Two years ago, Joseph Handzlik was reviewing his investment portfolio and didn’t like what he saw. The economy was attempting to recover from its lowest point since the Great Depression, and the Chalfont man’s portfolio was struggling as well. After discussing his concerns with his parents, Handzlik was surprised to learn that their portfolio continued to perform very well.
The difference? Handzlik believes it was, and is, his parents’ financial advisor for nearly 15 years: Rosemary G. Caligiuri, president and founder of Harvest Group Financial Services in Langhorne.
“We decided to switch to Rosemary, and it’s the best decision my wife and I made for our financial future,” Handzlik says. “Last year, I retired after 35 years as a teacher in the Bensalem School District. She developed a financial plan for us that increased our portfolio while minimizing risk in the process.
“I rolled over the money I contributed to my pension plan and to an IRA and put it all in Rosemary’s hands. Now our money is slowly but surely multiplying. I’m so glad I did what my parents did and went with Rosemary’s company. I’m sorry I didn’t do it sooner.”
This is but one of many success stories authored by Harvest Group. “We have a unique, warm and comprehensive relationship with our clients,” Caligiuri says, “which creates ‘legacy clients’; we’ve worked with second and third generations of families. Many clients in their 40s and 50s come to us because of the results we obtained for their parents.”
Founded by Caligiuri in 1994, Harvest Group’s goal is to educate its clients and de-mystify the plethora of confusing and misleading information that often surrounds financial products and concepts. Its mission is to create sound, individually tailored financial plans with integrity, knowledge and passion. Caligiuri’s passion is evident as she describes her role in her clients’ lives. Caligiuri believes “there is no better reward than having an impact on my clients’ financial success, which directly impacts their quality of life. We just happen to be called a financial services firm; our real value is personal planning and delivering an exceptional experience to every life we touch.”
Caligiuri cites four principles she believes set Harvest Group apart from other financial companies: a fierce commitment to fiduciary responsibility; challenging the status quo; a commitment to education; and service and loyalty to clients.
“We adhere to a strict fiduciary standard, which means we act in good faith, in a manner we believe to be in the best interest of the client,” Caligiuri says. “When it comes to personal financial planning, we challenge the status quo. Unlike some financial planners, who take a money-first approach to determine a plan, our focus is on the client first, and then putting their money to work for them.
“We also keep abreast of economic changes as well as new taxation and estate-planning laws. These changes affect the way we approach a client’s portfolio. We also have a commitment to ensure every one of our clients’ needs is met from complex IRA or 401(k) rollovers, to working hand in hand with their legal and tax counsel, to something as simple as a change of address form.”
A typical Harvest Group client is within 10 years of, or just entering, retirement who has questions about what to do to best prepare for retirement or how to handle the rollover of a savings plan. Caligiuri identifies such clients as being in the “red zone of retirement.”
“This also includes people who have what we call ‘early nest eggs,’” Caligiuri says. “Divorce settlements, inheritances and gifts are all examples of this type of lump sum that may suddenly become available.
“When these things happen, the decisions that are made are critical to the person’s future financial security. Many times there is no room for error. That is where our experience lies.”
One member of Caligiuri’s team, Loretta Hutchinson, is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA). Hutchinson specializes in working with separated, divorcing or newly divorced individuals and couples. “Divorce is a pivotal time, both personally and financially. I educate them about their financial options and the effect decisions have on their future, which enables clients to make more confident and informed decisions.”
One of Loretta Hutchinson’s clients, Mary Jane Martin, came to her in the midst of her divorce. Martin says, “While going through a divorce, I found the complexity of managing all the financial aspects of life overwhelming. I had choices and decisions that needed to be made, yet lacked the expertise to make them alone. Therefore, I sought out a financial planner who specialized in helping women take charge of their financial lives in a supportive, consultative, low-pressure environment. Thankfully, I found Loretta Hutchinson with Harvest Group. She was not only competent, knowledgeable and experienced, but she was everything I needed at the time—patient, understanding, empathetic and trustworthy.”
“With Loretta’s guidance, I have realized my dream of operating my own business. At The Cognitive Enhancement Center of Bucks County, I use brain-based interventions to help struggling students find the pathway to independent learning. I couldn’t be happier or feel more secure.”
Not bound to a particular investment or insurance company, the Harvest Group is an independent network of financial professionals working for their clients. But their work does not stop after a financial plan is created. Caligiuri says, “Once a strategy is put into place, we continually monitor its performance and truly service our clients for the rest of their lives. And our service is tops—bar none.”
Lewis and Marjorie Stetz of Levittown can vouch for that. He was retired from General Electric and she from Lockheed Martin when they came to Harvest Group in 2003. Harvest Group safeguarded their nest egg during a down time in the stock market. Lewis Stetz says, “Rosemary has pointed out a lot of things we weren’t aware of; we could have made silly mistakes that would have created problems for us. But we avoided those by taking her advice. She treated us like family.”
Marjorie Stetz was extremely impressed by Caligiuri’s financial planning knowledge. But what most impressed her was how she was treated.
“Rosemary is the friendliest person,” she says. “She has such a nice approach, a sincere approach, never high pressure. We did our research and found her to be a person of integrity, not just a lot of fluff like some others. And because she was a nurse, she understands the process of aging and how our outlook may change as we get older.”
“I’m a national educator in the field of financial planning, but I’m also an ordinary, down-to-earth member of the Bucks County community,” Caligiuri says. “I treat my clients as if they were my own family. I can analyze their portfolio, look at their tax situation, create a comprehensive plan and still treat them with a personal, easy style. It’s not just a good way to do business; it’s who I am.”
Harvest Group Financial Services
1707 Langhorne-Newtown Road, Suite 1
Langhorne, PA 19047
Phone: 215-860-6056
Website: www.harvestgroupfinancialservices.com
Registered representative offering securities and advisory services through Centaurus Financial Inc., a registered investment advisor. Information relating to securities is intended for use by individuals residing in AL, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, IL, LA, MA, MI, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, Member FINRA and SIPC, Supervisory Branch: 3902 State Street, Suite 101, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, 1-888-569-1982. Harvest Group Financial Services and Centaurus Financial are not affiliated.
