Kristoffer N. Fu, CPWA®, CFP®

Kris Fu began his financial services career right out of college, but his awareness of exactly how he wanted to serve clients came on gradually. During his 13 years as a Private Client Advisor at a large bank, he grew to appreciate the importance of helping clients understand their financial “why” and developing a plan to achieve it. He also realized how essential it was to not simply offer solutions, but to explain the rationale for plan details in ways clients could readily understand. This was an ideal approach from the client’s perspective, but there was an unexpected benefit for Kris. The more accessible he made financial decision-making to clients, the more they trusted him and the deeper the relationships became.

“I know people come to me for guidance and advice, but I have also learned a great deal about life from them. I believe that to maintain their trust I must continuously expand my knowledge and deepen my expertise. The CPWA® program has given me a deeper appreciation for behavioral finance and how it can help me better understand the challenges facing my clients and their families.”

Kris founded his independent financial advisory firm as a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) based in Brea, California just a few months before embarking on the CPWA® certification. “As a newly-minted entrepreneur, I knew that I wanted to pursue additional professional education, but I no longer had the resources of a large firm to help me. Having the opportunity to receive financial assistance from the Investments & Wealth Institute was huge.”

One of Kris’s goals for becoming a Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) via the Institute was to be able to attract more high-net-worth clients and enhance his ability to address their unique needs. “I now have a deeper understanding of how to help families identify their core values and instill them in their children and grandchildren. I now work to have conversations with my elderly clients about the importance of involving family members in these conversations early and to deepen their appreciation of the responsibilities associated with wealth. I am better able to build relationships with these future inheritors and continue to advise them when the wealth is passed to them.”

Upon completing the CPWA® program, Kris sent an announcement to his existing clients and received a lot of positive feedback and appreciation for his dedication to continuously improving his skills. My investment in my education through the Institute has allowed me to be better positioned to successfully grow and expand my business. More importantly I have grown through the experience, and I feel more confident in my abilities to help my clients on a deeper level than before.