About

About Me

Skip West has worked in the financial field for more than 20 years. He started the West Financial Group in Wildwood, FL, and is now the group's main financial advisor.

Now, your role and duties are:

West is the president, CEO, and top financial advisor for West Financial Group. In 2003, West Financial Group got its start. It's a small, independent financial planning firm that helps retirees and people getting close to retirement plan for their long-term finances. The company helps people plan for their retirement income and taxes, buy life insurance and annuities, and make plans for their legacy and estate. West Financial Group is based at The Villages Retirement Community in Sumter County.

About Your Job and School:

West went to the University of Arkansas and got his Bachelor of Science in engineering in 1972. He has always worked for himself. He found that financial planning is what he loves to do and has been a financial advisor for a long time. He has recently become an expert at helping retired people live the life they've always wanted. He writes books as well.

Workplace Skills and Experience:

Skip West is good at a wide range of financial planning and advice services, such as planning for retirement, budgeting, taxes, leaving a legacy, and planning for your estate. He also helps clients figure out what kind of insurance they need, like life, disability, and long-term care insurance.

A big part of his business plan is to provide great customer service. He works with his clients to make plans for their retirement based on how they want to live. For example, they can choose to travel, help others, work a "retirement job," or just chill out. He also helps retired people or people who are about to retire lower their tax bills during retirement and in what they leave to their heirs.

He works one-on-one with clients and also gives a lot of seminars and teleconferences. Here are a few:

  • avoiding the stock market's risks

  • preventing tax increases on retirement savings

  • how to get over your fear of the unknown and make sure you have a steady income for life.

  • how to spend less time looking for the ball and more time on the green.

  • is debt free retirement possible?

  • retirement strategies for women

  • how to keep from running out of cash.

  • Seminars are often free.

West lives in a retirement community, but he still follows the news and goes to events to learn more. During the pandemic, for example, he looked into the CARES Act and its updates and annuities and told people about them.

Morals and Growing Up:

Skip West was born in Greenville, South Carolina, but he and his family later moved to Arkansas. He went to Monticello for high school. He learned a phrase from his father that has helped him do well all his life. "No matter what, always do more for other people than they do for you," is the mantra. At West Financial, he follows this mantra by being nice to clients and helping them in person. He knows, for example, how hard it is emotionally to figure out what will happen to your estate after you die. He helps his clients get through this hard time by making plans for them.

West also believes that a healthy body and mind are gifts that come with responsibilities. As part of taking care of these responsibilities, he works hard through faith and discipline to keep his mind and body fit and sharp.

Giving to charity and being kind:

He thinks it's important to help the people around you. He really wants to help the people in his community learn more about money. He also thinks that everyone should have a plan for how they will get money when they retire and tries to help them make one. A lot of the seminars he gives are free. He and West Financial Group also offer free resources and consultations to help people plan for retirement. You can find free resources on the West Financial Group website and on his personal Twitter and Facebook pages.

Successes and Goals Met:

Several awards have been given to West and West Financial. One of his clients said that he is "friendly" and "really knows his clients." "He treats me like a special person, takes care of my business, and gives me great advice."

Another couple likes the events he plans because they let them meet other clients who like the same things they do. They also like that he is friendly and takes good care of them. "When you're with Skip, you don't feel at all like a number. He is nice to talk to and makes you feel at ease.

For another client, Skip West is the best "financial guy."

Still, another customer says he really listens to what they want and need. "We thought he was trustworthy and knew what he was doing with each account."

Likes and dislikes:

West does what he tells his clients to do when they retire. He enjoys running and playing golf. He has been married for many years and has both children and grandchildren. His grandchildren live in Pt. St. Lucie, Florida. One of his granddaughters plays golf all the time. For now, Skip and his wife live in The Villages. West is a big fan of The Villages, and he talks about it a lot on his social media.