A Milestone for McBeath Financial Group

This week, McBeath Financial Group crossed a significant milestone for the future of our clients and the future of our company!  We are proud to announce Julie Karstens has joined our firm as a Financial Planner!

Welcome Aboard Julie!

A Landmark Event

It’s important because it marks a transition from a solo advisor office to a team of investment advisors and financial planners.

Although it may look like we are just adding another financial planner because we’re so busy, it’s part of a bigger plan that’s been in the making for a long time.

It’s a result of the strong foundation that we’ve been building for years.

From the beginning, when I started this company alone, I knew I had a calling to help families. So, shortly after I began, I started adding administrative staff to help leverage my time so I could serve more families.  I was very fortunate to have many employees that have contributed to our success over the years.

One of those key individuals is Carol Ambler, whom I initially hired as an assistant and client relations.  Over the years, she not only became a trusted confidant in the business, but her role has also grown as well. For example, one of  Carol’s roles as my executive assistant is helping with our financial planning data. She brings a wealth of knowledge, stability, and joy to our firm!

Lauren Dennewitz also has been critical to our growth. Hired initially as a financial services assistant, she continues to impress in her role with client interaction and service.  Since her start in January 2020, she has committed to assuming additional responsibilities and furthering her education.  She has already earned her Illinois Insurance Producers License for Life and Health, and she is currently studying for her securities license.

And of course, my husband Robert, who has supported me from the beginning, still works behind the scenes.  While he handles the marketing, accounting, and various other responsibilities, his most significant contribution has probably been his vision casting and acting as my sounding board. 

Along the way, we’ve invested time and money in technology and systems to support our clients better and leverage our time. Of course, IT systems and security infrastructure were a critical investment, as was the corporate structure for the firm.  But, I realized if we were to ever grow beyond a single advisor, such groundwork would be necessary for future generations.

Now, finally, there will start to be clear evidence of the results of the foundation we’ve laid for future growth.  That begins with the addition of Julie Karstens.

The most important thing is what this means for our current clients and those seeking to work with us.

Expanded Value

We Can Serve More People with Less Wait Times

First, it allows us to continue to provide a concierge level of service for our existing clients while also accepting new clients.

I’ve worked beyond my capacity for too long, and the demand for my services has continued to increase.  This means that I’ve often had to turn away people who wanted to work with me in order to serve my existing clients.  The reality is, due to time limitations, I’ve been very selective of who I’m able to meet with and even more selective of those I chose to work with.  Unfortunately, this means that I often have turned away people that truly needed my help.

Among those that we turned away were often people who were more than a few years from retirement, who truly could have benefitted from my help. So one of our first priorities is for Julie to reach out to this demographic and provide the help needed at this crucial stage in preparing ahead for retirement and helping protect their families.

Additionally, I often had new financial planning clients waiting much longer for appointment times and plan completion.  I look forward to balancing the workload and cutting these wait times down while offering more appointment availability in a shorter time frame.

True Team Support

With the addition of another talented advisor, our clients have the advantage of another skill set and advisor experiences.  I’m already excited about Julie’s experience as a trust advisor and what she will add to our holistic approach to financial planning.  It’s another area we plan to expand upon within the firm.

Having more advisors allows for two sets of eyes on planning and collaboration when it comes to the planning or the ongoing wealth management for clients.  I’m looking forward to adding fresh insights as we grow together.

Additionally, having another advisor allows for more accessibility for all of our clients if one of us is unavailable.  I feel this greater level of availability will benefit our clients going forward while offering peace of mind that our clients will be served when one of us is away from the office.

Contingency Plan

As a financial planner, it’s in my nature to want to protect my clients from any potential threat.  In my household, my husband and I have incredibly detailed contingency plans. So it only makes sense that I should offer my clients that same peace of mind; if something happened to me, they would be protected.

In the past, my primary contingency was for my husband Robert to step into my role to serve temporarily.  While Robert operates behind the scenes, he is fully licensed, authorized, and capable of covering in my absence. In addition, further support is available from the organizations we work with daily, from our portfolio manager to our custodian.  We have a professional network that is available to offer aid as needed.

These contingency solutions were never intended to be permanent. We knew, long ago, the value of our clients having a relationship with a team of advisors at our location.  We look forward to our clients meeting Julie.  Resting assured that if I can’t fulfill my obligations for any reason, we will have someone ready to step into that role.

Future Generations

As a financial planner and estate planner, I help others plan for retirement and estate planning for a time when they might not be here for their loved ones.  Likewise, I believe it’s important for me to have a long-term retirement plan (long down the road) in place, as well as a succession plan.

I believe the relationships created in our business are based upon a long-term commitment to not only serve our clients but also their families.  We want to be available to help beyond retirement, into future generations as well.  Our goal is to provide seamless multi-generational financial planning through an organization that continues beyond our lifetimes.

Evolution

In a rapidly changing world, we continue to evolve and adjust to provide our clients with cutting-edge services.  We are committed to continuing education and keeping abreast of developments and changes concerning our client’s financial goals.  One of the best ways to accomplish this is to continue adding talented staff with fresh perspectives and additional skill sets.

Moving Forward

It’s been said that if you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward.  For the sake of our clients and stakeholders, I would never allow that to happen.  We’ve had unprecedented growth over the last several years, and I expect that to continue exponentially over the next few years.

Krista McBeath is an Investment Advisor, Chartered Financial Consultant, a Licensed Insurance Advisor, a Fiduciary, and an experienced tax advisor who specializes in financial planning, investments, and insurance.

She utilizes advanced tools for in-depth calculations that analyze tax and retirement scenarios to help their clients avoid a future tax time-bomb.  Whether this means enjoying more of your hard-earned money in retirement or passing along assets to loved ones, with less tax burden, planning makes the difference.

Her new book, The Generational Wealth System outlines a holistic approach to preserving lifestyle, wealth and legacy.

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