At Exchange 2025, VettaFi interviewed Financial Advisor Hank Bullinger of Bullinger Wealth Management. Bullinger Wealth Management is based out of the Dallas/Fort Worth area. It has been in business for over 25 years and serves 200 households.
The Bullinger Wealth Management Difference
Bullinger shared, “So much of our advice now, it seems, in the industry, is commoditized.” Increasingly, finding the personal connection is harder and harder. As the world becomes more tilted toward growth and the selling of things, the real connections become harder to establish and maintain. Consequently, Bullinger noted that, when a client passes away, many advisors lack the relationship with the next generation. Nevertheless, having a more personal, less commoditized connection can prevent that.
“What makes us different is that we care, we love our clients, and we really want to establish those long-term relationships,” Bullinger explained.
The Exchange Draw
Bullinger discovered Exchange in 2024, and was immediately drawn to the conference. The wealth of investment and practice management content as well as the ability to network and connect with like-minded professionals have inspired him to return to the event. He sees the few days’ worth of time investment as paying dividends for his practice: “The goal is to get back to the office and implement two or three ideas with our staff and our team and be able to say those two or three days [at Exchange]were really worth it.”
Leaving the office can be hard for some advisors. Emphatically, Exchange makes the time investment worthwhile.
Exchange 2025 Takeaways
During Exchange 2024, thematics were top of mind, according to Bullinger, and that thought leadership was handy for him as he looked for unique solutions for his clients. Accordingly, the 2025 conference also had some unique tilts and addressed market volatility in a helpful way. But Bullinger noted that the conference also gave him an opportunity to “meet his clients where they are.” He shared that even doing this interview gave him a touch point through which he could connect to his clients and demonstrate he was actively working to find solutions and opportunities for them.
“When I look at Exchange, I wish I would have found it sooner,” he said. “I plan on putting this on my calendar every year.”
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