Client-Centered Practice Informed and Inspired by Early Experiences

Two decades ago, North Light Financial Services founderJane Ricardi, CFP® began serving clients as an independentfinancial advisor. But that wasn’t the start of her career; it waswhere previous decades of industry experience led her.

As a young student in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Ricardi spent hersummer breaks working at the bank that employed both herparents. She rotated through many different departmentsand learned about the many facets of banking. Trusts andinvestments were the two departments she enjoyed themost, and after learning how to construct portfolios, shebecame an investment officer.

The big downside, Ricardi says, was that she couldn’t interactdirectly with clients. So she switched to the trust departmentand found her calling: helping retirees and women who weredivorced or widowed financially prepare for and navigatechange. On behalf of the bank, Ricardi developed a programdesigned to help women take charge of their financial lives.

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“I learned so much about what happensas people age, and what women need tobecome more proactive and involved intheir families’ financial matters,” Ricardisays. “I use all the skills I learned overall my years in banking to address ourclients’ needs today.”

Comprehensive Planning, Conservative Investing

Ricardi and her team approach financial management—which can include retirement planning, investment selection,estate conservation, risk management, business retirementplanning, college funding, and tax management—in a verypersonal way. After diving in deep to understand the client’scircumstances, perspective, and priorities, team memberspresent and explain their recommendations relative to otherpossible planning strategies and evaluate options such asemployer-offered retirement packages.

The North Light Financial Services advisory team prefers conservative investment strategies, selecting from a full menuof asset allocation portfolios that focus on large U.S. and international companies—the surer bet, Ricardi believes, forlong-term stability.

“We don’t want to put our clients’ life savings at risk by relying too heavily on riskier strategies,” Ricardi says. “Having livedthrough several market downturns, I know that to survive those, you need to be invested in tried-and-true companies.”

Looking Out for Clients’ Overall Well-Being

Success in retirement isn’t just about accumulating and protecting wealth. Ricardi and her team’s principal focus ishelping clients enter and live retirement with a greater sense of purpose and control. Discussions center around howclients will spend their time as well as the common pitfalls they will need to avoid (for example, taking Social Security tooearly). Along the way, the team helps clients navigate big life changes such as divorce or the death of a spouse, doingeverything possible to alleviate clients’ worries and stress.

According to Ricardi, clients will never experience sales pressure or pressure to meet within a given time frame—only high-touch service and sincere caring.

“We’re not interested in a quick sale,” Ricardi says. “We’re here to developpersonal relationships and go in depth with clients—and with their parents andchildren, as needed—to help them address the issues they face. We want clientsto think of us as a lifelong resource.”

Registered Representative, Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. InvestmentAdvisor Representative, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Cambridge and North Light FinancialServices are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax advice. Office of Supervisory Jurisdiction: 46 Accord Park Drive / Norwell, MA 02061Phone: 781.878.4063

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