About Us
The Wealth Management Associates Philosophy
We assist our clients in the management of their wealth by facilitating their exercise of responsible stewardship. We act as partners with our clients, and their other professional advisors, as an overseer or expediter in the practice of this stewardship. Our role is to facilitate by gathering information pertinent to our client’s individual situation, assisting in the setting of suitable goals, analyzing this information, recommending appropriate planning vehicles and investment strategies, implementing these strategies, and monitoring results with our clients. These services are offered exclusively to the upper echelon of the personal investment and qualified plan market in the Southeast.
Our business is people and their financial freedom. Therefore, in the pursuit of our goals, we will conduct ourselves in accordance with the following precepts:
- Our clients always come first.
- Our services will be distinguished by their value to our clients in a changing, competitive market.
- Our office will be a positive environment where individuals work cooperatively and promote teamwork.
- Our staff will be distinguished by integrity, high standards of performance, and the pursuit of excellence in all their activities.
- We will truly care about the total well-being of our clients.
- We will continue to develop professional skills while pursuing continuing education in the areas of tax laws, financial planning techniques, and investment knowledge.
- We understand that success obligates us to give something back to our community. Through our personal efforts and financial resources, we will support local civic, charitable, and artistic endeavors.
- We will achieve these goals by developing and advancing our current office members, hiring and training additional individuals as appropriate, and recruiting existing qualified individuals.
Through aggressive pursuit of our office and individual goals and steadfast adherence to these fundamental tenets, we expect to develop greater job security for ourselves. Our specific 3-5 year office goal is to become the financial planning firm of choice in the Upstate.
Jon Emmett "Beau" Shuler received his bachelors degree in economics from Clemson University and his MBA in finance and marketing from the University of South Carolina. He has been awarded the Certified Financial Planner™ designation by the International Board of Standards and Practices for Certified Financial Planners™ (IBCFP) and has been awarded the designation of Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) by the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA).
Beau has been a registered representative since 1972. He is currently president and owner of Wealth Management Associates, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. The industry magazine, Financial Planning on Wall Street, chose him as one of the Top 100 "New-Style" (Fee Oriented) Brokers in America in its September 1994 issue. He is an active member of the Financial Planning Association, Practitioners’ Division. His biography is published in numerous editions of Who’s Who including the 17th and 18th editions of Who’s Who in the World.
He has co-authored three articles published in the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics and is also co-author of the book Getting to the Heart of the Matter. He has also written a weekly investment column for area publications and conducted a regular investment show on local cable television. He is frequently called upon for opinions by local television news shows to discuss financial planning or developing economic trends and has been interviewed and quoted by both Financial Planning magazine and Financial Planning on Wall Street.
He carries on an active consulting practice assisting individuals and business owners in the Southeast with retirement, estate, and investment planning.
Mary Margaret Richards, a financial planner with Wealth Management Associates, claims that "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" is encoded in her DNA. She is currently expressing her lifelong interest in frugal, joyful living through her paid work as well as through her quilting and gardening. She is particularly interested in the financial issues faced by women at every point in their lives, helping them plan for their futures.
Mary Margaret holds the A.B. degree from the University of Georgia and both the M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She joined Wealth Management Associates after a successful career in college teaching, which she concluded as Associate Professor of English at Wofford College. Her writing background includes articles published in a number of scholarly journals and books.
Mary Margaret, as a result of her extensive training and commitment to the highest ethical standards in providing financial advice, has earned the Certified Financial Planner™ distinction. For two years she wrote "A Gracious Plenty," a monthly column on financial planning, for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. During her years at Wofford College, Mary Margaret started the Wofford College Women’s Investment Club, a group which continues to learn about and invest in the stock market today.
An active member of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Mary Margaret is currently writing a book on financial planning according to the Benedictine Rule. In December 2007, she will be co-leader of "A Benedictine Experience," a retreat focusing on financial planning within the context of Benedictine spirituality, at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
Married to Dennis Dooley, an English professor at Wofford College, Mary Margaret has no children but many cats. She is determined to get a quilt on the frame soon, in spite of the fact that the kittens will sleep on it.
Richard Strasburger is vice president for operations at Wealth Management Associates, Inc. He graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in business. He worked for several years in the real estate development business. Several years later he graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in electrical engineering. Before joining Wealth Management Associates, he was the manufacturing manager at MEMC Electronic Materials Company in Spartanburg. He was previously on the board of directors of the United Way of the Piedmont and the board of directors of the Spartanburg Science Center, and is currently on the board of directors of the Palmetto Council, Boy Scouts of America. He is a registered representative with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. He has worked with Wealth Management Associates since 1998.
Lisa brings experience as a legal assistant, bank teller and customer service manager to Wealth Management Associates. She admits she is a perfectionist and is particular about "a place for everything and everything in its place," and is glad that these potentially exasperating traits are assets in her position with WMA.
She holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Agriculture degrees in entomology from Clemson University and North Carolina State University, respectively. She also received a Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts.
Lisa is passionate about animal welfare and rescue and has volunteered for many years with several rescue organizations. As a member of an equine rescue, she served as a cruelty investigator and was certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a Large Animal Rescuer. She currently volunteers with Critter Connection, a Spartanburg-based small animal rescue group, through which she has developed a particular soft spot for pit bulls. Lisa has horses, dogs, cats and a pet goat.
Lisa likes to unwind by spending time with her animals, practicing yoga, and listening to Texas blues. With her husband Bill, she also enjoys traveling, hiking, salmon fishing, and playing pool.
Lisa dreams of someday meeting her favorite musician, Jimmie Vaughan, living on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, and being able to do tree pose in yoga without falling on her face.
Raymond James Financial (NYSE-RJF) is a Florida-based diversified holding company providing financial services to individuals, corporations and municipalities through its subsidiary companies. Its three principal wholly owned broker/dealers, Raymond James & Associates, Raymond James Financial Services and Raymond James Ltd., have more than 5,300 financial advisors serving 1.9 million accounts in 2,300 locations throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. In addition, total client assets are approximately $233 billion, of which approximately $31 billion are managed by the firm‘s asset management subsidiaries.*
In May 2010, six Raymond James analysts ranked in the top five for their coverage industries in The Wall Street Journal's 18th annual "Best on the Street" survey, with the firm placing 7th overall among 183 brokerage firms.
In June 2009, for the second consecutive year, Raymond James clinched first place among full-service brokers in the SmartMoney Annual Broker Survey, receiving top ratings for customer satisfaction and account statements and also earning the highest marks for its corporate website.
In December 2008, Raymond James was listed for the seventh time as one of "The 400 Best Big Companies in America" by Forbes.com.
In July 2008, Raymond James ranked “Highest in Investor Satisfaction with Full Service Brokerage Firms” in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Full Service Investor Satisfaction StudySM. The results are a demonstration of the very high level of service we strive to achieve.
In March 2008, Forbes magazine listed Raymond James as the only investment services firm among the large-cap and mid-cap companies in its 2008 ranking of “America‘s Most Trustworthy Companies.” The Forbes rankings are compiled by financial analytics company Audit Integrity after it assesses companies for the integrity of their operations.
In March 2007, BusinessWeek magazine named Raymond James as one of the top 18 companies across all industries in customer service, citing our strong “Service 1st” culture and focus.
For more information about Raymond James Financial, visit raymondjames.com.
Past performance is not indicative of future results. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation to buy or sell Raymond James Financial stock.
The Wall Street Journal does not endorse, sponsor or approve the investment programs of Raymond James. The Wall Street Journal survey identifies the top five analysts across various industry categories, basing the awards on stock-picking skill. Calculations for the “2010 Best on the Street Analysts Survey” were performed by FactSet Research Systems Inc.
The Forbes rankings for “America‘s Most Trusted Companies,” are compiled by financial analytics company Audit Integrity after it assesses companies for the integrity of their operations. Audit Integrity, Inc. is not directly or indirectly compensated for the specific views, opinions or recommendations expressed in its research report. Neither Audit Integrity nor any other party guarantees the accuracy of the list or makes any warranties regarding its usage.
The Forbes rankings for the “400 Best Big Companies in America” are based on stringent criteria including accounting and governance ratings, revenue, positive equity, long-term earnings growth and debt-to-capital ratios.
SmartMoney does not endorse any product or service of Raymond James.
Raymond James received the highest numerical score among full service brokerage firms in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Full Service Investor Satisfaction StudySM. Study based on responses from 4,528 investors measuring 19 investment firms and measures opinions of investors who used full-service investment institutions. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in April-May 2008. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com for more information about the study.
RJF stats as of 5/13/2010
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Jon Emmett Shuler
Mary Margaret Richards, CFP®, Ph.D.
Richard Strasburger
Lisa Baird