Grant Blindbury

Grant Blindbury is a young man with an "old head." Unlike many who have worked in the financial industry for decades, the 29-year-old Blindbury has put together a wealth management prac­tice—FMB Wealth Management in Westlake Village, California—in a relatively short time period. "I guess it comes down to my commitment to trying to find industry best practices and then applying them as efficiently as possible," says Blindbury.

Blindbury's been working in the investment advisory industry since 2003, managing the assets of affluent individuals and pension plans. He earned his degree in business and economics at the University of California, Los Angeles and then, in 2007, earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. Drawn to the client-centric model that he says fee-based advisory services provide, he joined forces with Fields Financial Associates, Inc., and later partnered with the firm's founders to create FMB Wealth Management.

The firm was founded on the principle that an effective investment portfolio directly reflects the investor's primary economic objectives. "We are a fee-based company specializing in long-term investment strategy and dynamic portfolio design, and we strive to maximize the probability of achieving all that's important to our clients," says Blindbury. "FMB Wealth Management provides financial and investment counseling for a limited number of affluent families and small-business owners. We take new clients only when we have determined that we can add substantial value to those clients' financial situations."

Using passive, low-cost strategies for investments and a consultative and collaborative wealth management approach, FMB Wealth Management's principals identify the specific challenges clients face in reaching their goals and provide an investment plan to close the gaps. Clients are offered customized choices and solutions designed to reach their goals and reinforce their values. These solutions are developed and delivered in close consultation with the clients as well as their other trusted advisors in a highly collaborative environment.

Blindbury is especially attracted to retirement-oriented strategies and enjoys working with successful clients who understand the need for planning when it comes to their retirements. "As a private wealth strategist, I specialize in positioning my clients for a successful retirement by coordinating their most important financial affairs," he says. "I do that by using a consultative process to identify their current financial situations and challenges, and then I work with a team of experts to design solutions to help them achieve their most important goals."

Blindbury adds: "I've always valued preparation and planning when approaching any life skill. My interest and enjoyment in working with retirees and especially those planning for retirement comes in part from an appreciation of the hard work that must go into the process and our ability to do the work in an efficient and productive way."

He points out, however, that hard work isn't enough when it comes to meeting life's challenges. It also takes the accumulation of intelligently selected tools that allow the individual or financial professional to properly pursue and realize success. For Blindbury, success in the financial field is best achieved through the application of wealth management strategies that include asset-class allocation.

Blindbury is also a believer in the concept of "social capital"—the idea that improperly aligned wealth potentially deprives the individual not only of assets, but also of tangential wealth elements. Example: wealth that is locked up in a few large investments and subject to considerable volatility. In such instances, resources that may benefit family, friends or community are not being fully leveraged. The damage is not confined to the assets themselves but has corollary effects related to time value as well, since the longer the wealth is not properly situated, the less impact it can have on realizing its owner's values and the values of those close to the owner.
Blindbury points out that it's important to consider every aspect of retirement planning—social as well as financial. Retirees he works with are successful people, and they want to ensure that their good fortune extends to their families, friends and communities. Wealth management, which emphasizes the alignment of wealth with the values of the investor, is an ideal methodology that considers the totality of the retirement, not just discreet or narrow financial aspects. "Wealth management is truly a lifestyle approach in which the person's total circumstances are taken into account. It is a great approach when one contemplates retirement, because it almost forces you to take into account every part of your lifestyle and life needs," he says.

Blindbury adds that one of the most valuable aspects of his emphasis on wealth management has been working with California-based CEG Worldwide, the leading advisory coaching firm. He credits the firm with expanding his horizons in terms of how wealth management is applied. "There are so many aspects to wealth management, and CEG Worldwide is very helpful in organizing and presenting this information to advisors," he says. "My clients and I have benefited tremendously from CEG Worldwide's concepts as well as their presentation."

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