“I met with a veteran who made just $200 too much over the course of a year to qualify for benefits. It broke my heart because he couldn’t afford the care he needed, but he didn’t qualify for help to pay for that care. That was one of the moments that made me realize that I wanted to become an advisor who helps veterans and finds solutions for those types of problems,” Rob says.
He also found that so many veterans didn’t know how to protect themselves or their families financially, which he believes is because the military doesn’t offer financial education for its members. Despite access to benefits such as the thrift savings plan, far too many members of the military don’t know that it’s available, let alone how to contribute to it and receive the coveted match that offers drastic help in the retirement planning process.
“I didn’t put a dime into my TSP because I didn’t even know that I had it. Now, I’m a financial advisor, and I realize just how beneficial it would have been to contribute during my time in the Army and get the match I was entitled to,” Rob says.
Now, Rob works to ensure that every veteran he meets with completely understands their benefits. He can also assess the benefits they qualify for and find products and solutions that may be a better fit for each client’s goals, even if those solutions aren’t specifically geared toward members of the military.
“Our veterans have given everything for our country. The least I can do is recognize the problem and help them in areas in which they need it most,” Rob says. “And with nearly a decade in the military and nearly another decade at the VA, I think I’m the perfect person to sit down with them, explain their benefits and treat them like a human being while also understanding the unique issues they have.”
