As seen in Forbes, March 23, 2009 Kansas City Business Profiles

Businesses throughout Kansas City capitalize on a unique mix of local and regional assets to foster company and community growth.

Building Portfolios One Client at a Time

When a client first sits down with an investment advisor, it’s not uncommon for the advisor to immediately begin touting this fund, that stock or an investment system. But not at Insight Financial Services (IFS). "At Insight Financial Services, we truly believe that investing is a process – not a product," says Founder Pete Martinez. "That is why IFS takes a unique approach to deliver clarity and a cohesive structure centered around each clients’ needs. We distill the investment universe down to the core components – helping each client achieve their personal financial objectives. Our constant attention to current industry and academic research – combined with practical knowledge and application – is focused to help maximize return and minimize risk based on individual client needs. "That take on investing is just part of the strong client focus at Insight," says Martinez. The firm also refuses to use the standard practice of assigning clients to one of several pre-established investment groups. "We don’t pigeonhole clients," says Martinez. "Our clients have portfolios and financial plans that are built specifically for their investment needs." And as a firm comprised of financial professionals from varied disciplines, Insight is able to encompass the complete range of those needs without being limited to any specific investment type, style, strategy or affiliation. The firm takes several other steps to achieve its signature customer-focused service. For instance, IFS goes to great lengths to communicate with its clients through newsletters, timely market updates and personal phone calls; and most importantly, IFS requires all clients to meet face-to-face with their advisors at least once every year. Additionally, clients receive a personalized Investment Policy Statement. "This is a written evaluation of their risks and concerns," says Martinez. "It gives the client something with which to hold us accountable."

Designed for the High-Income and High-Net Worth Investor

Martinez founded Insight Financial Services after years spent working for a national firm. Those experiences led him to believe that high-end clients weren’t getting the type of service their investment goals demanded. "As clients get older, their needs get more complex and they need more time and attention from their advisors. If they don’t have tens of millions of dollars, they’re not getting the individualized attention that their accounts need," he says. This led Martinez to establish his own firm with the goal of taking care of the higher income, higher-networth client and particularly those reaching retirement, by providing full service and customized financial planning and investment strategies to meet their unique situation. The firm’s intense customer focus has apparently met a need in the Kansas City financial market. The firm has averaged a growth rate of 35 percent per year and has been sought out to provide executive financial education in corporate Kansas City, as well as professional investment and financial courses through local colleges. This time in education allows Martinez to donate his talent and time to the community. "We are a very proactive firm," Martinez says. "IFS is constantly working behind the scenes, looking to make improvements, helping clients maneuver in difficult markets before they ever have to pick up the phone. If we are not being proactive, we are not looking out for our clients’ best interests."