisor ?

Speaker 2 5:03

I believe so because when I was doing full financial , you know stocks , bonds , mutual funds , variable annuities , which I no longer do that aspect , that licensing , is different and I've had it for over 20 years and I no longer do that because I focus today on the safe side and what sets me apart is I have the knowledge of the other side and most advisors just want to have everything . They want all the money in one place , they want to have control of everything and truly diversifying your money and diversifying I believe your financial plan would be diversifying some advisors . I believe you should have more than one . Most advisors wouldn't agree with that because they do want control of everything and I understand that I do because I came from that side of the business .

Speaker 2 5:52

However , with the changes in the evolving annuity platforms , you can't keep up with everything . So for me to try to be everything to everybody , the client loses . So I truly want to help that client with where I can focus and do the best job . And sometimes the best advice I give is don't do it . This is not right for you and the good part about that is now they've made a decision on really good , coming from a person who only does that saying don't do that it means a lot really good , coming from a person who only does that saying don't do that it means a lot and I have to say that more than I want to , but it is the right thing to do . There's not everyone should have one .

Speaker 1 6:34

So why not ?

Speaker 2 6:37

Some people just are not suitable , and it's a financial suitability that is the most important , for whatever you put your money in , whatever you do financially , you should be suitable to do that . They have suitability rules and a lot of . I've noticed when I see things that a lot of people kind of move around , that I'm very , very focused on it . So the very first thing I do is make sure someone's suitable . That's , let's say , you come to me and you're 70 years old and you've got $100,000 . You probably shouldn't put your money in an annuity because I don't believe that you have enough liquidity after a certain age if you tie money up and there are , you know , minimums and maximums that you can get out during those special timeframes and it's very important that you're not put in a spot to not have access to what you need for the things you might need .

Speaker 2 7:30

Yesterday I just was . I had the ability to say you know it was an honor to tell this couple they were moving to a very expensive state , california , not to put more money in annuities . They had some . They'd done it with someone else . He did a great job . He did it right . His platform was good . They shared with me things . He said I was .

Speaker 2 7:54

You know that was it felt good to know there's other people and there's not many who do what I do , and that's all the man did and I shared to them this if you do and when you do this , you would do that with that person because they're doing a good job and of course , they go out and they try to see other people and making sure they're doing the right thing . And it was an honor to be able to tell them when you do this , which is not the time right now there's a lot of change in their life and they need to get settled to see what monies they have left . Then , if they add money , I said go back to that gentleman . He has done a really good job for you .

Speaker 1 8:30

So I know that you're heavily involved in your business . You've built an amazing business and , not to peel the onion back too far , at least , but tell us a little bit more about

VIP Dinner Parties and Financial Expertise

Speaker 1 8:43

you . What do you like to do for fun or down here in South Florida ? Obviously , I know you love the quality of life down here . What do you enjoy ?

Speaker 2 8:53

First of all , I enjoy life and I enjoy people . So my business is a big part of my social life . I love my clients . They are my client family . My husband and I .

Speaker 2 9:04

We settled back here in Florida permanently about a little over five years ago and the lifestyle is amazing . We work out and I have hobbies . I make jewelry , I'm a jewelry designer and I have hobbies I love I have , I make jewelry . I'm a jewelry designer . I've done everything from casting to metalsmithing , faceting diamonds and doing the kind of things . I don't do some of that now , but I do have a medium I love and it's precious metal clay and it actually is pure silver . So it's anyway . It's an amazing hobby and I use it as gifts .

Speaker 2 9:37

I don't sell my jewelry . I have one piece I will just share real quick that I designed and have a patent on and that someone else has taken over . I don't have time to sell jewelry . I love my business . So my jewelry is a hobby and what I make today I'm making it because I have talked to someone . They've shared an idea , Like one lady shared with me . I wish I could find a piece of jewelry that was a heart that my children drew . She has four kids and something she wanted inside the heart and I can't remember what it was . I'm getting that , I'm getting that stamp made so I can make that and surprise her . So to me , that is my hobby , that I love , and I pour my heart and soul into the pieces I make , because they are all gifts .

Speaker 1 10:24

That's beautiful . So , speaking of social , you host dinners . Is that correct ? You have potential clients or people that would like to possibly learn more about what you do and learn more about the industry , and you have them to these nice dinners . Is that correct ?

Speaker 2 10:42

I do . I host I call them my VIP dinner parties . This is not a seminar and this is fun . We play games , we tell stories and I help them learn about what I do in a fun way and I keep it very light . We are not pushy , we're not going to chase them down . They learn about me so they can decide do they want to come and see me ? Because when they come to the office they know why they're coming .

Speaker 2 11:10

I don't believe in the bait and switch and the whole . Make your appointment , then you go figure out what I do . I tell them right there and you know we do vet the people that come . So if someone's interested in coming to a nice dinner , we do Ruth's Chris in a couple locations and we do onions . We've done different restaurants . So if someone's interested , they do need to come through our survey to see if they qualify . We don't just invite anyone . This is an brackets , because what I do is pretty specific and the majority of people are between 50 , 55 , and 70 , 75 . So we want to , but I do have clients that are younger . It's not that they're not qualified . So if someone wants to find out if they qualify to attend , there's no cost , there's no obligation . We have a survey , we will send out to them .

Speaker 1 12:00

So when they come to the dinner , are they learning just about you , or are you actually teaching them about annuities also ?

Speaker 2 12:08

I teach them about myself . They're going to learn that because I tell my story and that's really quick . They learn about my personality because that's just who I am and then they learn about my personality because that's just who I am . And then they learn about not just annuities , but do they have a Roth , and why they should or shouldn't different general things that I can share . I'm not a CPA , I'm not an attorney . I can share about certain things , but I don't offer them . So I'm giving them 50,000 foot views of ideas for themselves , but I do focus on annuities , but I also bring in other subjects that fit with annuities . If someone's doing a financial plan , we can make sure that that annuity fits in that plan or those annuities . And maybe if they don't have oh , excuse me , if they don't have a specific advisor for what they need . We love to recommend people that we feel confident do a good job .

Speaker 1 13:03

You know , before we wind things up , if you don't mind , I'd like to Circle back to your father for a moment Now .

Speaker 2 13:20

He was the founder of the business . Did he start everything ? Can you tell me a little bit more about that ? Five years old and he came and told us five kids daddy's going back to school . He got in the financial services . I joined him when I was 29 . So he started the business , one of his first companies . He worked for a company and he told me quickly he goes . I learned quickly . Never work for one company . So he taught me and I never had to . So I worked for the client because he taught me how to do that . And yes , he started in the business many years before and when I joined him he just was the most amazing mentor and it was our life . We talked 24-7 about all the ways to help people and my mother used to say would you guys just stop ? But we love it . We never stopped . My dad has passed but his legacy lives on .

Speaker 1 14:16

That's wonderful . And tell us one thing that you'd like all of us to know about secure today , financial and working with you , and what that could mean to us and what that could mean to us .

Speaker 2 14:35

I think the one thing I'd want to get across today is if you want some of your money safe from the effects of a market correction which will come eventually without going further , If you want some of your money safe , you want to get a reasonable return because we have to make money and you want to keep things simple and easy to understand . Just come learn about what we do and you'll make the decision . And you want to keep things simple and easy to understand ? Just come learn about what we do and you'll make the decision . If you want the appointment , we don't do appointments first . I do like to invite people to the event because they get everything and get to make good decisions . Thank you for letting me share that .

Speaker 1 15:06

My pleasure and I really appreciate you coming on today . How can our listeners get a hold of you and how can they find out more about what you do ?

Speaker 2 15:16

So we have a website and that is secure today financialcom . They can call our office . It is under secure today financial . You can find that pretty much anywhere . We have a Google presence . They can also read some of our reviews , but our phone number directly to my office is 954-401-1067

Upcoming Projects and Appreciation

Speaker 2 15:41

. We have a book coming out as a matter of fact , I didn't write it , I'm the expert about annuities in the book throughout the whole book . We have articles coming out in Delray and Boca Living which you helped me put book throughout the whole book . We have articles coming out in Delray and Boca Living which you helped me put together and I appreciate that . And we also have the annuityshowcom launching , probably around April 1st .

Speaker 1 16:02

So there's so many ways to find me .

Speaker 2 16:04

If you Google me , you'll find me .

Speaker 1 16:06

Elise , thanks for joining us today . You're amazing .

Speaker 2 16:10

Oh , thank you , Dave .

Speaker 1 16:12

Once again everyone , that's Elise Roberts , the owner of Secure Today Financial , and I am David Conway , your host for Local Living . And until next time , hope all is good .