Bearing The Name of One the Most Formidable Financial Leaders in American History
If history is the best predictor of the future, it is no wonder why an increasing number of individuals across 19 states are choosing to engage the services of Girard, a full-service wealth advisory firm. As hard-working people seek guidance to help meet their financial future with confidence, they are looking to a firm that draws its inspiration from wisdom dating back to the 19th century, in the founding days of the United States.
In the early 1800s, Stephen Girard, founder of Girard Bank, was a banker—and one of the wealthiest men in the world. A believer in the potential of the young nation, Girard rescued the United States by financing its operations in The War of 1812.
Just as the qualities of boldness, dreaming big, and meticulous practicality served the firm’s namesake, these values live on in the professional advisors who serve Girard’s clients today.
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“Our core values stand the test of time again and again,” says Girard’s president, Kevin Norris. “I like to say, Girard is large enough to support you through a lifetime and small enough to truly care.”
Backed by the strength and stability of Univest Financial, a trusted institution with a 142-year history, Girard provides independent advice and solutions to help meet clients’ investing and planning goals. From investment management, financial and retirement planning to legacy and charitable planning, Girard offers comprehensive wealth solutions tailored to each client’s unique needs.
A Deep Commitment to Impacting People’s Lives Through Clear, Comprehensive Personal Financial Plans
After nearly a quarter century with the firm, Norris has identified the key element in Girard’s track record of success: its people.
“Everybody we hire is passionate about helping people, especially during rough courses,” Norris says, “We are not highbrow. We are very relatable. We want to work with you (the clients) wherever you are to help you achieve your goals in life. Our team is focused on getting to know you and what you value most.”
Girard is comprised of team members who respect the values and preferences of their clients. In an era driven by technology, Girard still believes in the value of human connection and customizes its approach based on how each client prefers to communicate. Whether that be online, through an app (for clients of Girard Advisory Services, LLC) or via in-person meetings and printed materials, Girard advisors facilitate an ongoing conversation about their clients’ goals, risk tolerance, investing strategy, and the performance of portfolios.
Girard and its employees appreciate the powerful impact its services have on the lives of their clients.
After the death of her husband, one Girard client was faced with raising a child on her own. She was scared about her son’s future and her own future after funeral expenses and the myriad of financial implications that ensue when one loses a spouse in the peak of child-rearing years.
The Girard team developed a financial plan for how she could adjust for this unexpected loss from a financial perspective. Through a holistic plan that addressed investing and expense control, this client was able to maintain the elements of her life that were important to her and chart a course for her family’s future.
Because Girard is a division of Univest, a full-service financial institution, Norris explains, the Girard team can deliver high-quality, efficient solutions to clients in the most complicated of circumstances.
“Most wealth firms would fulfill the lending, mortgage, and insurance needs by recommending third-party firms,” Norris says, “We have access to all of these services in-house. We can collaborate much more seamlessly for our clients and really cater to a full spectrum of financial needs.”
Welcoming Self-Directed Clients
A significant portion of new clients working with one of the RIA arms of the division, Girard Advisory Services, LLC, are known as “self-directed” investors, people who are managing their own portfolios online. Working with Girard allows them to take their strategy to the next level by engaging the guidance and services of an investment advisor.
These self-directed investors tend to appreciate Girard’s cutting-edge online client portal, in-house research, fee-based (as opposed to commission-based) compensation structure, and, of course, the quality of service they receive from Girard’s advisors.
“Our research spend is pretty dramatic,” Norris says, noting that the quality of research provided to clients by Girard is like nothing that could be culled from the research of one individual person.
The Girard team is guided by a philosophy of providing investment advice that respects and honors the highest and most personal life goals of clients, while avoiding sugar-coated advice or projections just because it may be hard to hear in the short term.
“Clients are not paying us to tell them what they want to hear,” Norris says,“they are paying us to tell them what they need to hear.”
Girard is a marketing name used by Univest Financial Corporation to provide (1) investment and wealth management, fiduciary services and trust services through its subsidiary Univest Bank and Trust Co., (2) specific fiduciary and investment advisory services through Girard Advisory Services, LLC (3) securities products, insurance products and brokerage services through Girard Investment Services, LLC, a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC, and a licensed insurance agency, and (4) investment management and related products and services for Pennsylvania municipal entities through Girard Pension Services, LLC. Investment products and services are not FDIC insured, not a bank deposit, not bank guaranteed, not insured by any federal government agency and are subject to risks, including possible loss of any principal amount invested.
This content was provided by Financial Service Directory. Kiplinger is not affiliated with and does not endorse the company or products mentioned above.
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