CJ Arditi’s Secret to Achieving Financial Health, Wealth and Peace of Mind

Have a clear plan, set financial goals, and—even in this tough economy—"stay the course." This is the advice CJ Arditi said he has given to the hundreds of Yorktown residents he has helped to gain financial health and freedom from debt over the past few years.

Arditi grew up in Yorktown, and although he now lives in New Jersey, his business focuses primarily on Yorktown and Northern Westchester individuals. He is passionate about educating people of all ages and from all different life situations about the best ways to gain financial freedom.

In 2009 and 2010, Arditi sat on a career council, where he offered advice to high school juniors from his own life experience on how to set and achieve goals.

We asked Arditi to share his secrets to gaining financial health, wealth, and peace of mind.

Patch: How did get your start as a financial advisor?

CJ Arditi: After graduating from SUNY Oneonta in 2002 I had a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with myself until my mother informed me that our financial planner had an opening for an assistant position and I should go speak with him. I have been working in financial services ever since and I am now approaching my 10-year anniversary.

Patch: How many clients have you helped over the years?

Arditi: I currently work with about 60 households actively. I have kept my practice small by design. I believe in the saying “You can’t be all things to all people; however you can be all things to some people.” I have helped hundreds of people in different capacities over the years. Not all have become clients however they have benefited from some sort of encounter whether it was a seminar I hosted, a speech delivered at a career forum, or by me showing up on their door-step one random day simply introducing myself and the services I am offering.

Patch: Can you share a few of your best financial tips?

Arditi: The best advice I can give you is to stay-the-coarse and stay focused on your goals. So many people react to what they see and hear going on around them right now, in real time. It’s hard not to react when all we are surrounded by is negativity. 

If you hire a professional to assist you with reaching financial milestones, that professional should and will be able to guide you into the correct savings vehicles. Not all savings vehicles accomplish all things, however all savings vehicles have specific features and components that if used properly will assist you in accomplishing each goal.

By having a plan, knowing your goals, and working with a financial professional you will increases your chances of success rather than by doing it alone.

Patch: What are some key lessons you’ve learned in your personal or professional life that you think anyone can learn from?

Arditi: I believe that we are all constantly changing every day, therefore we are never really staying still. As time ticks forward you are always presented with a choice. You can either commit to the simple disciplines of doing the right thing which will ultimately move you up, or you can exercise those slight errors in judgment that will ultimately bring you down. 

What’s ironic about these two paths is that both of them seem the same while you are traveling on them. It makes no difference at all in that moment whether you exercise 30 minutes a day or decide not to bother, save $50 per month into your tax-free retirement account (or college plan or life insurance policy, etc) or use that money to go out for dinner, or make those extra phone calls to clients during a turbulent market or take the day off early. I have learned to commit to the simple disciplines daily that will yield positive results on the curve of life.

Patch: If you could change one career decision, what would it be and why

Arditi: I believe I have been very fortunate with my career decisions to this point as every decision I have made has brought me one step closer to my goals. I was smart enough to recognize the business opportunity presented to me with my first employer -- whom I created a market for in my hometown community of Yorktown Heights. I was even smarter to leave that employer seven years later to pursue my own business dreams and vision.

Patch: How has the economy affected your business?

Arditi: It is in this type of economy that I truly earn my fee. I have recognized the troubled times that we are in and have equipped my practice with the tools and services required to demonstrate true value to my clients and separate myself from my competitors. Services that I have acquired are visual resources that will actually show the impact of financial decisions before you make them; a road-map to debt-freedom; and access to a network of quality attorneys and accountants to name a few.

Patch: What is your definition of success?

Arditi: Success to me is not the material possessions that can and will come with being successful. Most people will look at the car you drive, the clothes you wear, the vacations you go on and the house you live in to determine if you are successful or not. These possessions, although nice to have, is not having success; however, are remnants of being successful. Someone can win the lottery and have all the above mentioned material goods however I wouldn’t consider them successful people. 

Success to me means that I have a clear understanding of my life’s ultimate purpose, which is to provide in abundance for my entire family, and that I have made a positive impact on everyone I meet and that I am able to assist others in reaching their goals so they ultimately become successful. Success is a journey and not a destination. 

Patch: What are the key ingredients to being successful?

Arditi: The key ingredients to being successful is to identify the critically important few actions that you must take, and you need to be doing those Ffew actions every single day. Period.

Thank you for reading! You can "like" Yorktown Patch on Facebook and follow our Tweets.