Evan Kirkpatrick's History with the SmartVestor Program
After becoming a fan by listening to this new thing Apple came up with called “Podcasts” of The Dave Ramsey Show back in the 2000’s, I became an instant fan of Dave’s no-nonsense approach. I had never heard anyone provide financial advice in that way. It was always confusing industry jargon that seemed to overcomplicate each situation.
I applied to become an “ELP” or Endorsed Local Provider in 2012 (which was the name of the program prior to “SmartVestor”) and the Ramsey organization contacted me about 8 months later to inform me I was in the running to partner with them for the South Bay area of Los Angeles in a territory that stretched from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) all the way to Long Beach. With my office situated right in the middle in Manhattan Beach, California, I was able to meet with people through the program whether they lived in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, or Palos Verdes in addition to Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, etc so I thought it would be a great fit.
Fast forward to the present and I’ve worked with hundreds of incredible people through the program and visited “Financial Peace Plaza” in Tennessee multiple times. I was also honored to be invited as one of three SmartVestors to help answer financial questions to attendees at some of Dave and Rachel Cruze’s events in Southern California. I’ve donated my time in many cases to those that just had a few financial questions they wanted to be answered and we have also earned the business of multi-millionaires with complex estate and investment needs so it truly is a wide audience that comes to us through Dave and the Ramsey Organization. Having the heart of a teacher is a cornerstone of the program and my commitment is to serve the needs of those that come to us through SmartVestor wherever you’re at financially.
Finances affect every facet of one's life and that is what attracted me to the field initially and still keeps me going well over a decade later. Numbers on a page translate into real life freedom, opportunities, and decisions and my job is to bridge the gap – to make clear what our clients may be unsure of and to guide you toward financial freedom. And ultimately, to “Baby Step 7” which is to GIVE generously and to positively affect your family, community, and beyond.
Our Process
I always get started by listening, not talking at you. Our ‘Fact Finder’ helps us learn more about you and we schedule a phone call or office meeting to discuss your unique financial situation. Once I learn about what’s on your mind and what goals you’re trying to achieve, I and my team can help reverse engineer the process and fill in the gaps with action steps.
Our History
As a wealth manager for 12+ years, I have the experience to have seen a wide array of situations. I began working predominantly with group retirement plans such as 401(k), 457, and 403(b) plans and managing personal wealth for company executives. Now, that vast majority of our services are geared toward individuals and families whether that is financial planning, managing investment accounts, insurance/ risk management, and charitable giving. Our company is named after my grandfather, Wendell Charles Kirkpatrick, who taught me about charitable remainder trusts, real estate, and investing in general growing up. An uncle ‘gifted’ me my first few shares of stock for Christmas and birthday’s as a teenager and at the time, I didn’t fully appreciate it as you might imagine. Years later, I used the stock to begin trading investments for myself in college and began my professional career shortly after.
Our Values
Our goal is to earn your trust over time through repeatedly doing what we say we’re going to do. In addition to trust, as my grandfather’s name is on the door, we aim to treat each client like you’re part of our family office. And practically speaking, we value generosity and ask that our clients consider charities, churches, and other organizations that could benefit from your financial gifts. We will spend a great deal of time working with you to maximize your charitable giving through various strategies.