Harvest Financial Partners

I thought I might take a moment and update you on our firm, Harvest Financial Partners. The firm was formed by John Fattibene and me because we love the investment business and want to help clients with their investment and financial goals. We began discussing forming a partnership about 18 months ago. At first, the conversations were preliminary and vague. But as the months passed, we both began to get more excited about the opportunity. To make matters easier, John and I have known each other for over 25 years (we were roommates together at Vassar College), we both have a “value” bias in our investment approach and we both understand the importance of dividends to an investor’s total return. We also felt (and still feel) that many investors are overlooked by the vast majority of investment firms and are often forced to go it alone. For some people, that is not a problem, but for many it may be beyond their interest level or expertise. Harvest was formed to help those people.

One of the most frequent comments that I hear when I tell people I have started a firm, is that I picked a tough market to start. I respectfully disagree because I believe at times like this, quality advice from a quality advisor can make a world of difference. In a great bull market, it is pretty easy to make money in stocks. But in times like these, it is difficult and investors need someone who has managed through some tough markets and can offer re-assurance and perspective. We certainly do not have all the answers and are as surprised as others by how far down some stocks have dropped. But we also know that if you have patience and discipline, you can survive just fine or even thrive. The worst thing to do is to sell indiscriminately, which is a natural reaction for many people. We can help them see the value of patience.

While helping investors with their investment needs, we can also assist them with the myriad of questions that come up on a daily, monthly, annual or generational basis:

Can I afford to retire?
Can I purchase a second home?
Should I refinance my first home?
How should I provide for spouse, children and grandchildren after I am gone?
Do I have enough life insurance?
Should I purchase long term care insurance?
Am I allocating my 401(k) investments properly?

These are not easy issues for anyone, but our experience can help our clients understand and answer these questions and the many others that will arise.

So far John and I have been working hard and having a great time. It is really very exciting to attempt to build something from scratch. We both have a lot of passion for what we are doing and enjoy working together. We are also fortunate to have some wonderful clients!

We will keep you updated on our progress. We know there will be some short term obstacles, but we are certain we can persevere. We are in this for the long run!