Born and raised in Bisbee, Arizona, Bert started in the financial industry at age 11, as a ‘Board Boy’ for the local E.F. Hutton agency. After obtaining his MBA in finance at the University of Arizona in 1967, and then completing his juris doctorate at the Detroit College of Law in 1972, Bert went on to become a pioneer in the fee-only financial planning industry.
Bert started practicing as a tax attorney and fee-only financial planner serving primarily executives, professionals, and small business owners. His practice grew by referrals, spurred by his refusal to take on any client unless he could save them more money than he charged them, a stand he still takes today.
Armed with the philosophy that financial planning isn’t an event, but a lifelong process, Bert set out to perfect his ideal by creating Cambridge Connection, Inc. Bert’s company is based on the belief that fee-only compensation and a fiduciary relationship are vital components of the goal to place the interests of the client above all others.
For nearly 40 years, Cambridge Connection has provided comprehensive, fee-only financial advising to people in every stage of the financial life cycle. Along with two fellow advisors and a staff of paraplanners, Bert offers services such as goal setting, tax planning & preparation, insurance review, asset allocation, education financing, estate planning, portfolio management, investment counseling, and wealth management. With offices in Michigan, Florida, and California, plus the ability to meet virtually with clients around the world, Cambridge Connection has grown to become a leading fee-only firm catering to diverse clientele.
In 1983 fee-only financial planning practitioners coalesced into an organization, the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), with Bert as one of the pioneer members. In 1995 Bert again utilized his decades of experience to form another new organization, now known as the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners (ACP), to train financial advisors on a national basis in the Cambridge approach to holistic fee-only financial planning. As you well know, ACP has become a notable force in the financial industry with hundreds of advisors having been trained in the ACP/Cambridge System™.
Bert simplifies and brings the basics of financial planning to all, not just the wealthy and elite. Bert’s real-life solutions to clients’ problems, his reputation as a leading authority and tireless proponent of ethical financial planning, as well as his valuable work as a coach, continues to have a major impact on the financial world.