1 /5 Stephie Borgford: I gave First Pacific in Vancouver, WA a fair go—and it turned into one of the most stressful, uncomfortable experiences I’ve ever had with any professional service.
When my longtime financial advisor left the firm, I initially made the decision to follow him. But before I could act on it, I was contacted by Julianne, who had just taken over my account. She pressured me heavily to stay with First Pacific and, after several emotionally charged conversations, convinced me to remain. I later came to regret that decision.
Julianne spent much of our time making inappropriate, personal remarks about the advisor who had left. She told me—repeatedly—that he didn’t have my best interests in mind. This, despite the fact that I had worked with him for five years with excellent results. Meanwhile, she had known me for less than three days. That kind of statement wasn’t just presumptuous—it was wildly unprofessional and out of line.
The entire situation felt like being dragged into a workplace breakup. She took petty shots, fixated on irrelevant details, and stirred up drama that had nothing to do with me. I wasn’t there to pick sides—I was there for financial guidance. Instead, I was manipulated and made to feel that leaving would be a major financial risk.
The emotional toll was significant. I lost sleep, and a special trip I took to New Zealand was overshadowed by anxiety and stress. All of this because I was pressured into doubting a trusted advisor and pulled into office politics I never asked to be part of.
Operationally, the firm wasn’t impressive either. They shut down completely on Fridays during the summer, leaving only four days a week for client service. Communication was slow and the overall environment felt disorganized and reactive.
Eventually, I left—and followed my advisor to his new firm. That decision brought immediate peace of mind and turned out to be one of the best choices I’ve made. First Pacific may work for others, but they showed me a level of unprofessionalism I won’t forget.
