By David Hamrick
Recently we caught up with Gail and Joepat Roop to find out about some exciting changes at 123 N. Main Street, the headquarters of Belmont Capital Advisors, Inc.
GA: Joepat, what a beautiful new/old office you have – Congratulations!
JP: Thank you David! My wife Gail has been working nonstop since we made the purchase. Gail has been the angel of change and improvement. She tackled the inside first and then she just completed another big project which was new siding to the exterior. Without Gail, Belmont Capital would just be another boring office.
GA: It does appear to be more to this than just the office for Belmont Capital Advisors.
JP: That is very intuitive David. Gail has been planning to bring the backyard back to life with flower gardens and the potential to be an event venue on the weekends.
GA: So has this been a positive mood for BCA?
JP: Yes, clients and the community have responded very well! Most people do not recall that we started here on main street in a small one room office in 2009. Then we moved to Glenway Street in 2010 and finally to 123 N. Main in 2017. We’re coming close to utilizing all the space we have here. We strive to have the best client experience and we’re also not wanting to intimidate people who come to meet with us. We’re local to the community and local people, so I believe that says a lot about who we are as people and as a company. The heart behind what we do is to serve those around us and to help guide them in and through retirement.
GA: So tell me about your team here at BCA and how you have been able to grow?
JP: We have five Financial Advisors consisting of CFP’s, licensed insurance professionals, Medicare Specialists and licensed investment advisors. Our advisors first serve to educate and are fiduciaries. Supporting our advisors, we have a staff of five consisting of a Marketing Director, Client Relations, Operations department and a bookkeeper. Our growth has been driven by our continuous outreach in the community with our Retirement, Tax and Social Security education workshops. We are giving the community critical information at a time when they need it most. We do have some future plans for Belmont Capital, but we are continuing to develop our internal employees first and educate each individual with the tools they need to be successful in their role. We are a team with the same ambition and drive to do great things in the surrounding Charlotte area with Belmont being our headquarters.
GA: Tell us about your taxes and retirement Workshops?
JP: We serve and educate the Belmont and Charlotte surrounding communities on retirement income and taxes in retirement. These workshops help to answer most questions of pre-retirees or baby boomers have about social security, pension plans, taxes and retirement income. Not only do we host workshops locally, but we also host other events like a Valentine’s luncheon for women, wine tastings, and other client appreciation events. We also have a pumpkin patch for our clients to pick each year. With all the events we host, we have implemented a Client Advisory Board to filter our ideas through so that we can ensure a great experience for all clients, friends and family of Belmont Capital.
GA: Who are these workshops appropriate for?
JP: Good question David, so our ideal client profile is 55+ age group, people who have worked a long career, married with grandkids, and living in a nearby community. Our workshops serve the majority of these people, however, we also serve widowers, singles, and sometimes we serve the younger people, depending on their situation. Because of who we are, we will personally sit down with any and all who attend our workshops to help guide them in the right direction, and the consultation is always complimentary.
GA: I understand you use an endowment model for client portfolios. What is that and why do you use it?
JP: The endowment model allocates a significant portion of assets to non-traditional asset classes such as absolute return, private equity and real estate. It has proven to be less volatile than traditional 60/40 stock and bonds portfolios. We find that our clients are seeking more consistency and a goal of preserving their lifestyle and assets, so this model fits well.
GA: You say your strategies are income oriented and tax averse- how does that work?
JP: All investments are not created equal especially when we talk about taxes. This is done on an individual basis and based on that family’s individual situation.
GA: What is your radio show about and where can we catch it?
JP: Retire(meant) for living is what our radio show is titled. We focus on income in retirement. We air on Saturdays typically from 1:00pm-2:00pm on 1110AM and 99.3FM. Our website is www.belmont-capital.com and here you can find our weekly blogs that we post, our newsletters, events and much more. Also, go like our Facebook page if you get a chance.
