First Financial Consulting of Pasadena, California assisted NBC’s The Today Show in providing a unique opportunity for American women to call a toll-free phone line and receive free financial planning advice. In selecting financial advisors to participate in their “Money for Women” series, NBC’s Today Show looked to the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), the nation’s leading association of fee-only financial advisors.
Scott Sommers and Greg Welborn, partners at First Financial Consulting, served as west-coast representatives and fielded calls from viewers across the country. “We were thrilled that The Today Show, the top rated morning news and information program in the country, would ask us to help give thousands of women telephone access to free counseling from financial planning experts” said Greg Welborn. “When we saw how many people really appreciated a chance to ask an expert, it made the cost of the hotline money well spent. One of our major goals is to educate the public on financial planning matters.”
Scott Sommers added, “The questions ranged from whether or not someone should refinance a mortgage to how to invest a recent inheritance.” The economy and stock market were on the list of concerns, but there were also quite a few questions about insurance and how to pick a financial advisor. Sommers continued, “So much recent news about Wall Street firms and big accounting firms has been negative, I think most of the callers were looking for an unbiased educated opinion. We really enjoyed helping out with the calls.”
The Money for Women series highlighted the five biggest financial concerns facing women based on a survey of Money Magazine readers. Today Show financial editor and Money Magazine reporter, Jean Chatzky, chose NAPFA for the issue of eroding retirement savings. “I’ve felt comfortable for many, many years recommending NAPFA members to the readers of Money Magazine and viewers of the Today Show. This project was a great opportunity to give people a chance to talk to a highly educated Fee-Only comprehensive financial advisor.”
