Financial expert's book shows the way

Using his experiences remodeling his Evans home, financial adviser Jeff Fehrman has written a book offering readers a blueprint to their finances.

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Opportunity: Your Blueprint for Financial Success uses a home-improvement analogy to simplify financial planning.

"My first project as a homeowner was remodeling the bathroom. I did everything myself," Fehrman said. "Another project was putting an entire bathroom in the house. Some of it I did myself, but some I subcontracted. I recognized it was too big a project with too much to lose."

Like a home, a good financial plan starts with a solid foundation. As it continues to grow, though, it might overwhelm some people.

"It's very similar to the process of building I went through," Fehrman said. "You kind of progress to the point where you say, 'I really want an expert on my side here.' "

As a 15-year private financial adviser, including 13 years at SunTrust Investment Services, Fehrman provides his expertise in a concise book that reads almost like a workbook.

"Most financial books are written by authors, not financial advisers," he said. "The fact that we work daily with clients gives us a different perspective. We're going beyond the basics of investing."

Fehrman compared the need for his book to the need for a leader of a sports team.

"Everybody needs a good coach on their team," he said. "We think you need a good financial coach on your team. This book helps you choose those folks, showing what are the right things to look for."

The book moves beyond finance basics to guide readers through more intricate investment strategies -- retirement planning, charitable giving, college funding and so on.

"It's kind of holistic approach -- what the life goals are and translating that into a financial plan," he said. "It looks at what are the right planning tools and methodologies."

Copies of his book are available through his Web site, www.jefffehrman.com. Fehrman will sign copies of Opportunity: Your Blueprint for Financial Success 1-3 p.m. Saturday at Borders bookstore, 257 Robert. C. Daniel Jr. Parkway, in Augusta Exchange shopping center.