Michael LaVoy, ChFC, CFP® Has Been Admitted to the Paladin Registry

Paladin announced that Michael LaVoy, president of Beacon Asset Management, Inc., has been admitted to the Registry and he has been awarded Paladin’s Five Star quality designation. Planners and advisors must rank in the top 10% of their profession to be admitted to the Registry.

The Paladin Registry (www.paladinregistry.com) provides free public services to investors who use the services of financial planners and advisors. Since its inception, more than 250,000 investors have used the Registry to learn how to avoid bad financial advice, to learn how to select high quality advisors, to find competent, trustworthy professionals, to rate current advisors, and to review advisor documentation for credentials, ethics, and business practices.

Jack Waymire, Paladin founder and author of the highly regarded book Who’s Watching Your Money? The 17 Paladin Principles for Selecting a Financial Advisor (ISBN 0471476994, John Wiley & Sons, December, 2003) said “Registry services solve three major problems for investors who rely on planners and advisors to achieve their financial goals. First, it’s not easy for investors to find high quality advisors. Second, when they find advisors they may not know the right questions to ask to determine their quality. And third, they may not know good answers from bad ones. Consequently, millions of investors hire the wrong advisors for the wrong reasons and fire them within two years.”

Waymire went on to say, “The Registry solves the quality problem by having the highest minimum standards in the financial services industry. Planners and advisors must complete a comprehensive questionnaire and score in the top 10% of their profession to be admitted to the Registry. In addition, they must be Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) or Investment Advisor Representatives (IARs), acknowledge their fiduciary status, provide independent advice, and work for fees.”

Waymire confirmed that only a small percentage of practicing planners and advisors can meet the Registry’s strict requirements. He said “We focus on the top tier of professionals who are paid to help investors achieve their financial goals. We exclude the bottom 90% who are frequently paid commissions to sell investment and insurance products. Anyone who isn’t paid to help investors achieve their financial goals is a potential risk.”

He added, “This risk exists because the financial services industry has no minimum standards for advisors. There are no education requirements, not even a high school diploma, and no experience requirements. In fact, 18 year olds and people with criminal records can obtain securities licenses. The combination of no real standards and no disclosure requirements create a major risk for investors and the Paladin Registry is one of the few resources that help them avoid the risk.”

About Paladin Registry, LLC
Paladin is an information services company and not a financial services company. The Registry provides free public services to investors who use the services of financial planners and advisors. The four primary services are investor education, advisor search, advisor ratings, and advisor documentation. Visit Paladin’s website at www.paladinregistry.com for additional information.

About Michael LaVoy, ChFC, CFP®

Mr. LaVoy is the founder and President of Beacon Asset Management, Inc. a fee only Registered Investment Advisor, located in Tampa Florida. The advisors at Beacon are comprised of CPAs, estate planning attorneys, Certified Financial Planners and Chartered Financial Consultants who provide comprehensive financial and estate planning to their clients.

Mr. LaVoy has been advising individuals and business owners for over 26 years, is a Certified Financial PlannerTM professional and holds the Chartered Financial Consultant designation. He is a member of the Financial Planning Association, is a board member on several non-profit organizations in the Tampa area and a member of the Carrollwood Area Business Association.


Key Contact
Michael LaVoy, ChFC, CFP®
Beacon Asset Management, Inc.
(813) 269-0732
(866) 465-2869 toll free
mike@beacon-online.com
www.beacon-online.com