Financial Guidance at Every Stage

Chris Birkenbeul, RICP®, financial advisor at Fort Financial Credit Union, enjoys helping clients meet their financial well-being needs during every unique stage of life.

When Dana Bromelmeier, a longtime client of Fort Financial, came into an inheritance it made sense to turn to Birkenbeul. 

“Chris listens, he pays attention and follows what’s going on,” says Bromelmeier. “He is personable and knowledgeable, a really good listener and he’s so patient. He was very thorough in explaining things, even when I didn’t understand and had to ask him the same question more than once. He would make suggestions and ask questions, too. I had no clue what to do with the inheritance and he had a good plan for how to divide it up.”

Birkenbeul says he especially enjoys the fact that as a financial advisor, he spends much of his time educating clients and helping them understand what their options are. He says it’s never too early or too late to seek advice from Fort Financial.

“What sets me apart is that I’m a fiduciary advisor, which means I have a commitment to always do what’s in the best interest of the client. I’m not beholden to one product or one service — it’s more customized to that individual. I can say, ‘Here is option A and option B, and this is how they work. Which one do you prefer?’” he says. “I have solutions for those who are just starting out to those who are pre-planning retirement, or really close to retirement, to everybody in between.”

Because Birkenbeul has many resources at his disposal, he can constantly reevaluate a client’s investments and make adjustments when needed. That’s important when the market fluctuates or a person’s goals change. 

“Just the other day he called me to say, ‘I can do something else with your money that has the potential to earn more interest. Do you want to switch?’ I really appreciated that,” says Bromelmeier. 

Customers have several choices when it comes to where they bank or invest their money, so Birkenbeul says he puts relationships first and works to earn his clients’ trust.

“Ultimately, my goal is to help people any way I can. I think everybody needs a little bit of guidance and should work with someone they’re comfortable with,” he concludes. 

Investment Advisory Services offered through Investment Advisor Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC, to residents of: IN, OH, MI, MS, NC, SC, VA, TN. Cambridge, Fort Financial Wealth Management and Fort Financial Credit Union are not affiliated. Non-deposit Investment products are not NCUA insured, not credit union guaranteed, may lose value. This testimonial may not be representative of the experience of other customers. This testimonial is no guarantee of future performance or success. Person giving this testimonial is a client and there are no material conflicts of interest between the financial professional and the person giving the testimonial. There was no cash or non-cash compensation provided for the testimonial.

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