Joshua Garland

In June of 2009, I got a call from William Wright, my best friend's father.

He said Josh, I spoke with Justin (best friend), and he told me that you were recently laid off, and I actually have an opportunity that I've had in mind for you, for a long time. We met the next week, and he explained that I would be the Director, Annuity Marketing, and that my job would be to meet with financial advisors and explain how to use annuities for retirement income planning. I thanked him and told him that while I very much appreciated the opportunity, but I knew absolutely nothing about finance. I hadn't gone to college for finance, nor had I ever received any formal training, and to be honest, I didn't even know what an annuity was! He just smiled and told me, "Josh, I can teach you all of that, but what I am most interested in is your relationship skills. This business is all about relationships and actually caring about people, and that isn't something that can be taught." On July 16th, 2009, I started my first day in the financial services industry, where I learned about finance as an annuity wholesaler. Over the years, I got my Life & Health Insurance License, followed by the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designation, Series 65, and Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF). I worked in this position for almost a decade (9.5 years), until I started to feel the urge to work directly with the end retail consumer. I am now a Senior Financial Advisor at Apriem Advisors, and I am privileged to have the opportunity to help people plan for their financial future. We are an independent registered investment advisory firm based in Southern California. Our clients receive one-on-one advice and individualized, strategic planning from our wealth and portfolio managers, culminating in a unique boutique experience. I am highly specialized in retirement income planning as well as tax-advantaged investing strategies and planning around highly concentrated stock positions. After 17 years in financial services, I have the experience and knowledge that I was lacking in 2009, but my love of people and relationships has never changed. While rates of return are important, trust, ethics, and human experience are vital and yet will never show up on a performance report.