Douglas’s practice is based on a desire to provide education to clients and to help business owners, employees and professionals define present and future goals, maximize control over cash flow, minimize taxes, build and protect wealth efficiently and aim to achieve financial independence. The education and advice that Douglas brings to financial planning with clients goes beyond the solely academic understanding possessed and shared by many in the financial industry, using real-world experience in order to better understand client challenges, goals and the emotions that can impact decision-making and communications.
Douglas lost his father suddenly and unexpectedly in 2000. Over the next five years while the estate was in probate, Douglas directly faced many challenges as executor, including: probate fees, estate taxes, attorney fees, business continuity and business and estate debts. This resulted in a heavy emotional and financial toll on family members and business. However, this also provided extensive real-life education on many estate and financial details and through this experience it became a personal mission to help others avoid similar challenges through adequate personal and business financial and estate planning. Douglas is uniquely positioned in sharing these personal experiences to understand the potential impact of gaps in proper planning, and the emotional and financial challenges that families face when going through the estate settlement process. Because of this, Douglas offers unique perspective and educates clients proactively to enhance their financial and estate planning while understanding the emotional and financial challenges they may be faced with during these complex times.
Douglas enjoys teaching the truth about money with a unique approach – helping people understand how to find money they are losing, unknowingly and unnecessarily and be more efficient with the resources they have. By teaching the strategies of how to play the “game,” clients can begin to play to their advantage. Douglas firmly believes that there is more opportunity in avoiding losses than in picking winners. While most information people receive focuses exclusively on products, Douglas teaches the strategies on how to become more efficient overall and create financial balance that will provide the access to capital needed for all stages of life so families can have financial peace of mind, both today and in the future. Most people “lose” money in five main areas: housing and how they pay their mortgage, overpaying on taxes, “qualified” retirement plans, paying for college the wrong way and “major capital purchases.” By initially focusing on fixing inefficiencies in these main areas, Douglas educates clients on how to more effectively prepare for a successful financial future.
Douglas is a Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®), Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM (CRPC®), and Accredited Portfolio Management AdvisorSM (APMA®) with over 20 years’ experience teaching thousands of families about money through personal one-on-one guidance and workshops focused on retirement accumulation, income and wealth distribution, Social Security, tax strategies and college planning.
Douglas’ “real-life” experience aligns well with financial planning for individuals and owners of closely-held businesses and he educates on retirement plans, benefits, accumulation of wealth and liquidity within and outside businesses, protection and legacy planning. By working closely with business owners, Douglas can also provide education and guidance to their employees looking to maximize their financial achievement, both within and outside of their employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Douglas has been a member of Rotary International in both Minnesota and Colorado and a board member for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Columbus.
When not working closely with clients, Douglas spends time with his wife, Dawn, and two children, Katherine and Oliver. Douglas has a Single-Engine, Fixed Wing pilot certification and enjoys taking to the skies, travel, cooking, playing tennis, cheering on The Ohio State Buckeyes, and anything that gets him into nature.