On January 2nd, 2026, I, and Financial Concepts Unlimited, LLC (FCU) celebrated our 36th year of doing business, and I want to thank you for helping us get to this point.
It’s been a long road, and there’s been a lot of ups and downs. From nearly going broke 33 years ago until now, I owe so much, not only of my business, but of the quality of my life, to my clients and those I deal with so often (along with Wendy, my very supportive wife).
Back in the mid 90’s, I made the decision to work on a fee only basis. It was a huge shift in how I conducted business, and it transformed everything I do to this day. Selling products to people who trusted me with their life savings didn’t feel right. I wanted a more consultative approach, where the only thing I sold was a relationship between the client and myself. What a difference that approach made, and although it took a lot longer to build a solid business foundation, that foundation solidified as time went on.
In 1998, I made a business decision that would guide me and make a profound difference for FCU and myself, right up until this day and hopefully many days beyond. I decided to become “Me”. I stopped trying to figure out how best to impress someone. I stopped trying to understand what someone wanted in a Financial Advisor, and spent that time instead, figuring out who I wanted to be as a Financial Advisor. I spent so much time conducting my practice, and so much time communicating with clients, it became a large portion of my life. And as we all know… we’re only given one chance to live one life. I didn’t want to be living my life in an attempt to live up to someone else’s standards.
So I became “Me”. No more suits. No more ultra serious demeanor. I figured if I could just be totally myself, at all times, I may not get every single client I wanted, but the clients I did get would become my clients not for any other reason than because they wanted to do business with the person that I was, and because they trusted my expertise. No more keeping up a false facade’ for the sake of pleasing someone. It was time to be genuine. Only one life, and while my business was extremely important to me, I was determined to make it a quality part of my life, and not something that drained me day in and day out. Plus, it was a better, and more genuine way of doing business.
I am very fortunate. Those two decisions, to because a “Fee Only Planner” and to become a “Me only planner”, have led to a lifetime of wonderful, high quality and fulfilling relationships. I am absolutely blessed to have clients going back all the way to when I made those fateful decisions, and even before that. I’ve been to many funerals, and I’ve been along for the ride of seeing little children growing into parents themselves, who are now also clients. My daughter is currently 28 years old. I can remember one day 28 years ago when things got a little crazy, and there I was with my daughter in a car seat next to me, while I sat at Magii and Bob’s kitchen table. They’re still clients to this day. Or Bob and Betty, who came to my office around 2000 because the New Haven Register was interviewing me and they wanted to take a photograph of me sitting with some clients. I look at that article now, along with the accompanying photograph, and both Bob and Betty were about the same age back then that I am now. They’re both still clients. Or Marie and Frank, in Arizona. Marie considers herself my Arizona mom, and if I go to Arizona without staying a night with them, I’m pretty sure she’d try to punish me in some way. They’ve been clients over 2 decades.
Decades of great relationships. I am so very fortunate. You, my clients, have made a huge difference in the quality of my life. I get to go into my office daily, and talk with people I absolutely enjoy talking with. Not just about business, although that’s the foundation, but about everything. Because if you care enough about someone personally, you’re going to do the best job you can for them in business too. What a way to live. I don’t know if I’m lucky. But I certainly am fortunate.
So I want to thank you. You’ve helped make me what I am today, and I appreciate you. Obviously I couldn’t have done it without you, but you’ve also helped level up the quality of my entire life. And if you’re reading this and not a client, you’re probably someone I’ve enjoyed talking with regarding financial planning or investing, or have offered guidance to. You too have positively affected the quality of my life.
Thank you all. Here’s to another year of great relationships.
David S. Chorney, AAMS
Financial Concepts Unlimited, LLC