As Seen in Kiplinger
A Rare & Unique Approach
to Wealth Management
Article Written by Kiplinger Staff
Objective Advice, Uncommon Solutions
Vision Financial Group was founded in 2000 by Ryan Elenbaas and 2 other partners. Despite the extreme market volatility that followed, the firm grew, adding advisors, and increasing their clientele almost entirely through referrals. In the past five years alone, it has grown by 30 percent. Almost all new clients were referred to the advisors by others they trust, and an increasing number are second or even third generation clients. With a nearly 100% retention rate, the firm has been named among Holland’s “Best of the Best” advisors for 10 consecutive years*.
Elenbaas has been joined by an impressive team of advisors: Nathan Weeber, Joel Palmbos, James Hill, and Josh Bergsma. At the core of the Group’s success is a collegial business model — a rarity in the financial services industry. The five advisors are not just colleagues but a closely-knit group who share the same values.
“We come together to serve each client in a welcoming home-like atmosphere here in our office,” explains Elenbaas. “During their in-depth wealth management planning session, clients benefit from the advantage of tapping into the insights of a team of experienced and talented people with a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives in investment and wealth management. The result is a tailored approach to each client’s unique situation developed after a comprehensive discussion including the client’s motivations, goals, emotions, and priorities.”
The collaborative model allows Vision Financial Group advisers to quickly pull together the resources a client needs. For example, high-net-worth families and business owners have complex challenges. Advisors routinely work together to handle issues such as employer benefits, and asset distribution to heirs. The team has extensive experience with often overlooked tactics such as gifting strategies that take advantage of required minimal distributions.
The Vision Financial Group advisers base their advice on time-tested teachings in the Bible - financial principles that work for believers and non-believers alike. The Scriptures also direct their personal conduct, calling them to a high standard of honesty and service.
“Our Mission is to serve clients by using our investment and wealth management expertise to guide them in being faithful stewards of their assets and to create long-term relationships built on trust.”
Ryan M. Elenbaas, CEO & Financial
Advisor at Vision Financial Group
One example of their beneficial approach is the way they view risk and how much risk a client can handle. While the risk analysis has long been used by financial advisors to determine the suitability of investments for each client, Vision Financial Group advisers have a fiduciary requirement to look beyond mere suitability. For them, a client’s risk tolerance score is just one of many factors that go into a financial plan designed solely in the best interest of each individual family.
“Risk tolerance only measures investors’ attitudes. What kind of losses or lost opportunities would keep them up at night?” explains Elenbaas. “Risk capacity, on the other hand, is determined objectively by testing a portfolio’s possible performance in worst case scenarios. An investor who can well tolerate risk simply may not have the capacity to do so. In some cases, he or she may have added capacity for risk that would help achieve financial goals.”
Vision Financial Group balances tolerance and capacity during a comprehensive financial planning process. Based on the financial plan, they make wide-ranging recommendations. As independents with no proprietary investment products to recommend and no vested interest in promoting a particular product or service, they are free to advise clients on what truly is best suited for them.
“Our goal is to purchase good, quality investments and construct portfolios that are tax efficient and designed to withstand constantly changing market conditions for the long term,” explains Elenbaas. “We continually monitor changes making moves only when necessary to keep families on track.”
Article Link: https://www.kiplinger.com/article/investing/t064-c000-s017-vision-financial-group.html
*Holland Sentinel Readers' Best of West Michigan Top 3 Winner - Investment/Retirement Planning Firm category, 2010-2015, and Holland Community's Choice Awards Best of the Best Top 3 Winner - Investment/Retirement Firm category, 2016-2022, are based on a poll of Holland Sentinel's readers allowing the issuance of ratings in the ordinary course of business through its annual award program. All third party ratings are date stamped at the time the rating was given, and if dated prior to the year awarded, may not reflect our current offerings or services. No compensation was provided directly or indirectly in connection with obtaining or using the third party rating.