Christopher Lawes, CFP®, AIF®, CLU®

My primary focus is helping people make their financial dreams a reality. My process is simple. It starts with asking important, meaningful questions. Then I listen and HEAR what clients are saying. Once there is a clear understanding of goals and priorities, I recommend unbiased advice to accomplish these goals. Implementation and ongoing monitoring are the final pieces to becoming a member of the Diversified Wealth Management (DWM) family.

My clients are both Businesses and Individuals and their families. The Business side is focused on Retirement Plan consulting. Is the business maximizing their retirement plan benefits for themselves and their employees? Are they fulfilling their Fiduciary obligations to the DOL and IRS? Is the plan running as smoothly as possible and not an administrative burden? With over 20 years of experience, I answer these questions through guided process and execution. And, we also have some fun along the way!

Working with individuals and their families is a special privilege. Everybody’s financial situation is different and there are always opportunities to learn and improve. That may be maximizing the benefits of the current tax code, reallocating investment portfolios, reviewing future income needs, giving advice, being a sounding board in tough economic environments, or answering the most common question… “Do I have enough money to retire?”

It's been a pleasure working with great clients over the past two decades, and I look forward to the next two. Come join the family!

I’m very strong believer in the importance of continuous learning.  Because of this belief I hold a diverse array of advanced financial services designation.

Credentials and Professional Designations:

CFP® - Certified Financial Planner Professional: A designation issued by an independent board for financial planning.  The CFP is widely considered to be a very prestigious and important designation in the industry for advisors who offer comprehensive financial planning advice and services.

AIF® – Accredited Investment Fiduciary - A designation offered through FI360 in association with Centre for Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX) that focuses on applying fiduciary standards and prudent practices to the investment management process.   Also applies to the management of qualified plans (401k plans etc).

CLU - Chartered Life Underwriter - An advanced designation offered through the “American College” that concentrates on insurance analysis and estate planning.

Education

University of Vermont BS, Finance and Marketing 

Licenses

Series 7 & 66