What We Do

Jeff Harris & Associates, Inc. is an independent Financial Advocate for business owners who want unbiased counsel coupled with on-going guidance.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an Advocate (ad•vo•cate) as someone who promotes or supports the interests of another. That’s why we’ve chosen to work with our clients on a fee-for-service basis. This approach aligns our interests with our clients. The better you do, the better we do

It’s a Win/Win situation for everyone concerned. And since we don’t use long-term contracts clients are always free to take their accounts elsewhere whenever they choose. So we have a strong incentive to stay in touch with you, monitor what’s going on, and suggest changes only when we believe it’s in your best interest to do so.

Step 1:

We need to understand what's most important to you, and here's why. Investment returns in and of themselves are meaningless unless they are linked to specific goals such as:

> Generating an income stream to fund your ideal retirement.

> Accumulating funds to support charities that mean a great deal to you.

> Having access to capital to do what you want, whenever you want.

To help us understand what’s most important to you we ask a variety of questions designed to enable you to self-discover the answers for yourself. This is our starting point.

Step 2:

Once we know what you value most we’re ready to review your current financial situation so we can suggest appropriate strategies, tactics and tools to empower you to realize your goals while providing valuable peace-of-mind.

We’ll need copies of your various investment accounts, retirement and pension plans, life, health and long-term care insurance plans; personal tax return for previous year and estate documents like wills and trusts. Of course, this information is strictly confidential and we’ll return everything to you in a timely manner.

Step 3:

We’ll analyze your case and develop a written plan of action for your consideration. We don’t claim to have all the answers and that’s why we may need to engage your other professional advisors like your CPA and attorney as appropriate. Over the years this collaborative approach has served our clients well; much better than any one professional trying to do it all themselves.

Within two to three weeks we should have your analysis complete and we’ll review it with you. The review takes about an hour or so. Once we’re done you choose how you want to proceed. There is absolutely no pressure whatsoever to do anything until you’re ready.

Step 4:

Once you’ve decided what you want us to help you with, we’ll begin the implementation process. We’ll make sure all the necessary paperwork is completed on your behalf and sent to the appropriate companies. A systematized follow-up process ensures things don’t fall through the cracks. Usually the implementation process takes two to six weeks depending on the responsiveness of the companies we’re dealing with. You’ll be kept updated with weekly reports of our progress.

Step 5:

Once we’ve implemented everything we’ll review our progress with you, explain how to read (and comprehend) your statements, and set-up your on-going reviews. Typically we’ll meet quarterly or semi-annually with you depending on how often you want to connect. We can do this in person or via telephone if you prefer. At this point we will be monitoring your account regularly and contacting you if any changes are necessary.

Of course you’ll be able to access your investment accounts via a secure internet connection 24/7 and we’ll stay in touch between our visits with phone calls and our in house newsletter