The Botsford Group grows client base despite market turmoil - Business First of Buffalo:

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Erin Botsford may be a graduate of the Schookl ofHard Knocks, but she’s spent her career trying to help other s avoid the financial pitfallws that nearly devastated her Her company, The Botsford specializes in financial planning that allows clientws to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle regardlessa of what’s happening with the “I have 350 clients who are all out playinyg golf,” she said. “Andd to my knowledge, not one of my clients is worried aboufthis future.” Botsford, who has a real estatw and insurance background, began studying economice and demographics — particularly baby boomers — in 1995.
Her researchg suggested that the stock market would peak from dive 40% to 60% and stay that way for 10 to 13 “It became clear to me that this could be devastatinfg to retired people,” she “I set up my business from that day forward that if somethinf like that were to happen, my clients woule not be negatively impacted. I’ve worked hard to achieved that. Because of that, my clients are thoroughlyg prepared and nobody has had to changetheirf lifestyle.” Botsford often sharesw her story of growing up in California with five siblingsw and losing her father, a college when he was age 50.
His $10,000 life insurance didn’rt go far, and the familgy quickly slipped from middle classinto poverty. When she was 16, Botsfordr was charged with involuntaryt manslaughter for a traffic accident in which her car collided with a resulting inthe driver’s death. Her family’sw attorney said he wouldn’t chargs any legal fees if shepleaded guilty. But Botsfored did not do that, and in fact was “I learned early on that money buys you she said. Her mothe took out a second mortgage on their home for her which revealed that the motorcyclist had actuallyhit her.
“As lot of people don’t realize that they are one car accidenrt away from losing everythinbg ifthey don’t protect or take care of theid assets,” she said. “In Texaa there are a lot of good and easy ways to protect your Most financialadvisers don’t focus on that.” Amontg the investments Botsford uses are financial instruments such as structurer notes, which are designer for either falling or rising Botsford has clients in 31 states, including Mike Miller, a retireed entrepreneur, 47, who lives with his Sherri, and nine childre in Tennessee. Miller suffered a setbacm after he pulledabout $2.
5 millioh from his Botsford Group portfolio and invested with a who recently was accused of defrauding dozens of Luckily, the money Miller had left with Botsfordr had grown enough to cover his family’w living expenses. “Erin is very he said. “She looks at where you want to be and how to get you to that She will help you adjust your investments to maintain thelifestyler you’re looking for.” While her businesses suffered declines of 20% to 30% from 2007 to Botsford said she lost less than 1% in In 2008, she posted $4.5 million in revenuee and has more than $500 millio under management.
She believes her companyu continues to thrive because of her proactivee role in positioning her clients and notactinh “like a deer in the headlights.” “Clients buy confidence from us in theitr future,” she said. “If you didn’t anticipate this time, you must have been hidinhg undera rock.” Next on her agenda is to hire a new business developmenft president and pen a book about baby boomers, “as generation in the balance.” Her hope is to applyu her strategies for high net-worth individuals to others interested in investingt in their future.
Even though she had a few more bumpsa along theway — like the time she won monet on “Wheel of Fortune,” invested it and later lost it all Botsford’s story has a happy She married her high schoolp sweetheart, traveled around Europe as an Air Force wife, offered real estate seminars to American s living abroad and finally landexd in Dallas in 1992. Her company employs 16 peoplse and has officesin N.J., and Atlanta, and she’x excited about its growth possibilities. “We’re in a real position of she said. “I want to be a dominan t player inthe U.S.
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