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People-First Wealth Management

Money is typically the immediate focus when people think about financial planning and wealth management firms but a refreshed brand and new advertising campaign launched by WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors (WHZ) is challenging that “money first” mentality. 

Instead, WHZ is keying in on what it says is the ultimate goal that is common to everyone when it comes to financial planning and wealth management: absolute confidence that they have an unwavering partner who is working to ensure their finances are on the best possible track toward what they want in life, no matter what life brings. 

“Our strategic Plan Well. Invest Well. Live Well.™ process is the approach we use to help our clients get where they want to be, and that’s what our firm has been well-known for up until this point,” said James Zahansky, Managing Partner and Chief Goals Strategist. 

“But after years of working with and talking to clients and continually enhancing that process, we realized that it has evolved into so much more. So now it’s time to put the focus not on just the process, but on what that process is designed to ultimately deliver: ‘Absolute Confidence. Unwavering Partnership. For Life.’ And that’s how our new tagline was born,” Zahansky says.

“These phrases reflect the experience and outcomes that our clients repeatedly communicated to us that they value, and the ultimate outcome that we have always strived to achieve with our Plan Well, Invest Well, Live Well process,” said WHZ Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer Laurence Hale, AAMS®, CRPS®. “Now they will officially serve as the focus of our firm's brand, and we hope their power resonates with our clients and the community as strongly as it does with us.”  

WHZ’s new multi-channel campaign focuses on the stories of real clients who share in their own words how the experience of working with the firm has shaped their finances and, by extension, their lives.

WHZ Associate Vice President of Client Experience and Relationships Kate Pitts says WHZ asks its clients about their experience with the firm, and what they want and don’t want as part of their wealth management experience in general, in both informal and formal ways all the time.

“It’s something that’s addressed in nearly every conversation and meeting we have with our clients. We also work with an objective third party to conduct an anonymous client satisfaction and preferences survey to ensure we’re always keeping up with our clients’ changing needs and preferences. We’re really proud of our people-first approach Pitts says.

Zahansky says that intense focus on people and relationships, along with a holistic approach to wealth management that considers each client’s unique goals and personal circumstances as opposed to just their portfolio, is what sets WHZ apart from its competitors both big and small.

“The way we look at it, having the experience and skill to manage and invest wealth is just the price of admission for wealth management firms. It’s the minimum requirement, and we are always aiming to go above and beyond,” Zahansky says. 

“And apart from that, we are keenly aware that wealth management isn’t just about protecting and building wealth, it’s actually much more about the very personal and often emotional dreams and goals people have for themselves and their loved ones that require money to achieve. The money is just a tool. Our job is to partner with our clients to build a roadmap that will leverage that tool as much as possible in order to get them where they want to be, and we’re on that journey with them every step of the way.”

We’re committed to providing each of our clients with “Absolute Confidence. Unwavering Partnership. For Life.” Contact us at (860) 928-2341 or schedule a complimentary consultation on our website at whzwealth.com to see how we can help you chart a course towards a more prosperous and secure financial future.

This award was issued on 11/1/24 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 2/13/24 through 8/30/24. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 3710 Connecticut-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 282 (8% of candidates) were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2023: 3,564, 313, 9%, 11/1/23, 2/13/23 - 8/31/23; 2022: 2950, 290, 10%, 11/1/22, 2/29/22 - 9/2/22; 2021: 3191, 272, 9%, 11/1/21, 2/15/21 - 9/10/21; 2020: 3048, 285, 9%, 11/2/20, 2/17/20 - 9/18/20; 2019: 3147, 289, 9%, 11/1/19, 2/18/19 - 9/27/19; 2018: 3178, 293, 9%, 11/1/18, 2/15/18 - 9/21/18; 2017: 2218, 283, 13%, 11/1/17, 2/15/17 - 9/11/17; 2016: 1985, 417, 21%, 10/1/16, 3/25/16 - 9/28/16; 2015: 2398, 468, 20%, 11/1/15, 3/16/15 - 9/10/15; 2014: 3926, 515, 13%, 11/1/14, 3/16/13 - 9/10/13; 2013: 2263, 531, 23%, 11/1/13, 3/16/12 - 9/10/12; 2012: 2204, 503, 23%, 11/1/12, 3/16/11 - 9/10/11.
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Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. | © WHZ Strategic Wealth Advisors 2024

*Winners appearing on this page do not pay a fee to be considered or to win the Five Star Award. Professionals with a digital profile have paid a promotional fee.
Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria - required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP's consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP's consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client's experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria - considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager's future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients' assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.