Active investment management’s weekly magazine for fee-based advisors

Kurt D. Zoeller, CWS • Chesterfield, MO​
Zoeller Asset Management • Cetera Advisors LLC

I describe my practice as delivering family-focused financial planning and wealth management. It is gratifying to work with clients through multiple stages of their lives, and, hopefully, with the next generation of their family. Our approach is to help our clients and their families build financial security.

We use a comprehensive and disciplined planning process to analyze the 13 wealth-management issues we find are most important to our clients, which fall under the broad areas of wealth accumulation, wealth protection, wealth distribution, and wealth transfer. I introduce these to new clients and prospects during our first meeting.

The specific areas we address are investment strategy and implementation, managing liabilities, insurance planning, stock option strategies, establishing a durable power of attorney, titling of assets, choosing an executor/trustee, structuring qualified retirement plan/IRA rollovers and distributions, business succession planning, gifting during life, charitable gifting during life and after death, and wealth distribution after death.

During my pursuit of the Certified Wealth Strategist designation, I learned effective approaches to address each of these issues. Introducing these issues is a valuable part of positioning my practice.

Related Article: From plan to portfolio: A needs-based planning approach

I want clients and prospects to understand that we thoroughly review all aspects of their financial lives. Our process includes a full discovery of their current financial situation and potential retirement-income sources, as well as an analysis of their risk profile. We then proceed through a multi-meeting planning process that consists of setting objectives and identifying priorities, analyzing and formulating recommendations, agreeing on plan strategies and implementation, and conducting periodic reviews of progress versus objectives. I want clients to think of our firm whenever they need to make financial decisions for their families or businesses.

A key resource for our practice is Cetera’s Advanced Planning group, composed of highly credentialed legal and financial professionals. Their consultative approach provides guidance in wealth-transfer planning, retirement-distribution planning, business and succession planning, tax and stock option strategies, and life insurance and annuity planning. While I handle the core financial planning for each client, Cetera’s back-office support and sophisticated planning capabilities are invaluable resources for our clients.

My goal is to work with my clients and their families for many years. Some wealth-management issues may not be immediately relevant but become more important over time. Clients need to keep me informed of their changing situations and family dynamics, and I need to keep them updated on any adjustments to consider for their financial plan. Effective two-way communication is critical in helping them achieve their long-term financial goals.

Disclosure: Registered principal offering securities through Cetera Advisors LLC, a registered broker-dealer. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser. Cetera firms are under separate ownership from Zoeller Asset Management. 15455 Conway Road, Suite 340, Chesterfield, MO 63017. For a comprehensive review of your personal situation, always consult with a tax or legal advisor. Neither Cetera Advisors LLC nor any of its representatives may give legal or tax advice.

Certified Wealth Strategist and CWS are registered trademarks of Cannon Financial Institute.

Photography by Corey Woodruff

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