Meet Richard M. Spencer of Signature Resources Insurance and Financial Services in Pasadena

Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard M. Spencer.

Richard, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m originally from Moreno Valley, CA. I grew up in a single-parent household where my two older brothers were the only examples of a father figure I had. My “Dad” had a completely different family and wasn’t in my life consistently. This left my Mom to work tirelessly to provide and for my older sister to step up at times to relieve her pressure of being a single parent. At a young age, I fell in love with the game of football which led to me being the first person in my family to receive Division 1 Scholarships. Many of which wouldn’t have been possible without the help and direction of my High School Coach Pete Duffy. He showed me what was possible if I truly believed in myself and reinforced that belief with hard work.

Unfortunately, that alone wouldn’t prepare me for what was to come. My sophomore year at the University of Texas at El Paso. I was in the middle of fall camp when I got a phone call from my mother informing me that she had lost our home. The bank foreclosed on the property as they did on millions of others during the recession that started in early 2008. This changed the dynamic of my family forever and sent me on a search for answers to Why/How things like this happen.

So unlike many of my teammates who chose less challenging majors while they were chasing their dream of playing in the NFL, I decided to get my degree in Finance. I needed to better understand the economy and the markets. So that once I got drafted, I could make sound financial decisions with my money that would propel my family to a state of financial freedom. My Senior year, I was one of the Top Safeties in the nation and having one the best seasons of my college career before I tore my ACL. Luckily the NCAA allowed me to use my redshirt and come back the following season. I got a shot at both the NFL and CFL but my knee and style of play was never the same.

After coming home, I worked two different jobs before landing the opportunity in 2016 to become a financial advisor. Since then, I have acquired my series 6, 63, 7 along with my life and health. Which allows me to bring any investment or insurance to the table for my clients. My ambition and drive which I’ve carried over from football has allowed me to become one of the Top Advisors in the Nation.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road hasn’t been smooth. I remember getting an offer from Waddell & Reed a financial firm in Riverside. The next week I quit my job at Enterprise RAC because I knew I would need time to study for my investment license and that wouldn’t be possible working 60 hrs/week for them. But I still needed to make money to pay bills so I took a minimum wage position at LA fitness. After two months of studying for my license, that same firm withdrew their offer. My ACL surgery which was supposed to be covered by my University, was mistakenly put on my credit leaving me with 25k of debt. It took me countless days to get that cleared up but it didn’t matter they had made their decision and it was final.

I was now stuck working at LA Fitness but I chose to make the best out the situation and ended up getting promoted to Director and was running my own gym in just a few months. But even though I was having success I knew that being a gym director wasn’t my calling and that God had shut one door in my life so that he could open another. That faith leads to me getting a call from an old friend that worked at a firm in Orange County. This firm gave me an offer and this time it stuck. I finally landed my opportunity to become a Financial Advisor.

Signature Resources Insurance and Financial Services – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a Financial Advisor and I specialize in Retirement, Estate and Business Planning. I truly believe that knowledge is the key to a successful financial future. My background, experience and commitment to providing my clients with the resources they need to make financial decisions help make sure their financial future is as successful as they need it to be. I pride myself in getting to know each client so that I can understand their individual needs and what matters most to them. This is what sets me apart because I can recommend products and strategies designed to meet my client’s current and future needs.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment was when I was named one of the Top Advisors at my prior firm, Northwestern Mutual. I truly believe that your gift will always make room for you and the more valuable that you make yourself the more successful you will be in life. So much so that when you have undeniable belief in your dream and in your vision, it will begin to attract its own resources. I give all the glory to God because without him none of this would of been possible.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1199 E Walnut st
  Los Angeles, CA 91106
• Website: https://advisors.massmutual.com/richard-m-spencer
• Phone: 9519020186
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: Rich.Convo

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