EP 70: Steps to Financial Freedom With Eric Brotman

Eric Brotman, the CEO of BFG Financial Advisors, looks back on how he started his business and what he has learned about financial advisors over time. Concerned that many people do not have any financial education, he created a resource, “Don’t Retire… Graduate!” as a free guidebook for readers to make the best financial decisions. Eric explains what his book title means and connects it to money matters in this complicated financial world. Tune in as we talk about business, getting the right financial advice, how to invest, and how to manage your accounts.

In This Episode:

• [02:24] From law school to falling in love with the financial world.
• [03:22] Eric and a business partner creating a start-up back in 2000.
• [04:08] How he started his own firm named BFG in 2003.
• [04:33] What BFG accomplished in almost 20 years.
• [05:35] What’s lacking in financial education.
• [08:00] Taking part in the financial advisors website.
• [09:50] A free downloadable resource to look for financial advisors.
• [10:40] Tips on how to find a trusted resource for financial advisors.
• [14:43] What does “Don’t Retire… Graduate!” exactly mean?
• [17:00] The three secrets of happy retirees.
• [18:05] What does his book really offer?
• [20:36] Eric on what he’d say to someone hesitant to invest.
• [22:18] Steps to do before investing your money.
• [24:20] The three kinds of people.
• [26:06] Treating your accounts differently in finances.
• [29:41] Where you can get a copy of “Don’t Retire… Graduate!”

Key Takeaways:

• There is no financial education being taught in most schools in the US 
• Habits that people are learning are often from their parents who don’t know what they’re doing.
• Retirement should not be the end of a journey, but more like graduation that creates a springboard to the next journey.
• If they don’t have a true plan for what they’re going to be when they grow up, they don’t thrive.
• There are three kinds of people who are investors: buyers, holders, and sellers.

Meet Eric Brotman: 

Eric D. Brotman, CFP™ is the CEO of BFG Financial Advisors with over 25 years of experience as a trusted advisor. He believes financial literacy is the key to well-being and is the author of multiple books on personal finance, including his latest book, Don’t Retire… Graduate!, and the host of the Don’t Retire… Graduate! podcast. Eric’s approachable and actionable financial advice has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, WBAL, Forbes.com, Yahoo! Finance, The Baltimore Sun, and others.

Resources:

Website: https://brotmanmedia.com/

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0jgTrfifagjrJtzCSWDKiY?si=cLc2PtgURoadagaxIVh8TA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DontRetireGraduate/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brotmanplanning

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BrotmanFinancial/videos

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