BUSINESS AT MIKE ADAMS’S branch in Lake Forest has grown swiftly over the decade it has been open, and Adams says much of that growth is attributable to the investment philosophy of Edward Jones. While it is a national company with branches dotting the country’s landscape, it does not prescribe financial solutions from the top.

“Judy Joyce is my branch office administrator. She and I partner together in serving our clients, and I would add she is the only administrator I’ve had in the branch,” Adams says. “We have a great relationship! When a client comes into our office, there aren’t five different advisors to choose from, so the experience is very one-on-one; very warm. It’s a very deep relationship with clients and very heart-felt.”

“As the largest privately held financial services firm in the country, we’re committed to the long-term success of our clients. We don’t answer to shareholders like a publicly traded company may have to. We answer to our clients,” Adams says. “That’s what really drew me to Edward Jones. It really fits my personality. As a company, Edward Jones places a high value on client relationships and an understanding that the relationship is at the heart of financial planning.”

“When we have volatile markets, our resources help clients understand the reasons behind staying invested in times like these,” he says. “Not only do my clients understand the investments, but they also understand why they have these investments.”

His investment philosophy is about staying focused on quality investments, diversification, and maintaining an eye for the longterm. That is the recipe for helping clients get through uncertain times like we are seeing now.

Once he opened his Edward Jones office in Lake Forest, Adams started pounding the pavement.

“I embarked on a journey of knocking on doors, literally going face-to-face in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, meeting with folks and talking through their concerns,” Adams says. “Through talking with them, I would follow up with ideas to provide solutions.”

Adams says it is important that he lives in the community where he works. He currently serves as an Elder at First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest, on the Lake Forest Caucus, and the Lake Bluff/Lake Forest Kiwanis Club. Over the years, he has developed a strong network of estate planning and family law attorneys, CPAs, and others who he often partners with to make sure clients’ needs are met.

“We have an established process that begins with understanding what is most important to our clients. We then create personalized strategies to help them reach their goals and we partner with them, throughout their lives, to keep them on track,” Adams says. “Our clients feel understood, secure, informed, and in control.”

Financial Advisor Mike Adams is located at Edward Jones, 840 Waukegan Road, Suite 205, in Lake Forest, 847-234-1623, edwardjones.com.