So Just Who is "Eddie Patel?"
My name is Eddie Patel, and I'm the founder and President of Eddie Patel, Inc. I'm a financial planner and accountant who is both independent & self-employed. In addition to finance, I will often write about and enjoy a good game of chess, a high stakes hand of poker, and screaming at the Chicago Bears. I currently live in the awesome South Loop of Chicago and my professional practice office is located in Orland Park, Illinois.
After completing a bachelor's of Finance from the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana), I began work as a civil engineer. Even though I liked the work, I knew it wasn't ultimately what I wanted to be. I stumbled on an exciting opportunity to transition into real estate development on a short visit to Wisconsin -- this was of course during the boom years. In my free time, I'd also developed an interest in stock market daytrading.
At that point, I was starting to feel in control of my destiny and decided it was time to use my finance major from college, my general love of number crunching, making spreadsheets, and talking to people one-on-one, to begin offering financial services to friends and family. They thankfully responded with enthusiasm and signed up to be my very first clients.
I've since turned my interest in financial services into a career. I help people to manage their money more effectively and to realize their financial goals through opportunities and services they might not have considered prior. There is an abundant amount of financial information both on the web and in print these days, but much of it is biased and in many cases completely outdated or woefully inapplicable to the consumer of that information. I have made it abig part of my job to clarify the inconsistencies by which people make financial decisions and offer them meaningful, effective strategies to act upon those revelations.
My services include: Portfolio Management, Investment Advice, Life Insurance Consultation, Real Estate Sales/Buying Assistance, Tax Preparation, Accounting for Small Business, and Payroll Assistance. Because I'm an indepedent advisor, and hold numerous professional licenses, I'm able to really listen to a client and to then offer the appropriate services based on their goals, needs, and preferences--not based on the interests of a corporate boss or system bias.
I have been heard on WIND 560 AM radio, as the host of my own talk show called, "The Safe Money & Retirement Show" and later called "Wealth Watchers". I have done volunteer work with Chicago Cares and I'm a member of several professional associations including the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), the National Association of Realtors (NAR), and the Financial Planning Association (FPA).
For fun, you'll find me traveling, talking politics, trying any restaurant you tell me to, arguing that pomeranians are man's best friend, telling war stories about poker while training newbie poker players, and watching Chicago sports teams.
I hope you'll find my blog useful in your financial pursuits, leave comments, and email me with questions or topics you'd like to learn more about: egp@eddiepatel.com. Thanks for reading!
Licenses
I hold the following licenses & credentials:
Series 6.5 (Registered Investment Adviser Licensure Examination)
Life/Health Insurance (Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona & Florida)
Educational Credentials
I have received the following educational credentials:
University of Illinois (1998-2002)
Bachelor's in Finance, Jun 2004
Institute of Business and Finance (2007-2008)
Certified Annuity Specialist Accreditation (CAS), May 2008
Depaul University (2009-2010)
Certificate in Financial Planning, Nov 2010
CFP Board of Standards (2011)
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) Designation Honor, June 2011