Three certified financial planners have joined forces to create
Navigator Wealth Strategies, a Springfield-based financial planning firm
serving central Illinois.
Brandon Wellman opened a new Prudential Financial office in
2017, originally operating out of leased space on Wabash Avenue. Four years
later, he purchased a building at 6300 S. Sixth St. to allow for expansion of the
business, known as Wellman Financial Services.
Matthew Hutton, who has worked in the personal financial industry in various capacities for more than 15 years, joined the firm last year. Now, Ryan Kaiser has joined the team after operating his own practice for many years.
"I opened my office in 2018 with a handful of advisers,” Kaiser
said. Cornerstone Financial Services had a Springfield office on West Monroe along
with satellite locations in Peoria and Bloomington. “Brandon and I always
stayed in touch, personally and professionally. It just made sense
post-pandemic to start thinking about joining forces, connecting resources and
having a larger reach.”
The three financial advisers are working together at the
South Sixth Street office that previously housed Wellman Financial Services, but
the combined companies are now known as Navigator Wealth Strategies. There are
also satellite offices in Decatur and Bloomington.
“I’ve had some clients reach out and ask what this means,”
said Hutton. “We all share a passion for financial planning, guidance and
helping clients accomplish their goals. Navigator is a summation of that. All
too often, people go down this (financial planning) road alone. But this way,
all of us have significant experience to offer.”
Kaiser said that while he had worked with other advisers in the
past, he wanted to be cautious about choosing to share a practice.
“Each one of us takes care of a particular need in our
office so that we can be holistic. … I needed to feel safe that I was going to partner
with people who take this level of professionalism seriously.”
Wellman said the new name reflects the company’s core
mission of helping clients chart a steady course through life’s financial complexities.
“We still have our client-first approach, Navigator is just the
evolution of that,” he said. “I’m a big believer that if you want to go fast,
go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.”
