Declaration of independence

Investment Advisor magazine is hosting the blog of Mike Patton, who is letting us observe his transformation into an independent financial advisor:

In this blog, Mike will chronicle in real time his new professional life as an independent advisor, with all its triumphs and challenges, extending his first-person report that will appear from time to time in Investment Advisor magazine. Mike Patton is the principal of the newly founded Integrity Wealth Management, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he works with high-net-worth clients as their "Personal CFO."

In the three months of the blog's existence, Patton has already examined a number of crucial topics, including fees, financial planning tools, and the four sources of his income. Considering that most independent advisors fly solo or nearly so, the give-and-take in Patton's blog comments will turn out to be a valuable source of insider insights for financial advisors navigating their way when they go independent.

In addition to Patton's blog, Investment Advisor Magazine also hosts three more blogs that we'll examine in future posts.