History
The partners, Joe Chumbler and Scott Alaniz, met during the 1990’s while working in the stock research department at Stephens, Inc. in Little Rock. We love what we do – solving financial problems & researching potential investments. After 15+ years in the institutional investment world, we were aware that the financial services industry is changing. The affluent are increasingly entrusting their financial affairs to advisors at independent firms because their needs require more sophisticated planning, a large and continuing time commitment, and more personalized attention¹.

We realized that our backgrounds and boutique business are a great fit for the Wal-Mart/Supplier professional. Our sole focus is to provide executive level financial planning and investment advice to this group. And since we limit our number of clients, our focus ensures that we can devote the necessary time and resources to help them attain their goals.

Qualifications
Seasoned. Our partners each have 20 years experience in investment analysis and financial problem solving. We are experienced in providing top-notch advice and judgment while working under pressure and under the microscope.

Credentialed. We each have earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Only a handful of the 300+ financial advisers² in Northwest Arkansas have been awarded this designation. It is the only credential recognized globally for ethics and expertise in our industry. Award requires an average of 750 hours of study³ and the exams often have lower pass rates than the CPA or Bar⁴. Learn more here.

Complementary. While both partners have deep financial expertise, their individual skills are complementary. Joe is the detail person – laser-focused and disciplined, leaving no stone left unturned. Scott sees the big picture and is good at helping clients visualize their goals and perceive unseen obstacles. Together, we provide clients with truly comprehensive advice.

Great Listeners. We are not a big brokerage firm with all the bells & whistles, but we are really good listeners. In fact, this is our single biggest competitive advantage. Our emphasis on listening owes to our specialized background as analysts. A big part of our job was to interview CEO’s, CFO’s, managers, customers, and suppliers of companies we considered as potential investments (we still do this today). So, when helping clients make important decisions, our advice is founded on a thorough understanding of their situation and objectives.

1 Celent Consulting; The Independent RIA Industry; Schwab Institutional RIA Benchmarking: Growth Trends Study
2 Arkansas Business book of lists
3 Chartered Financial Analysts Institute website, historical exam pass rates
4 www.cpa-exam.org; CPAnet.com National Council of Bar Examiners website