Financial Literacy

Continuing A Family Legacy

Embracing financial education that empowers

Sometimes, from the ashes of tragedy enlightenment can ensue.

B. Miles Harris, CFP®, president of Harris Financial Group is all about empowerment through financial education. He was effectively born into a financial services business; his father Terry founded the Dallas-based firm and Miles joined right after graduating Texas Tech.

“My father and I basically were hip-to-hip,” Harris told Advisors Magazine in a recent interview. “Where he went, I went. But unfortunately, about a year or so after working in the business, he and I were in a private airplane crash.”

Both suffered third-degree burns. After a week in the hospital, Miles’ father succumbed to his injuries and passed away. Miles recovered, but had other challenges to face.

“From a business standpoint, you can imagine the subsequent turmoil,” Harris recalled. “I was fairly fresh out of college and didn’t know what the heck I was doing. I was thrown into this position, and fortunately I found I had learned enough to continue the business — and also became committed to learning even more.”

No wonder the firm’s core value is education, which Harris describes as his passion. “I love educating people and seeing them build their confidence,” he said. “And once they have that ability to make sound decisions, we work with them on an individual basis — aligning their goals to their finances.”

Harris Financial Group is a small boutique firm that employs a handful of professionals. Miles’ father instilled in him the importance of servicing clients. The mission was always to deliver financial services in a manner that was unmatched.

“That’s what was meaningful to him, to me, and now the team,” Harris said.

The firm does not insist on a minimum, nor do its clients skew toward a certain niche profile. Harris refuses to put clients in a silo.
harris quoteHarris suggested that being service-centric has prepared the firm well for the major tech trend today of online trading platforms and mobile investing apps.

“I think how the firm has evolved has married very well with how the industry continues to evolve,” he said. “Today, it’s all about technology and self-service — taking care of yourself and using robo-advisors, which I think are great,” he continued. “It absolutely empowers people. And at the same time there are still a lot of folks out there who want the hand-holding, and to have their confidence reinforced that they are making sound decisions.”

While Harris is a fan of such self-serve tools, he does wave a cautionary flag. “It’s amazing how a person’s life can change in just a three-month period or shorter,” he said. “I think using these tools is great, but it’s not as easy as putting your finances on cruise control,” Harris continued.

“It all depends on where folks are in life,” he noted. “For someone within five or ten years of retirement, it could be a complete disaster; they might not be able to retire.” But for individuals with a longer retirement horizon, Harris maintains that such platforms and robo-advisors can serve them just fine.

For more information about Harris Financial Group, visit: harrisfg.com

Miles Harris is a registered representative of and offers securities, investment advisory services, and financial planning through MML Investors Services, LLC. Member SIPC. SPIC.org 13455 Noel Rd. 20th Floor Dallas, TX 75240 972-246-1800 Harris Financial Group is not a subsidiary or affiliate of MML Investors Services, LLC or its affiliated companies. CRN202211-274321

 

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