The Partners That Help You Get There

Brian Haney CLTC, CFBS, CFS, CIS, LACP, CAE

They say that money is the #1 stressor in America. I want to change that! I am passionate about seeing people achieve financial freedom. Making the most of your money doesn't come easy! Knowing what to do, how to do it, and wondering if you made the right decision can be challenging. I understand how that feels and want you to know I am fanatical about helping you make the financial decisions you want to make, but may not understand how to make. There’s a lot of information out there, much of it conflicting, so it can be hard to know how to make sense of it. I want to cut through the noise and help you interpret that information so you can apply it properly to your situation. I empower people to live enriched lives and not be held captive by financial stress. I guess you could say I’m in the human transformation business!

How did I get here?

It might surprise you to know that the most important business lessons I learned were taught to me when I was 8 years old working with my father as a paper boy. Delivering newspapers 365 days a year to 72 houses at 5am each day, wasn't exactly every young boy’s dream. Beyond the meager amount of income it provided me, those 11 years were some of the most formative moments of my life. The most significant lesson I learned was when my dad told me, “If you’re going to do anything, do it with excellence.” This has been my mantra ever since.

People always ask me once they find out I studied Journalism in college, “What made you get into the financial services business?” I always laugh and answer, “Well, after seeing the jobs that were available in the journalism market and how little they paid, it seemed like a good idea to expand my horizons & consider other industries!” With my dad already in the Financial industry, he helped me connect to someone who worked in Banking. After a few interviews, I was offered a sales position as a Licensed Banker. Banking seemed exciting & interesting enough at the time, so I embraced the high learning curve. I didn’t know what I was getting into, but was excited to be challenged. Little did I know it was an industry I’ve grown to love and a job that evolved into a career.

What am I all about?

Let's start with the fun stuff:

• My favorite color is green (Kelly green to be specific)
• My favorite band is Reel Big Fish
• A surprising personal fact - I am proud Irish citizen (dual citizenship with the US of course)
• What do I like to do in my free time? Besides spend time with my family, you can find me out golfing or playing lacrosse.

I consider myself a faith-filled fighter that loves people and believes in a life of balance and purpose. Oh, and I am also proud to hold the title of "World's Most Embarrassing Dad!"

Personally, I’m most passionate about two things: faith and family. I don’t live to work, I work to live and to maximize time with my lovely wife and daughter. When it comes to my “job,” I consider myself very fortunate to view it as a calling, not just a profession. I deeply care for all my clients beyond what I do for them professionally. It’s such a blessing to feel like work isn’t “work,” and I’m doubly fortunate to work every day with people I deeply respect. I know that not all family businesses are great, especially when the family dynamic breaks down. We are fortunate that we not only love and care for one another, but we like each other too! Oh, and I like sports a little as well!

What is my biggest accomplishment in life so far?

This one is easy: staying married to the world’s most amazing wife for 17 years! It’s perhaps a bigger accomplishment for her putting up with me for that long (she deserves some kind of humanitarian award)! Our amazing daughter is a close second.

What do I actually do for my clients?

I joke sometimes that I’m a Financial Therapist. So much of finances is emotional, because so much of it deals with relationships and people that we care for. No, I don’t sit people down on a couch and have them spill their guts over bad financial decisions and offer them tissues at $200/hour. My role is simple: I help my clients make the financial decisions that they want to make, but just don’t know how to make.

What do I do? I help people understand, not just to do something, buy some policy, make some investment and hope it works out. In 17 years, I have found one thing to be universally true: we all want to make the right financial choices for ourselves, our businesses, and our families. So, it’s never a lack of desire that prevents us from doing certain things, it is usually a lack of understanding, not just what to do, but how to do, and why to do it. Following a financial plan, properly investing overtime, offering employees benefits that are competitive but don’t bankrupt you, selecting insurance that adequately protects those you care for, none of these are intuitive, nor are they something that is taught in school. There isn’t a simple answer, no manual you’re given, and as good as Google may be, I’ve found that it’s not a lack of information that prevents us from taking action either (in fact, I believe we have too much information, much of it conflicting, which is a barrier in and of itself). I help my clients frame the decision the right way (specific to them, not some generalization about what everyone “should” be doing), understand the variables involved, then assess the landscape of options that may be a fit. We weigh out pros and cons, and ultimately, I help facilitate the option that my clients feel suits them best.

All the rest…

I’ve been active in the industry my entire career & have been fortunate to have received some recognition along the way. I was a SunTrust Bank EdgeMaster Conference Qualifier 2006, the West Financial Group New Agent of the year in 2008, MassMutual Life Insurance Company Rising Leader 2009, 2010, 2011, MassMutual Life Insurance Company Leaders Qualifier 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, MDRT Qualifier every year since 2009, MDRT Court of Table Qualifier since 2014, and a Top of the Table Qualifier since 2015. I’ve been a NAIFA National Quality Award recipient each year since 2013. I was humbled to be named one of NAIFA’s prestigious 4 Under 40 in 2017, as well as their Diversity Champion in 2018 and their YAT Leader of the Year in 2021. I was named to the Washington Business Journal’s 40 under 40 in 2019 and a Washington Business Journal Business of Pride Honoree in 2022. I was recognized as one of NAILBA’s ID 20 award winners and humbled to be recognized by Think Adviser as a 2021 LUMINARY award recipient for Diversity & Inclusion. I was also named the Insurance & Retirement Leader of the Year for North America in 2021 by Finance Monthly Magazine.

My professional designations include:

• Certified Funds Specialist (CFS®)
• Certified Income Specialist (CIS®)
• Certified in Long Term Care (CLTC®)
• Certified Family Business Specialist (CFBS®)
• Life & Annuity Certified Professional (LACP®)
• Certified Association Executive (CAE)

I was formerly a Private Banker & Investment Associate for SunTrust Investment Services, and a Licensed Banker at Wachovia bank where my career began. I live in Silver Spring, Maryland with my wife and daughter. I am a proud 2002 Graduate of Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!).

Schedule with Brian

The Haney Company

308 Southwest Drive

Silver Spring, MD 20901

www.thehaneycompany.com