JoePat Roop left the corporate world to his own boutique financial services firm. Working from a charming office in downtown Belmont, JoePat and his team help retirees and pre-retirees protect and grow the life savings they have worked so hard to accumulate.
GA: Let’s start with those traditional Southern questions; tell us about your family and where you went to school.
JoePat: I live here in Belmont with my wife Gail and 4 year old son Henry. West Virginia was home until 1996 when I graduated from Marshall University with a Finance degree and moved to NC.
GA: How did Belmont Capital Advisors get started?
JoePat: After working for large Wall Street firms I saw the value of being an Independent Advisor. It become clear that if I wanted to offer clients the choices they needed it could not happen in that corporate environment.
GA: We hear a lot of scary things about the market right now…what are your clients most concerned about?
JoePat: Outliving their life savings! One of the things we teach in our education workshops is how to get a better return …”by placing you assets in a safer place” Today people have been hurt on several fronts. The market has still not recovered from its crash and CD rates are at historic lows. Many have seen their income cut in half and assets drop dramatically. We have a specific “Market Recovery Plan” that has been very popular to get new clients back on track.
GA: What if I am new to financial planning, or haven’t had much success managing my own accounts?
JoePat: I may ask if you just won the lottery or received an inheritance….. Most of the folks we work with did not become wealthy overnight nor do most of our clients consider themselves rich. But one common thread is that the clients we help do value advice and know the importance of a trusted advisor. If you are looking for an Advisor to work with I would suggest you interview several Advisors until you find the one that you are comfortable with.
GA: Tell us about the Educational Financial Workshops you conduct.
JoePat: The Education workshops are where I have fun. Education is power; and it helps people make better decisions. This also gives people a introduction to me and my style of advice.
GA: What are some of your other interests?
JoePat: I enjoy going mountain biking at the white water center. I also like to take Henry Fishing and let him reel in the “big ones” and then see how much bigger they get by the time we get home!
GA: Tell us about your son, Henry.
JoePat: Henry is 4 years old, our only child, a ball of energy and fun, most of
the time he pretends that he is “Captain Jack Sparrow” the Pirate. A good friend and client actually built him a pirate ship for our back yard. My wife Gail likes things that are unique and we are certainly the only ones on our street with a pirate ship in the back yard.
GA: What is the funniest thing that has happened to you in your business?
JoePat: We actually had someone come by after they bought that book on TV on free government give away programs and wanted me to help him get the free government money.
GA: Why choose Belmont to start business?
JoePat: Location, location, location! Plus, I already had a established client base in
Belmont & Gaston County, This is where we live and are proud to call home.
GA: What is your favorite part of being a financial advisor?
JoePat: To know you can make a difference in the quality of life someone has. I love to see the look on a clients face when you share a strategy they had not thought of or knew about yet. They have a look like finding a 20-dollar bill in their coat pocket from last winter.
GA: What products or services does Belmont Capital Advisors offer?
JoePat: Great Question! We offer a multitude of different products and services but when it is all said and done I have only one thing to offer …ADVICE…We really only do one thing here and that is advise clients on how to make smart decisions about their life savings. . As a Registered Investment Advisor I am committed to finding answers that work for you. Financial planning isn’t just about money. It’s about creating the kind of life you want to live.
by. David Hamrick
