Delivering Peace of Mind Through Financial Literacy

Amer Geries, a first generation Egyptian American, attended the University of Maryland and studied law. He was on his way to a career in criminal law when he received a call from Northwestern Mutual. At that time, Amer had no interest in the insurance industry; however, after speaking with a recruiter and learning more about the financial sector, his interest grew. Amer initially sat on the opportunity for months, but something changed for him when he spoke with his parents about their own plans.

Our families, and our desire to make sure they’re comfortable, often influence the pivotal decisions we make for ourselves. In Amer’s case, he asked his parents what their retirement plans were, and to his surprise, they didn’t have any. Amer believes it was at that moment he received his calling to “deliver peace of mind.” 

“I couldn’t imagine my parents not being able to live comfortably as they grew older. Especially considering the many sacrifices they made for our family,” said Amer Geries, Magnet Financial Professional at Greenberg, Wexler & Eig.

After accepting a position with Northwestern Mutual, Amer quickly climbed the ranks. At the same time, he always kept his goals in mind and wanted to achieve new levels of success. With a passion for estate planning and a strong desire to work with professional athletes, he decided a career change was needed in order to get in front of the high-net-worth community.

“Someone reached out to me on LinkedIn about the Magnet Program and told me that M and its Member Firms specialize in the high-net-worth market. Northwestern Mutual offered me a good start, but Magnet offered me what I needed to grow,” said Amer.

Passion and Purpose

Amer further developed his passion for estate planning when he joined the Magnet Program.

“Those who need estate planning work are those high-net-worth clients. I’m not providing cookie cutter solutions; I’m providing sophisticated planning. I’m helping my clients pass on generational wealth to their families. Passing on wealth is a blessing that I too aspire to be able to do.”

Aside from educating his family, Amer has also continued to cultivate his passion for sports and working with high-net-worth athletes.

“I’m a unique fit for my firm. We are developing a marketing plan to specialize in the athlete space. I can truly say it’s a lot of fun. I get to meet people I’ve looked up to, and now I’m doing some of their most important planning.”

Many professional athletes reach the end of their careers before they know it. Oftentimes they have not been educated around the topic of financial literacy.

Other professionals that excel at their craft – doctors and attorneys, for example—generally have a significantly longer time frame to save toward retirement and plan their long-term investments. They make a significant amount of money in most situations, but generally, they have a longer time to recover and deal with some of the obstacles they may face early on in their careers. Men and women who play professional sports don’t always have this luxury.

Professional Development 

Amer views himself as a vital resource to those around him. He was able to take his passion for his family and sports and turn it into a fruitful career that continues to grow.

When it comes to our careers, sometimes taking a chance and listening to that compelling voice that tells us when something might be a great fit is so important.

Magnet provides financial professionals with access to the tools they need to be successful.

Amer said, “Do you want to be in business for yourself, but not by yourself? Magnet offers the opportunity to start your own practice with all the support and tools you need without you having to make the big upfront investment. Magnet provides a huge opportunity to move upmarket fast.”