A humane approach to planning and advice
Much is written nowadays about income inequality in America. “The average net worth per capita among white Americans is roughly $437,000 per person, whereas this value is $105,000 among Black people and $53,000 among Hispanic people,” according to USAFacts.org.
Humanity Wealth Advisors, based in Newark, California, was founded and fronted by Harry Sherdil. And he’s on a mission to put a dent in such statistics.
Sherdil grew up in India, and at a very tender age saw Mother Teresa’s unconditional commitment to serving those less fortunate. He also became greatly influenced by the civil rights dedication of Mahatma Gandhi. And after nearly 35 years living in the United States, Sherdil will tell you that Barrack Obama is a source of inspiration and motivation.
“He (President Obama) changed my thinking to think ‘big hope,’” Sherdil told Advisors Magazine in a recent interview. “That’s what I’m hoping for; that maybe one day my small company can become a platform for thousands to break into my industry and do it the right way and earn a decent living.”
As such, Sherdil is a big supporter of engaging those from underserved communities to join the industry.
“One of the biggest challenges facing the financial services profession is a profound lack of racial diversity,” noted The American College of Financial Services in a recent report. “Some 13.4% of the U.S. population is African American, yet only 5% of financial advisors are Black.”
Women and other minorities are also under-represented. “Our industry is a growth industry, but our head count for financial advisors is shrinking,” Sherdil said. “There are many opportunities for others and for greater diversity.”
Sherdil’s career started in regional banking, and he then spent 10 years at one of the largest bank brokerages in the country. But there came a time when Sherdil realized his values no longer were in sync with the value of the corporation.
He set out on a path toward an independent practice and launched Humanity Wealth Advisors in May of 2021. “Through our RIA, We’re currently using LPL Financial as the custodian, and we recently signed an agreement with Schwab, so now we are multi-custodian shop,” he said. “Our practice is essentially an advisory- and a planning-based practice.”
After working at a big financial institution, Sherdil realized that the people who really need the help of a financial professional were terribly underserved or not served at all. And that grated on him.
“To give you an example, at one major institution we were not allowed to take any household that had less than $250,000 with us,” he recalled. “And in 20-plus years in my industry, what I realized is a big chunk of the American populace does not, unfortunately, have $250,000 of investible assets available.”
With so many people still struggling financially, Sherdil believes that it comes down to providing information in a straightforward manner: basic knowledge about investing, basic knowledge about retirement, basic knowledge about life insurance planning, and basic knowledge about estate planning and wealth management.
“To succeed consistently you have to be successful in being consistent,” Sherdil likes to say. He emphasizes that financial wellness, just like physical and mental wellness, requires discipline to build good habits consistently over time.
“My goal is not only to impart financial education but also to help build sound financial habits such as budgeting, saving, investing, contributing to retirement plans, taking steps towards home ownership, and more,” he added.
With this in mind, Sherdil developed a way where he can provide real value to those who are underserved or neglected entirely.
“My answer to this is subscription financial planning,” Sherdil explained. “Hourly advice, which a lot of the big financial institutions don’t offer. America is getting comfortable with subscription services. We have subscriptions to Netflix, HBO, so why not a subscription for financial planning?”
Because the practice is subscription-based, there is no firm minimum investment required. “In my new world, I don’t care how much money you have,” Sherdil said. “I want to help people just starting out. If you have little to almost no money, but you have the intent of building a financial plan, you have the intent of working towards financial wellness, then you can simply subscribe.”
At Humanity Wealth Advisors, monthly subscription fees for financial planning can vary based on complexity and periods of time. Typically, however, they start as low as $50 per month and can be as high as $500 per month.
“The beauty is you drive the subscription,” Sherdil explained the appeal to customers. “You pay $50 a month—that gets you two hours of financial advice per year.”
That time can be broken down into 15-minute sessions, half-hour sessions, one hour, or it all can be taken at the outset.
“I believe two hours is just fine,” Sherdil said. “You can at least get a roadmap of who you are, where you think you want to go, and what it would take to get you there.”
He emphasized that he is determined to change the belief that most financial advisors are just salespeople. “I want to break that perception and reach out to Mr. and Mrs. or Ms. America to simply get the conversation started,” Sherdil said. “I am here to start at the ground floor. I will share with you what a basic financial plan looks like. I’m going to help you with simple exercises around budgeting flow. I’ll help you evaluate any retirement plan available at your current employer.”
Sherdil added: “People need to know saving is not a choice. Investing is not a choice, it’s a necessity. Financial planning is not a choice.”
He wants to be a strong advocate for financial literacy—and getting the youth of America excited about all things financial.
Sherdil maintains that he can do that for all like-minded people—while offering his flexible subscription-model services at a reasonable price point. He genuinely believes this is his best way to use his talent and expertise to help others. And subscribers also get a wealth of data, insight, updates and other value-added content on the Humanity Wealth website.
“If you don’t plan your finances, your whole life – including your health – is going to suffer,” he summarized.
And after being inspired by the likes of Mother Teresa and Gandhi, Sherdil just can’t bear to see people suffer.
For more information, visit: humanitywealth.com