Brent Mowinski, CFP • Owosso, MI
Mowinski Financial LLC • LPL Financial
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Proactive Advisor Magazine: Brent, talk about why you became a financial advisor and how your career has progressed.

My story starts with my family. I had supportive parents who instilled in me the values of hard work, responsibility, and careful money management. They were savers and modest investors, which helped them build a comfortable nest egg, though they weren’t fully educated about finance and investing—something I recognized later as an advisor. I was also inspired by an aunt and uncle who started their own business.

I worked several part-time jobs during middle and high school to help pay for college, saving some money along the way. I started investing while in college with the guidance of an investment advisor, and my interest in investing and the financial markets has been strong ever since.

I originally planned on teaching and coaching, which led me to earn undergraduate and master’s degrees from Central Michigan University in secondary education and educational administration. I spent four years teaching and coaching several sports at local high schools. While I loved working with the students, I found the administrative and political aspects of education less appealing.

The advisor I worked with in college encouraged me to consider a career at his firm, Prudential, and I was very happy to receive a job offer. I learned a tremendous amount, training and working with senior advisors, and was named “Rookie of the Year” for Michigan in 2009. Entering the business during a challenging market period turned out to be an advantage, as many people who had suffered losses during the market meltdown were seeking sound financial advice and new perspectives.

In 2010, I started Mowinski Financial and began my professional relationship with ING, which later became Voya Financial Advisors. When Voya was acquired by Cetera in 2021, I conducted due diligence and determined that LPL Financial was the best fit for our firm moving forward. The experience has been excellent, and I now have three offices in our area and a client base that has grown each year.

What is your business model, and do you focus on certain client segments?

We are a full-service advisory firm specializing in financial planning, investment management, insurance services, and group benefits. We have developed what we call the “Mowinski Financial (MF) Formula” for addressing the holistic needs of clients, which begins with a deep understanding of each client’s financial and life goals, both qualitatively and quantitatively. From there, we use our extensive range of services to build comprehensive solutions tailored to each client’s needs across virtually every element of their financial lives. One of the key benefits of this approach is that each planning discipline is directly informed by our firsthand knowledge of the client’s total financial picture, rather than relying on input from a third party.

We primarily operate on a fee-based advisory model, though we may recommend commission-based products if they are appropriate for a client’s specific needs. Transparency about the way we are compensated is important to us, and we aim to deliver products and services to clients in a way that minimizes fees and taxes wherever possible.

We focus on several client segments. Our primary segment consists of individuals planning for or in retirement, and we work across many demographics. We aim to engage these clients in a full working relationship across all our services, maximizing the benefits of the MF Formula. Clients often seem to experience a “wow factor” with this approach, leading to many referrals. We take pride in being able to implement complex strategies that integrate investment management, insurance services, and tax preparation. Health and Medicare insurance is another important area for us, often serving as an entry point for clients who then expand their relationship with our firm.

Another key client segment is small-business owners, with whom we work on financial, benefits, retirement, and/or insurance needs for their companies. This often evolves into comprehensive financial planning for their individual needs, including succession planning or guidance on exiting their business.

We also focus on clients working in health care. We are located near several medical facilities, and we work with primary care physicians, specialists, nurse practitioners, nurses, and others in the field. These clients, who tend to be affluent, often engage in full financial planning with us. If a physician owns a practice, we might also assist with retirement, insurance, or benefits planning for their practice and its employees.

Additionally, we serve veterinarians and small veterinarian practices in Michigan and nearby states. Over a decade ago, I was approached by AVMA Life to serve as an insurance representative in Michigan. We handle a significant amount of disability and life insurance for veterinarians and often manage group benefits for their offices.

Finally, we provide retirement-plan guidance to state employees and education workers such as professors and university and college staff, which can evolve into full financial-planning relationships. We can offer professionally managed investment strategies across these segments for 401(k) and 403(b) plans.

Describe your process for financial and investment planning.

I think the strength of our planning process lies in our commitment to fully understanding and articulating clients’ goals. I follow a rigorous process for developing and implementing financial plans, using advanced financial-planning software. This allows us to examine several different planning scenarios with clients, such as the potential impact of changing variables like retirement dates, spending levels in retirement, risk and return assumptions, and the impact of income on insurance costs. Since the passing of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, we have added several other strategies that we customize for each client.

The investment plan is a crucial part of our process. We look at factors such as our clients’ overall financial goals, time horizons, risk profiles, and specific retirement spending needs. For most clients, we employ a managed-money model, incorporating mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, and—where appropriate—structured notes customized for clients. We may also write insurance contracts for more conservative clients.

The key point is that the investment plan is customized to the client’s situation. While it’s difficult to generalize, a typical investment plan might include income products and a blend of active and passive strategies. I believe in strategic diversification and having strategies for clients that can respond to changing market conditions. For our 403(b) clients, we often use a third-party manager that provides risk-managed active strategies, which is important to clients interested in conservative growth over time. These strategies employ specific tools to mitigate risk and volatility during market downturns.

“Our commitment to customized financial planning drives our philosophy—we don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach.”

As you work with different segments of clients, what drives your overall philosophy of client service?

Our commitment to customized financial planning drives our philosophy—we don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Each client’s situation is different, and we tailor plans to align with their specific goals. We use a variety of communication tools to share our firm’s story with potential clients and rely heavily on referrals from current clients. I believe the best marketing tool we have is doing an excellent job for our clients, which encourages them to recommend our services.

We recognize that our clients are very busy, and they appreciate the ways we make their financial lives easier to understand and navigate. For example, we use technology that helps clients track all of their key financial data in one place. We manage the client review process efficiently, aiming to ensure clients are on the right track and making decisions in a timely manner.

Finally, perhaps the most beneficial service we offer is our focus on education. Topics such as health insurance, Medicare planning, and retirement-income planning can be complicated and intimidating. We aim to break these and other financial concepts down into easy-to-understand terms, helping clients review alternative strategies and scenarios with confidence.