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Local Living
A community podcast for Palm Beach to Parkland.
Local Living
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
Local Living is a community podcast for Palm Beach to Parkland. Are You A Local Business, Resident, Leader or Non-Profit? If so, we would love to have you on the podcast!
Go to www.locallivingpodcast.com for all of the info.
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:Thanks for having me, Dave.
Speaker 1: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: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:So you said they're different than they've ever been. How are they different?
Speaker 2: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: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: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: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: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: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: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: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:So why not?
Speaker 2: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: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: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: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 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: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: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: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: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: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: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:So when they come to the dinner, are they learning just about you, or are you actually teaching them about annuities also?
Speaker 2: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: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: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: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: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: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: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. 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:So there's so many ways to find me.
Speaker 2:If you Google me, you'll find me.
Speaker 1:Elise, thanks for joining us today. You're amazing.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you, Dave.
Speaker 1: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.