Preparing for all of life’s changes
As people move through different stages of life, their needs and wants will change. Plans may be in place to accomplish these goals, but life can throw us curveballs that we never expect. This is why partnering with a financial expert before these major events take place is recommended. At the very least, when these shakeups do occur, find someone who will be in your corner to help guide you.
Here, John Egan, Managing Director, and Partner at Hightower Egan Wealth Advisors, explains how he and his team can assist. John was named to Forbes’ 2023 Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list, and Hightower was ranked number two on Barron’s 2023 list of Top 100 RIA (registered investment advisor) firms.
How does Hightower Egan Wealth Advisors prepare clients for major “life events” such as divorce, retirement, or a death in the family?
Clients are very busy today. They have careers and families, and planning for every life event can be overwhelming. So, we talk to them about a strategy of planning.
We break it down into manageable pieces. We believe in getting their estate planning done first, as the foundation. We then figure out the two or three things that they need to do over the next three or four months, and we get those done. They’re going to feel better and then later we can regroup and figure out what to do next.
What makes your firm stand out?
We’re a fiduciary firm and our advisors are all Certified Financial Planners, so we’re obligated to do what’s best for our clients and we don’t use commission-based products. We’ve been in the neighborhood for 40 years, and today we have three financial planners, two men and one women of different ages.
Patrick McCahill, Jr., Sarah Melzer and I work as a team. We have very deep, meaningful relationships with the families that we serve.
What do you enjoy most about assisting people with their financial planning needs?
What I love about this business is that it’s different for every client. There are different sets of needs and strategies. When you’re dealing with people, it’s never just about money; it’s always about something else.
In the end, we find ourselves managing their money, doing financial and estate planning, and helping with taxes, but we do so much more than that.
I had a client the other day who retired from a job at a big corporation. Today, these corporations give retirees their 401(k)s, retirement packages, and pensions all at once. It’s now my client’s job and our job to make sure this money lasts as long as they live. That’s the key.
When planning, it’s important to take inflation into account – everything’s more expensive now – housing, cars, healthcare, and food. And, whatever the plan, it always needs to be monitored and updated as time goes on.
Let John and his team help secure your financial future.
Seven Giralda Farms, Suite 125
Madison, NJ 07940
(973) 377-4700
536 Lake Avenue
Bay Head, NJ 08742
(973) 377-4700
300 Madison Avenue, 29th Floor
New York, NY 10017
(973) 377-4700
Patrick J. McCahill, Jr., CFP®
Patrick joined Egan Wealth Advisors in 2016. “I knew John [Egan] and how he operated as an individual, professionally, and as a businessperson. I wanted to be mentored by John, working with individuals, and building personal relationships as a financial planner.”
Building trust with clients, he says, is critical to the financial planning process. “One way I do that is by being a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. As a CFP® and a fiduciary, I am on the same side as our clients to achieve their goals.”
When not working, Patrick enjoys spending time with his wife, Kaley, and their three children, Grace, PJ, and Elizabeth, ages 5, 2, and 1. “We love family activities and being involved in our community of Chatham.”
Sarah A. Melzer, CFP®
Sarah returned to Hightower Egan Wealth Advisors last July after moving back to the area, and she couldn’t be happier. “Our team has great interactions, and we care about each other personally and professionally. The company has our backs, and we have our clients’ backs.”
They care about more than just how their clients’ accounts are doing. “We educate them, we go with them to buy cars or to the social security office. For some, this is the first time they must do these things after losing a loved one.”
When not helping clients in any way she can, Sarah enjoys being outside with her husband, Griffin, and their 5-year-old Australian Shepherd, Murphy, who, she says laughing, controls life outside of work.
