News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Estate Performance Advisors co-owner Eric Little works on his computer while in his new office in Alpena. Little and his team are financial advisors who specialize in working with seniors and people of all ages.

ALPENA — Making sure your daily finances, retirement benefits, and investments are sound is important, especially in the topsy-turvy economic development we live in today.

To help the people in Northeast Michigan, Estate Performance Advisors (EPA) co-owner Eric Little and his team are available to assist in making sure the proper steps are taken to make sure you have the capital to live the way you want.

Little said his background in Medicaid, Medicare, and finance, as well as the expertise of his staff, can help people create a custom plan based on their specific financial circumstances to help achieve their financial goals. He said his business and experience will lend well for everyone, but especially seniors.

“We try to take a very holistic approach and look at an individual’s needs, goals, and we are really focused on retirees,” Little said. “Of course we’ll take a client of any age, but we specialize in retirees, coming back from my medical insurance background. We’re very sensitive to the security most retirees want, whether that is for their income, or not losing in market losses. We want high performance, but also not take unnecessary risks.”

Today, many people invest in various markets and run tier portfolios themselves using trading platforms like Robinhood, Scottrade, or other online trading companies.

Little said utilizing the above platforms is a good way for people to learn about how markets, stocks, commodities, and cryptocurrencies work, but with the sudden shifts in the market and a continuous wave of news that drives them, it is best to have a professional oversee your investments.

“I like teaching and I don’t have a problem with people doing a little playing on their own and I like them taking ownership and gaining an understanding of why we do what we do,” he said. “But, unless you’re doing it full-time, it is impossible to stay on top of. It is something you have to be immersed in, so for most people, it is better to trust someone with experience and not to invest too much on your own.”

More and more often, it seems there are large swings in the stock market that can have people celebrate significant gains or painful losses. Little said being able to counsel his clients and try to ease their concerns when markets struggle is important and to temper their excitement when profits are booming.

“We are relationship-based and the better we know our clients, the better we can handle situations,” he said. “When we see these big shifts in the markets, I think it is a good reality check because when we have a profitable market, people think they can’t lose and get too aggressive. You go through a couple of big drops and it is a reality check.”

EPA’s office is downstairs in the Center Building on 2nd Avenue in downtown Alpena, but it has just opened and there isn’t always staff there yet. Little said people can call 989-200-3764 or email him at eric@riaepa.com to set up an appointment. People can also use the “contact us” tab to send a direct message.