A Matter of Time

Don't just build a practice. Help build a new profession.

Hourly counsel has the potential to be the fastest-growing segment in the delivery of financial advice. With the templates and tools in this book, you can reap the full benefits that it has to offer. Written for established and aspiring hourly financial planners alike, A Matter of Time lays out the challenges that lie in the path of the hourly practitioner, which often result from the tacit acceptance of many myths that surround the model. Drawing on insights acquired over twenty years of running and growing an award-winning hourly firm, the authors address these myths and show how the most common pitfalls can be avoided.

With practical illustrations, you'll learn how to:

- Price, position, and deliver hourly advice

- Segment your client base and prospect for an entirely new clientele

- Develop a relationship-based approach and avoid a "transactional" mindset

- Harness the potential of time-tracking to create a stable foundation for growth

A new type of firm-and a new potential audience for financial advice-is awaiting the financial planning profession. You now have the roadmap. Getting there is only a matter of time.

Mark Berg has been a fee-only financial counselor since 1995. He founded Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc., in 2000, which has since grown to become the largest fee-only, hourly-only financial planning firm in the United States. The Chicago-based firm has received multiple awards, including being recognized by AdvisoryHQ as among the Best Chicago Financial Advisors & Wealth Management Firms from 2015 to 2021.Mark is passionate about financial planning, best seen in his volunteer work through the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors(NAPFA) where he has served on both the regional and national boards and has sat on several committees, and provided mentorship for otheradvisors. Mark serves on both nonprofit and for-profit boards.In addition to participating as a speaker and panelist at conferences held by NAPFA, the AICPA, and the FPA, Mark has been quoted by a variety of publications, such as Forbes, Crain's Chicago Business, Dow Jones Newswires, Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger's, Chicago Tribune, Reader's Digest, and Consumer Reports. He has also been interviewed by ABC 7 News and NBC television, as well as having been a guest expert on the Money Show on WGN.He holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Wheaton College and is a CFP(R) professional. Mark and his wife, Cheryce, live in Wheaton, Illinois, and have three sons, Joshua, Ryan (Jacki), and Luke.

Matthew Jackson began his consulting career in 2006, working on a variety of strategy, technology, and M&A-related projects across multiple industries. His career has included six years at Simon-Kucher & Partners, the world's leading pricing consultancy, where he worked with teams in Europe, the Middle East, and North America to help clients navigate value proposition and pricing issues.Since focusing on the field of financial advice full-time, he has authored numerous articles and white papers on the topic of pricing in financial advice and has been invited to speak at the AICPA, the Bob Veres Insider Forum, NAPFA, CFA Society, and the Trust Management Association.In 2019 he founded Dialektic, a consultancy that helps financial advice firms prepare for disruption through adaptive strategies. This work has included new approaches to proposition design, compensation systems, pricing structures, and operations management. He began working with Mark Berg on the current book in the summer of 2020.He holds a degree in classics from Oxford University and has held the Chartered Financial Analyst(R) designation since 2015. He lives in South Korea and works globally.