The Investor Group at TheBANK
Sparking Discussion in Local Communities

When the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was signed into law, Brad Sharpe, Vice President of Investments with The Investor Group at TheBANK, printed out every page of the massive legislation.

"I thought it might come in handy to have a copy of it," said Sharpe.

It did.

For months, Sharpe lugged the hefty document to question-and-answer sessions with community groups, where inevitably he'd field question after question regarding the state of the economy from locals who wondered what they should and shouldn't do as an investor.

"It was a good resource to have when the questions started," he said.

Sharpe and others at The Investor Group and TheBANK of Edwardsville, meanwhile, have become good resources for local groups that want to spark discussions with their members on anything from finances to tips and trends in the ever-changing world of technology.

"I do four or five - and sometimes more - of them a year," Sharpe said of the group sessions. "For me, it's a chance to get out in the community and let people know about The Investor Group at TheBANK while at the same time, hopefully, giving the groups some thought-provoking information to discuss. Obviously, there's been plenty of fodder for discussion in the financial world the past few years, and we've received a lot of positive feedback from the talks."

In his latest session on Nov. 16, Sharpe went over the topic of referrals with nearly 40 members of the Alton Growth Association at a luncheon at Julia's Banquet Center in East Alton. He went over the process of both getting and giving referrals while also delving into the role of social media in today's business world.

Like all of his sessions, the discussion with the Alton Growth Association was apolitical and informal in nature. Also like always, Sharpe steered clear of giving any financial recommendations.

"I don't tell people what to do and I don't make predictions. I let people know what the general consensus is, then let them form their own opinions on whatever subject we're discussing," he said.

"A lot of times I get the questions: 'What do you recommend and what do you invest in?' But I have a standard answer for that. I tell them that if they attend an event and hear a speaker making a financial recommendation, they should put their hand on their purse or wallet and walk out of the room as quickly as possible. That's because what we do has to be very specific to each individual's needs. What makes sense for me won't necessarily make sense for someone else. There are no one-size-fits-all ideas or plans in our business, and people need to be careful when people make those generalized recommendations."

He said it's the same when you visit The Investor Group at TheBANK.

"If you come in and sit down with one of our investment specialists, they'll never make a recommendation before getting to know you and getting the background on your situation. Knee-jerk reactions are almost always wrong," he said. "We have to know what a client wants, what their threshold of risk is or isn't, and most importantly, what they want long term. That's the business that we're in. We're in it for the long haul."

To inquire about having a member of The Investor Group speak with your group, please call 618-659-6242.

Brad Sharpe, Vice President of Investments with The Investor Group at TheBANK, speaks to a group of members of the Alton Growth Association on Nov. 16 at Julia's Banquet Center in East Alton.