HAGIT ROTBART, FOUNDER AND CEO of BRIDGE TO PROSPERITY
HAGIT ROTBART
"Business Minded, Personally Focused"
You're a passionate and driven entrepreneur, business owner, or professional. You’re seeking an expert business strategist – someone trusted and with clear business solutions – to take you to the next level.
You’re looking for someone to determine your financial challenges and opportunities, and strategically transform them into prosperity.
Hagit Rotbart says that Bridge to Prosperity was created and designed for this purpose exactly, having you in mind.
“At Bridge to Prosperity, we are business minded, yet personally focused”.
“We develop plans and find strategies that help businesses grow and profit. We keep them on track and support them all the way until their goals are achieved,” she explains.
Hagit and the team at Bridge to Prosperity, provide wealth management strategies and financial and business consulting services that aim to protect and grow your assets faster, as aggressively or conservatively as you see fit. Hagit is able to oversee all facets of business interaction, to help you achieve success. And she does this with easy, clear to understand solutions.
With nearly two decades in the accounting and financial arenas, she has worked closely with many upper management thought-leaders. Armed with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Finance, she continuously hones her skills in the accounting, finance and business worlds.
Bridge to Prosperity’s outlook is unique, in that they employ a holistic, educational and collaborative process, in order for clients to benefit from their extensive skill, knowledge and experience in the business and financial spheres.
“We use a comprehensive financial planning process, putting together the complete puzzle, as opposed to piecemeal services commonly found in the market place”, Hagit adds.
Each client has unique circumstances, and that’s why Hagit and the team at Bridge to Prosperity offer customized business decision making, that may include management support, financial analysis, growth strategies, budgeting, or insurance and investment solutions – all depending on the uniqueness of the client’s situation.
My Business Magazine asked Hagit how she pinpoints business problems… and turns them into vibrant solutions.
MBM: Let’s talk about specialty skill sets.
Hagit: We have over sixty-five years combined experience in the business and financial arenas. We use that to really help in a better, bigger way. We have the capacity, with our extensive financial and accounting background, to understand and appreciate the more complex strategies and know how to implement them. This is something that is more unique to us, and the way we do things.
We are also looking in a very comprehensive way. We don’t just deal with people on the personal level, or on the business side – we combine that and look at both the business and the personal sides, as a whole. I think that’s missing out there, and therefore it makes us stand out in the market place.
We take the time to analyze our clients’ unique circumstances and structure plans, in a holistic and thorough manner, in order to benefit them in the long run.
This may also include planning exit strategies, something that is often being neglected, yet extremely important when creating a long term action plan.
We ask a lot of questions and through this process; we make sure that we truly understand what the client wants to achieve financially, now and in the future, in order to ensure that we get them there.
As people evolve and their circumstances change – it creates a myriad of variables that need to be addressed. Our approach is to remain as flexible as possible, so that when change occurs, we are ready and able to support them.
MBM: Where do you see Bridge to Prosperity standing out?
Hagit: We believe that we offer more, and a different approach.
I think many people might be confused and afraid, because there is a lot of information out there. They are not sure what they should be doing. They have a lot of decisions to make in every stage of their life; personal and business. They’ll see something in the media or get advice from a relative, and think it’s the way to go, without seeking a professional’s help, as often they are not sure who to turn to.
Other times, they might use two or more sources of information, and implement several solutions, without having someone synchronize all the pieces together to ensure a synergistic solution is found and implemented.
The financial world has gotten much more complex over the years. We encourage clients to take advantage of our extensive knowledge in the field, as we are confident that we can enhance their financial position, using proven strategies, while avoiding costly mistakes.
Our assistance is professional and consistent. We don’t just come in, do something, and leave. We stick around. We answer any question. We take a very educational, consultative approach. Our process is focused on building a solid financial future for our clients. Whatever it is that they want to achieve, we want to make sure that we take care of them, and are there for them when necessary for the long run.
It is much more about building a relationship with our clients, rather than a simple transaction. Our goal is that five or ten years later, the client is still benefiting from our approach and solutions.
Our company can assist clients in many aspects, including: ways to improve cash flow, a soundboard for new initiatives, tax efficient strategies, strategic planning for business growth, leveraging options, exit strategies, second opinion services – and so much more.
MBM: When a client comes to you, what might be some typical mistakes they have already made that you have to repair?
Hagit: Entrepreneurs are usually very passionate and excited. They love opportunities, so they often rush into them without even thinking it through – without a plan, without looking at the future. They’re not prepared, and didn’t go through an adequate research and analysis process.
They often don’t look at the big picture. You can implement a strategy to solve a specific issue in isolation, but it might have a negative impact on everything else – the business, the family, the estate.
What we do is help people understand that they need to slow down, think things through, get all the information and the advice that they need in order to make a very informed decision. We, as professionals, ask the hard questions that the client may often try to avoid, something that can and often will, save them thousands of dollars, if not a small fortune.
There are specific steps you have to put in place in order to get to where you want to be. You have to be patient and take the time to prepare a comprehensive plan, which will guide you through the journey. We help you do that.
MBM: How do you keep your finger on whatever is changing in the financial and business world?
Hagit: We make sure to be informed of all new strategies that come out, and strategies that are no longer available, or no longer provide the same tax benefit. Things are always changing in the financial industry. New rules and regulations become the standard, changing the effectiveness of some of the strategies. We are always updating our skills – we believe in constant learning, as this keeps us current and able to better serve our clients.
MBM: Can you give a specific example of how you made a certain decision that much better?
Hagit: Well, we have clients who realized that they need Critical Illness coverage. They were not aware of the way to structure this within their company, instead of using their after tax funds in order to pay for it.
With the strategy that we use, if the client remains healthy, they are entitled to a complete refund of premiums after the designated coverage period has been reached. Therefore, not only they use before tax amounts in order to pay for the coverage and are protected during the interim, but they also benefit from having a tax efficient savings plan as well.
Putting this strategy in place results in some very happy clients, since we are able to help them use their resources in a more cost effective manner.
Another strategy that we like to use is over funding life insurance policies. When personally owned, it allows clients to tax shelter additional investment dollars, once their RRSP’s and TFSA’s have been maximized. Having these investment dollars grow tax free is a strategy that, in our opinion, is underutilized in the market place.
When corporately owned, it is a very effective way to access funds within the company since it immediately enhances the company’s financial position, reduces future tax payable on capital gains, and allows these assets to be transferred to the owner’s estate with minimal or no tax payable implications. A win-win situation.
These are just a couple examples of how we use strategies that are sound, yet less known in the market place, in order to make a difference in our clients’ lives, and help them achieve their goals in the most efficient way possible.
MBM: What is your ultimate goal with clients?
Hagit: All we really want to do is help people prosper, and ensure that they are well protected, and in a better place financially, compared to where they started. We bring results that last for years to come. We want them to be happier, less stressed, and able to take advantage of new and better opportunities.
What we strive for is to make a positive impact in the lives of as many people as we can possibly reach!
Dave Gordon has penned more than a thousand articles, and more than five hundred editorials, on every topic imaginable. He writes regularly on domestic and international politics, current events, culture, relationship issues, and much more.
He has spent time in the newsrooms of the Toronto Sun, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Baltimore Sun, National Post and eye Weekly.
Hagit Rotbart of Bridge to Prosperity
778-776-4334