Purposeful Planning

At Carickhoff Gordon Wealth Management, we are not only highly experienced and knowledgeable financial advisors, we devote ourselves to being “life advisors.” Each of us has a proud track record of “accompanying clients” through important life-driven events.

Over the years, we’ve honed a hands-on, hands-held approach that has resulted in friendly and familial relationships. In addition, our ability to focus attentively on a client when their life is in motion has led to a largely referred clientele

As part of our planning-based approach, we consider the broad canvas of clients’ lives. Despite their wealth, some clients wrestle with the right balance – for enjoying it now, saving for retirement, funding a child’s education, creating a family legacy, or supporting a worthy cause.

To help clients explore, identify and prioritize their objectives, we ask all sorts of questions, “What’s your primary concern, financial or otherwise? Who are you responsible for? What do you want for those you love? What do you want to accomplish personally? What do you envision three years from now? And what role would you like us to play?”

Revisiting questions like those above over the course of each client relationship, we can adjust a financial strategy so that decisions move in sync with a client’s needs and outside factors. We also educate clients and try to engage with both spouses and their grown children. Taking time to convey information clearly, we walk clients through relevant considerations. Then, we explain alternative paths toward meeting goals they find meaningful. 

In addition to examining clients’ goals, we look for holes in their financial pictures – areas that may have been ignored by a previous advisor. Most often, they include liabilities, protective components such as insurance, and trust documents that simply need to be updated.

As our client, you’ll likely discover our relentless consideration of the people and passions in your life. By rolling up our sleeves, opening our hearts, and provoking thoughtful discussions, we can help you enjoy the rewards that come from years of hard work and sacrifice.

A Diverse Clientele

At the Carickhoff Gordon Wealth Management Group, the lessons we learn from clients can be as valuable as the guidance we provide. With an intimate understanding of how clients view their professions, passions and people they love, we arewell positioned to help put their goals within reach and wealth to work.

Our clients span life stages, experiences and the wealth continuum – from individuals building wealth, to those in their peak earning years, selling a business, nearing retirement,and others who’ve already traded their seat in an office for one on a golf cart. While diverse in their paths to our door, clients can all benefit from our customized wealth management strategies and simple explanations of our recommendations, regardless oftheir complexity.

Who do we serve?

Successful women and men – active and retired business owners and their employees, physicians and engineers (including members of the LGBTQ community), and generations of families.Many clients are referred to us when a financial or life transition demands an informed perspective on how to proceed – retirement, a major liquidity event, a career change, or the loss of a loved one.

Driven by a desire to make intelligent financial decisions, many clients want to know what’s required to enjoy a desired retirementlifestyle with predictable cash flow, create a family legacy, purchase a second home, sell an enterprise or pass it along. Our planning-based approach is designed to “meet clients where they are in life.” In fact, we meet clients where it’s convenient for them – at theirhome, a restaurant, our office, by phone or WebEx.

Our clients are individuals whom we admire. Their successes are noteworthy professionally and for striving to assist people andcauses around them. We enjoy hearing about clients’ backgrounds, colleagues, families, friends, recent vacations and personal interests. These conversations remind us of the value weprovide and our roles in helping them share good times with important people.

What You Can Expect

At the Carickhoff Gordon Wealth Management Group, we are dedicated to increasing the probability of each client’s financial success. In looking to provide an enlightening and engaging wealth management experience, we want clients to enjoythe ride, without unnecessary stress along the way.

As our client, you can expect that we will:

• View you as part of a family tree. In most cases, we consider the multi-generational impact of any consideration. When helpful, it is our practice to meet with spouses, domestic partners, parents, children and grandchildren. Doing so informs our perspective on achievinglong-term outcomes that are financially and personally beneficial to several stakeholders.
• Seek to understand your unique perspective on your finances, the value you place on money, and what role we should play inyour financial life. Appreciating your priorities and values is ongoing. The more time we spend with you, the better able we are to craft appropriate strategies and adapt in timely fashion to changing conditions.
• Encourage you to see us as a “first call” and usa “go-to” resource.” We are quick to respond and provide a thoughtful perspective. When clients have become ill or spouses have passed, we have met with them in hospitals and elsewhere.It is in our nature to care for clients and their loved ones.
• Take a long-term view of investing. We utilize the award-winning research of Merrill and the firm’s extensive due diligence.Based on each client’s risk tolerance, investment timeline, need for liquidity, objectives and other personal preferences, we select asset managers and ETF models that offer the opportunity to preserve and grow their assets. We also offer ESG (environmental,social and governance) investments for those who want their portfolios to reflect their values.
• Blend our investment management with tax awareness in a way many advisors do not. In fact, by maintaining a watchful eye on clients’ tax consequences throughout the year, we allow for benefits to be realized earlier, on an ongoing basis. Furthermore, with the tax code changingfrequently, we have sharpened our focus on new regulations. We also work closely with clients, their CPAs and attorneys – to align our wealth transfer, business succession, tax-minimization and estate planning strategies.
• Look for ways to utilize debt wisely and enhance both sides of your balance sheet – assets and liabilities. To simplify andexpedite matters, we can provide ready access to specialists at Bank of America, N.A. for residential and securities-based lending, business expansion financing, as well as short- and long-term cash management.
• Explain what actual outcomes look like. Going beyond spreadsheets and simulations, we will illustrate alternate, real-worldscenarios and discuss them with you – from college savings strategies to income distribution strategies, to Social Security, Medicare and other retirement considerations. We are here to act as a responsible steward of your wealth and wishes, not show how muchwe know.