What We Believe at Intrepid Eagle Finance
When I formed Intrepid Eagle Finance, these were and continue to be some foundational tenets that make us very different from other companies. These are the roots that anchor our firm.
We serve Christian families
When I started the firm, I thought and prayed about who I wanted to help and who was under served. The group I came up with was families who value their faith and are also raising children. We view our clients as a family unit, not a collection of individuals who happen to share an address.
We don’t make our clients drive somewhere
My wife and I had to get an update made to some legal documents one time when our oldest child was a few months old. We didn’t have a babysitter so our little one went along. We sat across from the attorney’s desk while my wife held the infant in her arms. The attorney, who we were paying a lot of money, was not shy letting us know that this presence was unwelcome. I never want anyone to feel the way we felt that day.
If you want typical financial help or financial advice, be prepared to drive somewhere, wait in a chair for a while, and then sit across from someone at an oak table. We don’t do that. We meet with clients with the aid of technology so our client families can get help from their couch, kitchen table, or wherever they happen to be. We feel our service should accommodate your family’s life, not the other way around.
Traditional finance believes that life is only complicated when you have gray hair
I’ve worked in the financial world for a long time with folks from many backgrounds, means, and challenges. What I’ve observed is the traditional world of finance is built around the idea that difficult financial questions only happen when people are trying to retire. Those folks deserve help, but I disagree with the thesis. Folks that are trying to figure out balancing money between husband and wife, paying for a birth/adoption, student loans, finding a home, growing careers, and more ALL AT ONCE have incredible complexity to deal with. This is one of the most challenging periods in life for this group of people. Unfortunately, it can be hard to find a financial advisor when you’re in this stage of life. We aim to remedy this for the families of faith we serve.
We recognize Faith and Finance are often difficult to harmonize
This is a conflict that has been a challenge for believers for a long time. It goes back to the old testament. Our modern world has not changed this. We recognize this conflict exists, but we’re also here to help our client families work through the conflict.
Your family shouldn’t need a hefty bank account to get money help
If you get financial help or advice almost anywhere, you’re going to get a question upfront: How much money do you have? This question gets asked because financial advisors, brokers, planners, or whatever they call themselves make money off either selling you investments or charging a percentage of your investments. We believe the clients we serve deserve help whether they have a big 401k or not.
You should be able to understand our fee in less than 5 minutes
We’re a business and we charge our customers to provide a service we’re proud of. We believe that can be done in a straightforward manner. The financial services industry is littered with companies that have fees so complex that you need a flow chart to understand. If we cannot explain the way we get paid in less than 5 minutes, we don’t deserve your business.
We don’t sell financial “stuff”
Most people who want to talk to you about money also want to sell you things. These are things like mutual funds, annuities, or other products that produce large commissions and bonuses for these individuals and their companies. 1 Peter tell us “Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly”. We believe this scripture applies to what we do. As part of our foundation in Christian financial planning, we will never sell you something for a commission. We serve as a fiduciary for our clients and always will.
“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly” 1 Peter 5:2 ESV
Intrepid Eagle Finance is not for everyone and that’s OK
I did not start the company to provide financial advice for everyone or to become a giant corporation. This firm was started and structured to best serve a specific group of folks. There are other firms out there that can best serve many people. When we recognize that is the case, we will work with that individual or family to find a professional best suited to help.
Our starting point is family
One of the leading causes of the divorce epidemic in our nation is financial challenges. The book of Mark tells us “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” We believe in this. We also believe a Christian Financial Advisor can help keep families together by helping with the money challenges our client families face.
“What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Mark 10:9 ESV
The mighty eagle will be our symbol
One of the last times we hear Moses speak, he speaks about caring for others. He uses the imagery of an eagle to describe this. He chose a mighty bird’s care for her young to describe the way we should care for others. We believe this applies to family, young and old. We also believe this applies to our firm’s calling to be stewards of our clients. Why intrepid? We believe our clients deserve nothing less than what this word describes.
“Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions.” Deuteronomy 32:11 ESV
“characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance” Intrepid as defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary
Finance decisions should serve your family, not the other way around
We believe your family was placed on this earth, together, for a purpose. The financial decisions you make should serve that purpose instead of limiting that purpose. We will work with families to learn what is unique and special about their family and then help craft their financial life to support this aim.
We help Christian families on their journey to financial freedom. If you would like more posts from us on how to balance what's truly important with your finances, please sign up for our free newsletter. If you’d like to hear more about how Intrepid Eagle Finance helps families manage their financial lives, click here to learn more and schedule a free consultation.