Commonwealth Independent Advisor

Kristen Terpstra

Kristen Terpstra is a senior practice management consultant at Commonwealth Financial Network®, member FINRA/SIPC, the nation's largest privately held Registered Investment Adviser-independent broker/dealer. With the firm since 2005, she consults with advisors on business issues, including human resources, marketing, succession and continuity planning, operational efficiency, and business planning. Kristen graduated from Connecticut College with a BA in English and completed her master's degree in communication management at Emerson College.

Information about securities-registered professionals may be found at FINRA BROKERCHECK.

Recent Posts

Happy Veterans Day: A Celebration of Service

Does Your Personal Brand Convey What You Think It Does?

What Makes a Best Place to Work? The Winners Weigh In

Recruit the Right Advisor for Your Firm in 5 Steps

5 Strategies to Maximize Employee Engagement—and Retention

Happy Veterans Day: A Celebration of Service

Posted by Kristen Terpstra

November 11, 2020 at 11:00 AM

Veterans Day is a time to honor the service of U.S. military veterans. For many, this means giving thanks to a friend, family member, or coworker. And, just like you, we have many in our Commonwealth community who have proudly served our country.

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Topics: Practice Management

Does Your Personal Brand Convey What You Think It Does?

Posted by Kristen Terpstra

September 23, 2020 at 11:00 AM

Your firm’s “brand” is about more than the message or tone conveyed by its website or logo. It’s also about you. You’re likely one of the first people to touch base with clients or prospects, and how you come across influences the connection people feel for you and the firm. In short, you’re a keeper of the practice’s brand, a teller of its story.

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Topics: Practice Management

What Makes a Best Place to Work? The Winners Weigh In

Posted by Kristen Terpstra

November 5, 2019 at 10:00 AM

Leadership. Training and development. Pay and benefits. Corporate communications. Overall engagement. What do these five areas have in common? They make up a big part of creating a best place to work, at least according to InvestmentNews.

To compile its second annual Best Places to Work for Financial Advisers list, InvestmentNews surveyed advisors’ employees on a series of 78 statements, grouped into the five categories noted above. On average, those ranked “the best” scored 13 percent higher on these statements than other respondents.

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Topics: Practice Management

Recruit the Right Advisor for Your Firm in 5 Steps

Posted by Kristen Terpstra

June 18, 2019 at 10:00 AM

Hiring an advisor is similar to acquiring a client: both require you to identify, attract, qualify, interview, close, and assimilate him or her into the practice. While you likely have an ideal client profile that lays out traits (e.g., occupation, net worth, personality) of individuals you most want to work with, I bet you don’t have the same document for an advisor joining your firm. If you’re planning to expand, here’s how to create one and use it to recruit the right advisor for your firm.

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Topics: Practice Management

5 Strategies to Maximize Employee Engagement—and Retention

Posted by Kristen Terpstra

September 26, 2018 at 1:30 PM

With unemployment rates at historic lows, competition is fierce in the marketplace, and employers are at a risk of losing candidates—or even key employees—to competitors offering additional perks and benefits. So, it’s more important than ever for business owners to understand how they can maximize employee engagement and, therefore, retention. The good news is there are a number of small enhancements you can make—ranging from communication to professional development—that can help keep your employees happy in their roles. 

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Topics: Practice Management

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