FINANCIAL PROFILES
Do South® Magazine proudly profiles local financial experts whose innovative strategies and steadfast commitment are setting new benchmarks for success. Join us in exploring their inspiring journeys and the impactful lessons they impart on the path to financial excellence.
words DWAIN HEBDA AND CATHERINE FREDERICK image SIMON BOOTH SHUTTERSTOCK // SPONSORED CONTENT
FINANCIAL PROFILES
Do South® Magazine proudly profiles local financial experts whose innovative strategies and steadfast commitment are setting new benchmarks for success. Join us in exploring their inspiring journeys and the impactful lessons they impart on the path to financial excellence.
words DWAIN HEBDA AND CATHERINE FREDERICK image SIMON BOOTH SHUTTERSTOCK // SPONSORED CONTENT
Hack Your Tax
Throughout her professional life, Melanie Radcliff has shown a knack for innovation. After a successful quarter-century career as a CPA, she launched Fort Smith-based Old Fort Wealth Management, a firm that has quickly grown thanks to her combination of financial expertise and tax-efficient strategies for potential wealth accumulation. Now, she’s done it again, rolling out a new venture, Hack Your Tax, LLC, a resource that further enhances and streamlines the customer experience as they plan for their golden years.
“As financial landscapes continue to shift, tax planning has become an increasingly critical element for both individuals and businesses seeking long-term success,” she says. “Hack Your Tax, LLC offers a unique approach to navigating these complexities, ensuring that clients are prepared not only for today’s tax environment but for the years ahead." Central to the Hack Your Tax process is the TAX Nav System, by which Melanie provides clients with a clear, strategic path to potentially maximizing tax efficiency, reducing liabilities, and helping to secure their financial future.
“In an era where tax rates are expected to rise, the importance of anticipating financial changes is paramount,” she says. “Rather than reacting to tax obligations at the end of the year, Hack Your Tax empowers clients to think ahead and make informed decisions that will positively impact their financial standing in the long term. At Hack Your Tax, we believe in looking ahead, yesterday is gone, but tomorrow’s tax efficiency must be planned today."
The new resource is the most dynamic offering yet from Old Fort Wealth Management, which from the beginning has aspired to take a lot of the complexity and worry off of the client through the use of plainspoken strategies and cutting-edge tools.
Melanie Radcliff CPA/PFS is registered with and securities are offered through Kovack Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. 6451 North Federal Hwy, Suite 1201, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308, 954.782.4771. Investment Advisory services are offered through Kovack Advisors, Inc. Old Fort Wealth Management and Hack Your Tax are not affiliated with Kovack Securities, Inc. or Kovack Advisors, Inc. This information is not intended to provide tax, legal or investment advice. Please speak with a qualified professional in these areas before making any decisions about your personal situation.
United Financial Advisors
Brad Lewis' path to success in the financial services industry started in the restaurant business. His father owned Lewis' Cafeteria, and while he was great in the kitchen and in customer service, he wasn't gifted in financial planning.
"He made mistakes because he didn't know all that was available. There were things they could have done better, which made me want to get my license and come back to help my dad," Brad says. "Unfortunately, he passed away at age fifty-five, and I never got the chance to help him, so I decided to try and help as many people as I could."
For over two decades, Brad has lived that mission through his firm, United Financial Advisors, where he has helped multiple generations of clients plan for retirement, build their wealth, and protect their estate. "The most rewarding part of my job is that I get to help people in a very fundamental way," he says.
Brad's approach is rooted in expertise honed by years of experience, hours spent on two designations, continuing education, and a deft touch in customer
service. As the business has grown, he's taken the necessary steps to ensure that communication and responsiveness remain top priority.
"A lot of firms will maintain a ratio of one advisor to one assistant or, in some cases, two or three advisors to one assistant," he says. "At United Financial Advisors, we have four assistants to one advisor to ensure there's always someone to answer the phone, answer questions, and care for clients' needs. That's how important customer service is to us." It’s this personal touch that sets his firm apart.
"How many times have you called somewhere just to get something simple like a form or a copy of a statement or to schedule an appointment?" he says. "Then, a robot answers the phone and puts you on hold or asks you to push a bunch of buttons. It's very frustrating for a lot of clients. We provide actual people to answer the phone and handle things personally."
In an industry that has experienced rapid change, Brad's attention to customer service is one important element that
has remained steadfastly constant since he first opened his doors. He said while markets fluctuate and individual strategies will vary, the fundamentals of what he does and how he does it are welcomingly consistent.
"Everyone, whether thirty years away from retirement, retiring this year, or have been retired for five years, needs to have a plan," he says. "Every day, we're putting those plans together, checking to see if they're following the plan and everything's going right. We're learning what people want their money to do and putting it into a plan that fits.
"One advantage we offer to clients is our comprehensive style of wealth management, which is holistic estate planning, not just investment planning. Wealth management goes beyond a client's investments to looking at everything you do, and everything you want to do from all your insurance needs to your charitable giving and taxes to estate planning."
Brad not only helps his clients but the community as well, being active in the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce, contributing to UA Fort Smith scholarships, supporting local charities, and various nonprofits. Through all of these activities, he encounters people struggling to create a financial plan for a variety of reasons.
"During COVID, Americans became savers, and now they're back to being spenders," he says. "I also meet people who are overwhelmed by financial planning or who want to catch up all at once. I always tell them, 'Don't get overzealous. Contribute a comfortable amount first, then increase later.'"
Providing Financial Confidence and Dignity Through Every Stage of
Brad Lewis, CRPC, WMCP
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CONFIDENCE
We believe education and understanding of your current finances is vital to making prudent decisions concerning your future
PEACE
Find peace in understanding the plan knowing you are taken care of through every stage of life
FREEDOM
With our commitment and attentive service you can feel confident in a strategy that will allow you to retire and live with dignity
DIGNITY
Retire with strong finances and a long term care plan allowing you to maintain your dignity.
Laura A. Haney, Edward Jones
Since opening her Van Buren firm, Laura Haney has had the daily opportunity to assist clients in formulating a plan for the future and saving to fund their dreams. It's everything she wanted to do when she made the decision to change careers from the corporate world four years ago.
"I have an accounting degree and previously worked as a CPA in corporate payroll," she says. "I really wanted to be able to help people understand their finances because I knew there were many out there who were struggling. I wanted to be able to work with people and help them make sense of things, accomplish their goals, and leave a legacy."
While there was much to learn about her new endeavor, Laura says her degree in accounting and her work in the field gave her a set of skills that readily transferred to life as a financial advisor. "It is a tremendous advantage," she says. "Especially when we talk about working with a client's tax advisor or their CPA, I can speak that lingo and confidently communicate with them. Being effective for clients is really about the trust we build together.
My background and experience ensure we do the best planning to help them reach their goals and, at the same time, engage in intelligent tax planning."
This purpose-driven mentality is what Laura enjoys most about her new profession, which she executes with Office Manager Ginny Detherage. Together, they take pride in serving the community, one client, and one family at a time. "I just feel like my purpose is to help people prepare for their financial goals, whether it's retirement, saving for children's or grandchildren's education or leaving a legacy," she says. "That starts with building that relationship, understanding them personally, and truly learning what they want to achieve.
"The journey that I'm on with them, I don't want it to be a single generation of one family; we want to serve the grandparents and the kids. We want to have that whole connection so that we can achieve those goals for multiple generations."
Profile content sponsored by the local Edward Jones office of Laura Haney.
