ZACHARY BOUCK

“I’m investing in my clients,” said Zachary Bouck, explaining why his practice includes some clients just starting out. “We help them pay down debt, save for an emergency fund, then aggressively invest,” he said. “The ideal client is one who wants to grow with us and commit to our process. The math works in the long run.”

To further encourage savers, Bouck started a podcast in 2018 to share money lessons he learned along the way, examining topics such as college funding, spending on food and ESG investing. “The podcast lets people know we’re paying attention to important issues,” he said.

To support the community, his firm raises funds to provide college scholarships for high-performing area high school students. He and his firm also invest in future industry employees, having hosted interns for more than a decade. The benefits go both ways. “They’re so fired up to learn. They bring a tremendous amount of energy to the group, and the older advisers love mentoring them,” Bouck said. “As we indoctrinate the interns, it reinforces the values of the firm among our own employees. And the interns have been great referral partners.”

— Deborah Nason