Howard Kite

CFP®, ChFC, CLU | Partner
Forum Financial Partner Howard Kite

Why I Became a Financial Advisor

Often in our career and our lives, we have no idea the impact we make on friends and clients, their families and their friends. The advice and counsel provided today affects those we are working with and people we will never meet. We have the responsibility to provide accurate, fair and economical advice all the time.

What more gratifying feeling than to set up a family for financial success and then to see the next generation benefit from the plans established. To that end, I strive to be informed and surround myself with people who have knowledge in different aspects of finance so that if I don’t have the answer, I know where I can go to get answers.

“There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”

— FRED ROGERS

Industrial Work Space With Clock and Ladder

THE DETAILS

Howard Kite prides himself on working with clients to help them achieve their financial goals by implementing value-driven portfolios. Howard spends much of his time consulting with financial advisors across the country helping them translate the often-confusing world of financial and insurance products into understandable bites so their clients can make informed decisions.

Howard entered the financial services industry in 1981. He was one of the original principals of The Terra Financial Companies, now Cetera Financial Specialists and helped to grow the business into a national multidisciplinary, financial services organization. After Terra was sold to GE Capital in 1998, Howard became the Chief Operations Officer and senior vice president of sales and practice management until 2009 at which point, he affiliated with Forum Financial Management, working in various aspects of supporting the growth of the company.

Howard received his bachelor’s degree in finance and business education from Northern Illinois University. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. He is also a member of the Financial Planning Association, the Society of Financial Service Professionals and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.

Howard rounds out his life by leading classes for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and providing support for people who have family members with mental health conditions. His extra mind space is occupied with planning the next great canoe and fishing trip.

FORUM ARTICLES & INSIGHTS

A PERSONAL APPROACH

Tell Us About Your Financial Life and Aspirations

Your experience begins with an initial meeting to identify your financial vision for the future and risk tolerance levels. We review our investment philosophy and approach with you so that you fully understand each milestone of our process and how our relationship will evolve over time.

Discuss Topics Crucial to Your Financial Success

Over the course of the next few meetings, the content and breadth of each meeting is defined by your personal needs. We can review your estate planning and risk management needs, discuss retirement accumulation or distribution planning, evaluate educational funding needs, review your tax situation, and go over any other items crucial to your financial success.

Develop a Strategic Plan Unique to You

Once you select an allocation, we put together a strategic implementation plan that will coordinate investment of your portfolio between qualified (tax-advantaged) assets and non-qualified assets in order to maximize tax efficiency. The topics we address during our time with you vary depending on your unique needs and situation.

Putting Your Plan Into Action

We establish your Forum account based on the portfolio allocation we discussed and what we learned about your risk tolerance and financial goals. With your new Forum account now in place, you will have the opportunity to access your Forum Client Portal for the first time and connect with members of the Forum Client Service team.

Review Goals and Plans When Your Life Changes

You will receive reporting that will clearly show your performance net of all fees and compared to applicable market indexes. Additionally your assets are held at a reputable third-party custodian that furnishes independent monthly reports so you can feel confident about the safe handling of your money.

Ready to Connect With a Forum Advisor?