After working with hundreds of people and having thousands of conversations about financial planning I have found some recurring themes. This isn’t my list or a general list, instead it is a list of 10 things I have seen/heard over and over again from my most successful clients.

It doesn’t matter how you define success and we all might take a different path to get there but these 10 things come up multiple times.

Coincidence…. I think not. I share them with you here.

10 Truths About Successful Clients

Keep moving.
- My successful clients never sit still. In their professional life they are always looking to advance. Either upward in the same company or jumping to a new one. They never get complacent and are always looking to max out their income potential.
They are always thinking about the future.
- This works great for me because they want to follow a road map. They are thinking 10,20,30 years later and want to know what they have to do accomplish all of their goals. Once they know, they all seem to hit the steps necessary to ge
They take advice.
- I find that they lean on experts. Whether its a plumber, accountant or the financial planner, if they need an answer they don’t hesitate to reach out. Of course they can google it but they don’t waste the time.
Family actually comes first.
- Even though their career is very important, they actually put family first. They attend all the sports games, they spend quality time with their spouse and even take vacations. They find the time to do it all because at work or at home they give 100%.
Money matters but not the details.
- They don’t track their spending to the penny and they don’t check their investments every day. These people have a general idea of the money coming in and going out. They mostly use their credit cards for every purchase and pay them off at the end of the month. They trust the stock market will do it’s thing over the long term and don’t fret about daily gyrations.
They are well diversified and understand risk
- In addition to their stock investments, my most successful clients are not afraid to start a side business or buy a rental property. One thing to note is that they did wait until their primary income was stable and secure. They didn’t throw as much stuff against the wall as possible to see what stuck. After they built up their traditional cash and investment positions, they looked for other avenues to grow their wealth.
They believe in insurance
- Homeowners, car, umbrella, disability, life insurance, you name it… Even though it’s a significant cost, my most successful clients want to be protected on all sides.
They do not watch to much TV or read a lot of books….
- I specifically pay attention to this one because on twitter, every day tweets go out about how many books the top CEO’s are reading or to be successful you have to read 10 books a month..etc. So, if you feel guilty about not reading 10 books a month or missing the latest show (like I do sometimes), it’s ok!
Balanced
- My successful clients do not buy things to grow into them but they do spend money…Their house is the right size for their life today. Their cars (some are leased, some are bought) are not flashy. Think less BMW’s and more Toyota’s. They spend money on quality vs quantity. They also spend more money on experiences than material things.
Find more money
- This is the best item of them all. Regularly, my most successful clients find more money to save and invest. It happens all the time. Their savings account keeps growing and as with everything else in their life, they want to maximize that experience. Meaning, they put that money to work.

These are the 10 most common things I see as a Financial Planner. You are not supposed to stop everything that your doing and conform to this list. But, maybe there are some things that are holding you back. Or, maybe there are things out of whack in your life and you need to course correct. I hope this list gives you a glimpse into the world of successful people and helps you get on track.

If you need help getting over the hump, I am currently taking on new clients.

Do not hesitate to reach out.

-Jared S. Friedman CFP®