Pallas Capital Advisors, LLC, a leading independent financial planning and investment advisory firm, is pleased to announce that Shannon Smith, CFP ®, AWMA ®, has been recognized by Forbes as a Best-In-State Women Advisor.
The Forbes ranking is based on industry experience, client retention, assets under management, and compliance records, among other criteria.
Shannon serves as Pallas Capital’s Director of Planning and Client Experience. Smith considers herself a personal CFO to her clients, a responsibility she treasures and finds enormously rewarding. “I honor the trust my clients place in me as a steward of their wealth. As a fiduciary, I’m not hired to tell clients what they want to hear, instead my role is to offer direct, sometimes tough, advice for helping ensure they retain and grow their wealth.” Smith continues, “For example, you wouldn’t want your doctor to indicate you are okay if you have an illness. The same principle applies to financial planning.”
Per Smith, working as a personal CFO is also akin to being a quarterback, “Beyond designing a financial action plan, I align tax, accounting, and estate expertise before putting the plan in play. And then I tap each team member’s expertise and contribution to successfully execute the plan.”
Smith continues, “For my ultra-high net worth clients, success often ties back to the extent to which we follow the plan, and in particular the ability to minimize taxes. For other clients, especially those with children, it’s more about saving and planning for financial security first. One of my sayings is ‘there’s no financial aid in retirement’ – meaning parents should avoid waking up in their sixties and realize they’ve paid for all their kids’ expenses and not invested enough for their retirement. Avoid climbing out of a financial hole.”
Joe Cullen, Managing Director of Pallas Capital and Shannon’s long-time financial planning partner, is over-the-moon to see her recognized by Forbes. Per Cullen, “What distinguishes Shannon is her social IQ and the concierge-level service she delivers to her clients. The warmth with which she challenges clients and delivers tough messages assures them that their best interests are in mind. And her service ethic DNA can be traced to years of being waitstaff at high-end restaurants in Boston’s North End and Back Bay’s Newbury Street and learning how to deliver a phenomenal client experience.”
Per Rich Mullen, CEO of Pallas Capital, “When we started Pallas three years ago, our goal was to attract the best and brightest financial advisors. We knew they would thrive and grow if surrounded by resources, culture, and easier access to more innovative financial options for their clients than they were getting at their large, commoditized firms. Flash forward to today, and I’m thrilled to see Shannon recognized for her success and extraordinary commitment to growing her clients’ wealth. While she has 15 years of financial planning experience, she’s only in year two of being an independent advisor and has already grown her book of business by more than 20% – and so her runway is long. I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes next for her clients as she continues to embrace all that being an independent advisor offers.”
If you are interested in learning about the value of financial planning and the path to growing and preserving your wealth, we invite you to learn what’s different about Pallas Capital at https://pallascapitaladvisors.com.
If you are an advisor considering making the move to independence, please visit us at https://pallascapitaladvisors.com/for-advisors/ to learn the additional ways that Pallas Capital is innovating the art and science of modern financial planning, and why Pallas Capital is a *top-ranked RIA by Forbes and the #1 Advisor to Watch per AdvisorHub.
*Forbes 2023 TOP RIA in America rankings is based on industry experience, client retention, assets under management, revenue trends, and compliance records; The Advisor Hub award is based on growth, professionalism, and level of service.
