Ben Johnson, CPWA^®, CFP^®

Principal

My Professional Background

I have been advising executives, business owners, and multi-generational families for over two decades on all aspects of their finances. I help clients navigate the associated financial and emotional complexities that come with wealth so they are able to make great decisions about their money and achieve a better return on life. I hold the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® and Certified Financial Planner® designations and have a B.A. in Finance and Economics from North Park University in Chicago, IL. I’m a member of the Seattle Estate Planning Council, the East King County Estate Planning Council, Washington Planned Giving Council, and the Purposeful Planning Institute.

My Wealth Management “Why”

I find meaning in helping people make important life decisions and being their first call when life gets messy. I’ve suffered from anxiety much of my life and that has made me especially good at understanding fears people have around financial matters. I often joke that clients can offload their worries to me as part of our service! I love solving problems and seeing a client live their definition of living fully brings me much joy.

My Personal “Living Fully”

I live in Snoqualmie with my wife, Jenn, and our two children. I enjoy fly fishing the streams and salmon fishing in the ocean. When I’m not fishing, I’m likely backpacking in the mountains or kayaking. I love to spend as much time as possible with family and friends and have been very intentional about balancing work, fun, family, friends, and adventure into my life. Something I’ve learned from my clients is how important it is to live fully throughout life rather than waiting until the day you achieve financial independence.

My Heart for Impact

One of the side effects of helping our clients gain clarity around their financial situation is most learn they have a material amount of gift capacity. This realization unlocks tremendous amounts of resources and I’m able to help them develop a strategy around their giving, whether it be charitable giving or advocacy/political giving. I also engage in pro-bono financial planning as I feel strongly that financial competence is important to everyone’s wellbeing. I care deeply about equality of opportunity, economic empowerment, child poverty, homelessness, civil rights, racial discrimination, and climate change.