Who We Serve at Birchwood Financial Partners

Connie’s Story*

Getting Finances in Order & Financial Planning

Connie is Vice President of Operations at a business-to-business software company, where she has worked for the last 15 years. She has worked her way to the top of her organization while raising two children, caring for her aging parents, and completing her MBA. She has worked hard, focused on her career and family while maintaining her own interests and close relationships with friends. She has accumulated some wealth, but feels she could have a better grasp of her finances. She is looking for opportunities to better understand her current cash flow and investments and feel more confident about her future and her children’s future.

Core Financial Needs: Getting Finances in Order, Retirement Planning, Estate Planning, Education Planning

Household: Spouse, 2 children (high school and college-age)

Milestones they’re facing: Children’s higher education, aging parents, retirement concerns

*All content is for information purposes only. It is not intended to provide any tax or legal advice or provide the basis for any financial decisions. Nor is it intended to be a projection of current or future performance or indication or future results. The information provided is not based on actual current or past clients. All situations are unique, and results will differ depending on individual situation.

What brought them to a Financial Advisor

“My kids were approaching college age and I’d finally found the right place for my aging parents. When I poked my head above water, I realized I needed to do something about our money. I’d always left most of the financial dealings to my husband, but when I caught a glimpse of a statement in the mail, I got an uneasy feeling in my stomach. It didn’t seem like we were getting any closer to retirement, and I started to feel powerless.

That’s when I found Birchwood, a majority women-owned firm, and my advisor Bridget. She talked us through income budget planning and basically mapped out how we’d get to retirement. The one thing I wanted to be clear about was how and how much my financial advisor was getting paid. I didn’t want to pay commissions or find out there were any hidden fees. When Bridget said Birchwood was a fee-only firm and a fiduciary and explained that meant that all fees were paid directly from me to the firm with no hidden costs I remember breathing an audible sigh of relief.

We set up a spending and an investment plan that made sure we lived within our means. We still took trips and had fun, even as we helped the kids with college, and set aside money for unexpected expenses so our investments could grow. It is still incredible to me that after looking at that statement 15 years ago, we are very close to being able to retire, something I wasn’t at all sure was going to happen.”

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The Smiths*

Streamlining Retirement Plans & Wealth Management

Shelly and Steve have been navigating their own financial and retirement planning for 15 years. Largely self-taught, they invested a lot of time and effort into their own investment decisions, and they’re ready to let a professional financial advisor take over. They’ve grown a nest egg beyond their own capabilities and a decade from retirement, they want help optimizing what they’ve created. They understand many financial principles, but they’re hoping a financial advisor will ultimately help them create a portfolio that considers their specific objectives and goals.

Core Financial Needs: Retirement planning, estate planning

Household: Shelly and Steve, Married

Milestones: Late career estate planning

What brought them to a Financial Advisor

We had always been financially conscious—not cheap, not frugal, but responsible. We have a budget, and we know where we’re spending money. We’ve been responsible with our savings, retirement, and investments as well. We’re largely self-taught and have worked with tax preparers and talked with financial advisor friends here and there to help guide our self-taught approach. We’re proud of what we built—to the point that we are no longer comfortable managing our investments ourselves, and we frankly want to spend time on other things. However, we are weary of the value a financial advisor will add for us.

That’s why, when we first met with Rachel Infante and Damian Winther at Birchwood, we had a lot of questions about investment strategy, options, and the fee structure. Because they communicated so clearly, asked us a lot of questions about our approach so far, and could articulate initial ideas on how to move us forward—we knew we were in good hands. But we’d still be keeping a close eye on things. Since that first day, Rachel and Damian have taught us so much. We’re confident that our financial future is in good hands.

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Isabelle*

Making an Impact Through Investments

Isabelle is a conscientious, mindful person who wants to know that her money is going to the right places. She has spent her career trying to make a difference in the world and she wants to make sure that her investments are working toward this goal as well. She knows that she can do better than the status quo that’s been laid out by past generations. Isabelle is looking for a financial partner that is a pioneer in the industry.

Core Financial Needs: SRI (Sustainable Responsible Investing), Retirement Planning, Estate Planning, Education Planning (grandchildren)

Household: Isabelle, divorced (2 kids, 5 grandchildren)

Milestones: Approaching retirement, establishing legacy priorities

What brought them to a Financial Advisor

My former partner and I were fortunate to have built fulfilling careers and a family, despite our differences along the way. We’ve been able to make service and volunteering foundations in our lives.

For me, I want to extend those values to my investments, retirement, and what I leave behind to my family and community. I’m not naive about global issues, and I want to do as much as I can to leave a better world for our children and grandchildren.

When I met with Dana Brewer and the Birchwood team, they did not try to adjust my values to fit their sustainable investment strategy. That was an incredible relief. They took the time to understand what I consider the most important issues. They pushed me to consider options I had not previously entertained. They do not take Sustainable Responsible Investing lightly, and yet they are incredibly easy to work with. I’m confident my priorities are in the right hands.

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