HOW WE OPERATE
The VanWeelden Approach
Our mission is to empower each of our clients to make the most of their personal financial resources, in accordance with their unique, personal goals and objectives. We do this by applying our truly holistic retirement planning process.
Knowledge is Power.
Educated clients make better decisions. Because of that, most of our time is spent ensuring that our clients are completely informed and knowledgeable of their financial situation. Our clients consistently express appreciation for the depth of teaching they experience at VanWeelden. Think you have too many questions? Our advisors love to answer questions. Not sure what to ask? Don’t worry – we’ll cover it all.
Active Risk Mitigation is the Key.
The first rule of investing is “don’t lose money.” While the majority of the industry is hyper-focused on average rates of return, we know that losses hurt more than gains help. This concept is core to our investment philosophy, and it’s what we call Active Risk Mitigation (ARM). With this strategy, we avoid unnecessary risk without sacrificing steady growth.
Independence is Everything.
There are many effective tools in the holistic advisor’s toolbox. The key is having a strong working knowledge of the options and how to best apply them to each client’s situation. Our totally independent fiduciary model allows us to do just that, without any conflict of interest clouding our advice.
Money is a Means to an End.
Used properly, money can enable people to lead extremely effective and meaningful lives. Used unwisely or taken for granted, it can be a great burden and source of stress. You either control it, or it controls you. We want everyone, regardless of their net worth, to experience true financial freedom. Your peace of mind is our top priority.
Simple is Better.
Unhelpful complexity has bogged down the financial services industry for decades, feeding financial anxiety. But solutions don’t need to be complicated to be effective. We are committed to helping our clients sleep well at night by providing clear, effective strategies. It’s that simple.
Retirement is Not an Event – It’s a Journey.
“How much do you need?” or “What’s your number?” are the wrong questions. This asset-based approach treats retirement as a balance sheet problem, when it’s actually a cash-flow problem. Any worthwhile retirement plan must be built for the entire journey, not simply to satisfy a particular equation at a single moment in time. Yes, it’s an involved process, but we passionately believe it’s a worthwhile one.
Comprehensive Services
Most people accumulate various financial products and services throughout their lifetimes from a variety of sources. Rarely, if ever, do all these professionals come together to coordinate their efforts in accordance with the client’s best interest. This is where we come in. We believe there is no better way to serve our clients than to provide solutions to all of these problems under one roof.