Helping Public Educators With Financial Services For A Brighter Future

It started with four people in a garage. We had no plan, no logo, but we had a basic idea. With my background in financial services, I saw the difficulties that faced teachers with their retirement plans and wanted to provide sound advice to help them prepare for the future.

With so many options in retirement services, educators can become overwhelmed when placing their finances in another’s hands. There are over 100 options for public educators to choose from, and it can be a job to find the right service. Much akin to our namesake, Appreciation Financial, we were confident in offering stability and trust for educators’ financial goals– giving back to those who give so much.

Rather than focus on monetary aspirations, teachers’ altruistic, compassionate attitudes influence their career paths to inspire and refine the next generation. They work tireless hours throughout the year, but this isn’t just a profession: it’s a passion. When a passion becomes all-consuming, it’s challenging to see the end of the road. While many instructors understand their retirement is based on their pension, many errors and obstacles need to be overcome.

Appreciation Financial offers educators confident, reliable, community-oriented financial services to help them plan for the future. We work in schools approaching our clients in their workspaces, showing a physical person ready, willing, and able to assist them in reaching their economic goals.

It took over a decade for Appreciation to grow into one of the largest 403(b) financial services in the country. In fact, it was a system that I had developed for over 10 years working as an independent financial advisor. My team knows that I believe “system” stands for “Save Yourself Time, Effort, and Money.” I’m a firm believer that I have the best team around me. Throughout the unforeseeable events of 2020, our local and national leadership teams stood up and overcame the unpredictable adversity and uncertainty that faced us all, simultaneously strengthening our team altogether.

The pandemic was a heavily burdensome time in history. Public educators, like many others, didn’t know if they would ever return to the classroom again, which created turbulence in our workflow. For 18 months, we were unable to visit schools to speak with our clients. We conducted candidacy interviews over Zoom, but many teachers felt uncomfortable discussing financial information over video chat. With educators struggling, our industry took a hit too.

50% of businesses in our sector closed their doors for good, and it seemed the end of our chapter was fast approaching. However, we preserved and built the largest database of public-educator-based contacts, which we still maintain to this day. All boats rise with the tide, and we knew that we could continue to expand business while helping out our competitors.

Appreciation Financial began working with other firms in the sector, facilitating appointments with teachers so that they could be serviced by an advisor, whether it was from Appreciation or another company. In 2020, 82% of transactions in fixed indexed 403(b) were facilitated with the help of Appreciation Financial. With the amount we could give back, it would have been irresponsible for us not to share the wealth with our competitors, and more importantly, continue to provide our services to teachers throughout this time. This pivot allowed us to move forward and excel, seeing a boost in the public sector and breaking into the private sector.

Using the same, personal approach of entering schools to speak with teachers directly, our local representatives began approaching small businesses in their areas, offering innovative ways for these organizations to save money. With new incentives from the CARES Act, our leadership became well-versed in the newly appointed benefits, like employee retention credits. We want to be able to help out our clients not only in their personal lives, but in their communities as well.

Keeping teachers at the forefront of our minds, Appreciation strives to develop and support their communities, bringing together familiar faces and creating stronger bonds throughout the United States. Our continuous efforts extend beyond financial support.

Appreciation Ambassadors work with our local chapters to create circular wealth within their own communities. We have worked on many different schools from beautification to demolition, using members from our local branches to support their very own institutions.

Appreciation has a bigger meaning than just giving someone a simple thank you, and it takes a village to do that. Helping contribute to the future of over 250,000 educators takes more than good wishes. Our leaders created this system to allow individuals optimal flourishment. All across the globe, our team makes it so Appreciation Financial can continue its efforts to support educators after they’ve finished their goals.

About the Author:

As the President and CEO of Appreciation Financial, Terry Kennedy is no stranger to the challenges faced by hardworking individuals, particularly those in the noble profession of teaching. A Las Vegas native himself, he witnessed firsthand the struggles that educators faced when it came to managing their finances and securing their futures. It was this revelation that fueled his passion to make a difference in their lives. Appreciation Financial is not just your average financial institution. It is a full-service national powerhouse, with its headquarters nestled in the heart of Las Vegas. Recognized for its remarkable growth and unwavering commitment to excellence, Appreciation Financial has proudly earned a spot on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America for both 2018 and 2019. At Appreciation Financial, our mission is clear - to provide comprehensive solutions for all areas of your life. We understand that financial well-being encompasses more than just numbers on a balance sheet. It is about safeguarding your assets, protecting your loved ones, and planning for a secure and prosperous retirement.

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This post was authored by an external contributor and does not represent Benzinga's opinions and has not been edited for content. This contains sponsored content and is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.