By Christie Vogt

Contributing Writer 

When work travel became too much for Mark Freeman and his family, he decided it was time to make his hobby his new career. “My mom was a CPA, and she got me into investing right out of college,” he explains. “From my 20s on, I was spending up to two hours a day on Yahoo Finance.” That passion paid off with Freeman finding the perfect professional fit as a financial advisor with Edward Jones. “It’s a job I love doing,” he says.

Prior to his career in finance, Freeman worked as a mechanical engineer and later as a software sales representative. “When I was in sales, I was encouraged to move on quickly after making a sale, and I didn’t enjoy that because I wanted to develop relationships with clients,” he says. “As a financial advisor, this job requires you to understand people and really develop a connection with them so you can provide individualized advice.”

Freeman says that when it comes to personal finance, “a lot of people struggle with trying to figure out how to achieve everything.” They might already be putting away some money for retirement, for example, but soon additional factors come into play. “They start thinking: ‘How do I pay for college? How do I get a bigger house? And how do these things affect each other?’” Freeman explains. “The problem starts getting more complex, and that’s where I come in and start identifying what’s really important to them and putting a plan together to help them achieve their goals.”

With many local financial advisors to choose from, Freeman says his engineering background makes him unique. “I’m always asking ‘Why?’ and I’m always asking what can go wrong,” he says. “When I was an engineer, I used to create predictive equations based on looking at how things performed in the past. And that's what I'm doing now with people's portfolios.”

Edward Jones as a company also stands out among its competitors, Freeman says. “When I was interviewing with other companies, they spoke more about what was in it for advisors versus clients. Edward Jones, by contrast, spoke more about how its services benefit clients, and that was important to me.” Freeman notes, for example, that he is transparent with clients about anything that will cost money up front, and he might work with someone for years before receiving compensation himself.

Integrity is especially meaningful to Freeman given his community connections. He lives in nearby Holliston and his office is in Hopkinton. “I love the local community,” he says. “I’m also glad to sponsor organizations like the HCA Arts Center and to be a director on the board at Project Just Because.”

Freeman insists on crediting his wife when it comes to his success as an advisor and father. “She is the smartest person I know and has really helped me and our daughters through everything,” he says. “Raising kids is challenging, especially with us both having demanding jobs, but we’ve been able to balance it because of how smart and intuitive she is.”

Money is one of the biggest things people argue about in relationships, Freeman says. “So, my job is to eliminate that.” Whether it’s saving for retirement or buying a first home, Freeman concludes that it all comes down to one thing: “I’m giving them advice to reduce stress in their life.”

For more information, contact Mark Freeman at 508-293-4017 or email [email protected].

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