Paul Ragone has spent nearly three decades helping individuals and families make confident decisions about their financial lives. As founder and president of Integrity Wealth Services in Knoxville, Tennessee, Paul specializes in helping clients navigate the transition into retirement with a clear understanding of where they stand, where they are going, and why their financial plan is designed the way it is.
A Career That Started With a Different View of Money
Paul's path to becoming a financial advisor began in an unlikely place.
In the 1990s, he managed a financial services company that primarily made high-interest loans to people with poor credit. Part of his job involved finding companies that offered "12 months same as cash" financing. In the process, Paul began meeting people on the other end of the financial spectrum—people with excellent credit who understood how to put their money to work for them.
That contrast fascinated him.
It changed the way he thought about money and ultimately changed the direction of his career. In 1997, Paul became a financial advisor, beginning a career that has now spanned nearly 30 years.
Education Before Recommendations
One of the hallmarks of Paul's approach is the amount of time he spends educating clients before asking them to make important financial decisions.
It isn't unusual for Paul to meet with a prospective client four or five times before any paperwork is signed.
That's intentional.
Paul believes people make better financial decisions when they understand what they own, why they own it, how markets work, and how the pieces of their financial lives fit together. That education becomes particularly important during difficult markets, when frightening headlines and short-term emotions can tempt investors to abandon a well-designed long-term plan.
Taking emotion out of financial planning is one of Paul's most important jobs.
Rather than simply telling clients what to do, he wants them to understand the reasoning behind the advice. The goal is to build the knowledge and confidence necessary to stay focused on the plan when markets—and the news surrounding them—become uncomfortable.
Why “Integrity” Is in the Name
The word Integrity wasn't chosen casually.
For Paul, integrity means being able to go home at the end of the day knowing he did the right thing for the people who trusted him with their financial lives. It means giving the same advice when nobody is watching and being willing to tell a client what they need to hear, even when it may not be what they expected to hear.
Paul believes that without integrity, there is no foundation for a lasting advisory relationship.
It's also what allows him to sleep well at night with nothing hanging over his head—knowing that the decisions he made and the advice he gave were made with his clients' best interests at heart.
The Part of the Job That Still Matters Most
After nearly 30 years, Paul says one of the most rewarding moments still happens at the end of an ordinary workday.
It's getting into his car and realizing that a conversation he had that day may have profoundly affected someone's next 20 or 30 years.
Sometimes financial planning involves investments, taxes, Social Security or retirement-income strategies. Other times, what someone really needs is clarity and reassurance.
Paul remembers meeting with a recently widowed woman whose husband had always handled their finances. She arrived at the office carrying a stack of financial statements and documents she didn't understand and understandably worried about what her financial future looked like.
Paul patiently went through the documents with her one by one.
There was no product to sell and no investment recommendation that needed to be made. Her husband had done a good job managing their finances, and Paul simply explained what she had and let her know that financially, she was going to be okay.
At the end of the meeting, she hugged him and tearfully told him how relieved she was that she'd found his name and worked up the courage to make the appointment.
She later became a longtime client.
Those are the moments that remind Paul why, nearly three decades after entering the profession, he still loves what he does.
Knoxville Is Home
Paul earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Tennessee and holds the Accredited Wealth Management Advisor™ (AWMA®) and Accredited Asset Management Specialist™ (AAMS®) designations.
He and his wife, Leigh Ann, live in Farragut, Tennessee, as do their two grown children, Anthony and Maria. Outside the office, Paul enjoys boating, cycling, hiking and spending time with his family in East Tennessee.
After nearly 30 years as a financial advisor, Paul's philosophy remains remarkably simple:
Educate people. Take the emotion out of financial decisions. Do the right thing. And help clients make choices today that can positively affect the rest of their lives.
Paul's ADV 2B-Brochure Supplement