Do you have any special plans as the new chair of NAPFA?

We're making sure that we have structure in place to establish NAPFA as the consumer's first choice when selecting a financial advisor. We want to increase the NAPFA membership and the family of financial planners that consumers have access to. I don't know if you've heard about our financial literacy bus project?

No, I haven't. Tell me about it.

We're doing a tour called "Your Money Bus" in many major cities. The intent is to raise the level of financial literacy. We're also focusing on our fiduciary campaign to educate the consumer on the difference between a RIA who is a fiduciary, and someone who is selling products and is not a fiduciary.

Now let's talk a little about the gloomy market these days. As time goes by, are people regaining their natural optimism?

People are still worried. Clients say to me, "I'm a long-term investor, but is this going to get much worse?" So many people recognize what's going on. But there are many people out there who don't understand what's happening and they're very concerned. I had one client call and say, "I need you to hold my hand for a little while." But I have to say, so far I haven't had anyone who is ready to jump off the building.

What effect does temperament have on your job? On performance?

I don't know that I'm a very patient person, but I am with my clients. They hire us because they trust that we can help them get through times like these. And if I get impatient with them because they don't understand, get worried or ask questions that I'd rather not answer, then that's pretty shortsighted of me. You have to block all that other stuff out and focus on what you're doing at this minute.

Most people I talk to are either saying it's a cycle and dealing with it, or they see this as a great buying opportunity. Some of us go out and hit golf balls and others hit punching bags. But the key in this environment is balance-in our heads and emotions. We may not worry about the market so much, but we are concerned about our clients and their financial health. That is the biggest challenge. Even when you know you're doing the right thing, if the markets are going down and it's affecting a client, it bothers you.

Some people sit out there and never tell you how nervous they are. We try to get people in to talk to us at least once a year. We had one client say, "I didn't think I needed it, but this was good for me." Sometimes they don't realize how concerned they are.

Are you doing anything to protect your clients from volatility?

The only thing we've done is check cash needs more frequently. We also use commodities as an asset class; that's really helped us in performance.