Chris Kerckhoff's guest appearances

Chris Kerckhoff

The Model FA

RIA Edge

Matt Regan

David Meltzer

Scott Nelson

Michael Kitces

Whitney Hansen

Aaron Miller

Michael Cohen

Daniel Crosby

Michael Goodman

Matt Cooper

Carl Richards

Eric Roberge

John Kennedy

Luke Acree

Joseph Anthony

OwlTail

Plancorp, a $5.1 billion RIA, has been one of the fastest-growing – and most focused – firms in the industry. Plancorp’s growth has been fueled by an unrelenting emphasis on the client experience, and a commitment to enrolling its expanding team in the company strategy and success.  In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, managing director of Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Chris Kerckhoff, CEO of Plancorp, about the drivers of the company’s growth and its overall evolution into one of the largest and most influential RIAs in the industry.  Specifically, Mark and Chris discuss:  Plancorp’s organic and inorganic growth strategy – and how the two should complement each other The benefits of expanding the company’s equity ownership to more than 20 team members  Where Chris sees the most significant opportunities for PlanCorp to continue to grow over the next several years How Chris has seen the advisor-client dynamic change in recent years and how will it continue to evolve  Resources:  Atomic Habits by James Clear  Connect With Mark Bruno:  WealthManagement.com LinkedIn | Mark Bruno Mark Bruno (@brunz99) |  Twitter  Informa: Overview | LinkedIn  Connect With Chris Kerckhoff:  Chris Kerckhoff Plancorp  About Our Guest: Chris joined Plancorp fresh out of Indiana University in 1997. At the time, he was one of only five employees. As the company grew, so did his passion and responsibilities. In 2010, as the company began to implement its succession plan, Chris became an owner and was named President of the firm. He became CEO in 2018. Chris sits on the boards of both Plancorp and Prumentum Group, which owns BrightPlan. He is active in a number of St. Louis charities and serves on the Board of Directors and Chairs the Investment Committee for St. Louis Variety. When not serving the community or spending time with his wife and three children, Chris enjoys following St. Louis sports and studying geopolitical issues.

Plancorp, a $5.1 billion RIA, has been one of the fastest-growing – and most focused – firms in the industry. Plancorp’s growth has been fueled by an unrelenting emphasis on the client experience, and a commitment to enrolling its expanding team in the company strategy and success.  In this episode of RIA Edge, Mark Bruno, managing director of Informa Wealth Management, speaks with Chris Kerckhoff, CEO of Plancorp, about the drivers of the company’s growth and its overall evolution into one of the largest and most influential RIAs in the industry.  Specifically, Mark and Chris discuss: <ul> <li>Plancorp’s organic and inorganic growth strategy – and how the two should complement each other</li> <li>The benefits of expanding the company’s equity ownership to more than 20 team members </li> <li>Where Chris sees the most significant opportunities for PlanCorp to continue to grow over the next several years</li> <li>How Chris has seen the advisor-client dynamic change in recent years and how will it continue to evolve</li> </ul> Resources: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Atomic Habits by James Clear</a></li> </ul> Connect With Mark Bruno: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.wealthmanagement.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WealthManagement.com</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-bruno-046b735/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><a href="https://allworthfinancial.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> | </a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-bruno-046b735/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark Bruno</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/brunz99" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark Bruno (@brunz99)</a><a href="https://allworthfinancial.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> | </a><a href="https://twitter.com/brunz99" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Twitter</a> </li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/informa/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Informa: Overview | LinkedIn</a></li> </ul> Connect With Chris Kerckhoff: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriskerckhoff/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chris Kerckhoff</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.plancorp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Plancorp</a></li> </ul> About Our Guest: Chris joined Plancorp fresh out of Indiana University in 1997. At the time, he was one of only five employees. As the company grew, so did his passion and responsibilities. In 2010, as the company began to implement its succession plan, Chris became an owner and was named President of the firm. He became CEO in 2018. Chris sits on the boards of both Plancorp and Prumentum Group, which owns BrightPlan. He is active in a number of St. Louis charities and serves on the Board of Directors and Chairs the Investment Committee for St. Louis Variety. When not serving the community or spending time with his wife and three children, Chris enjoys following St. Louis sports and studying geopolitical issues.

RIA Edge Podcast: Plancorp’s Chris Kerckhoff on Reinventing the Client Experience

Chris Kerckhoff is the CEO of Plancorp, a fee-only RIA firm. Chris first joined the company as an intern right out of college in 1997. Through hard work and a passion for ensuring the quality of their client experience, Chris advanced through the ranks over the years and was named President in 2010. The company has experienced tremendous growth under his watch, scaling from $1 billion to $5 billion in assets under management. Chris believes in helping people live their best lives and has led Plancorp to serve as financial advocates for over 1,300 families, businesses, and institutions. Chris has also been instrumental in launching Plancorp’s sister company, BrightPlan, a financial wellness solution for fiduciary excellence.   Chris joins me today to share his journey from being an intern to becoming the CEO of Plancorp. He explains the importance of asking great questions and why leadership is about looking for people you can count on. He describes how he used to create an inauthentic “work version” of himself when interacting with clients and how embracing authenticity has supported his success. He also discusses the complex financial situations employees face and underscores the importance of connecting with your clients’ humanity.   “Humans are relationship-driven species; as an advisor, everything is about the relationship you build with clients and becoming a trusted advocate for them.” - Chris Kerckhoff   This week on The Model FA Podcast:    Chris’s 24-year-long career with the firm, from intern to CEO How his dedication to ensure amazing client experiences helped him get to the CEO role Common characteristics of rising financial advisor stars Plancorp’s true team approach and its vision for the future How to turn clients into raving fans Why Chris doesn’t think the approach to a financial crisis should be 100% digital The financial stress many employees feel and how BrightPlan is addressing it The transparency and honesty issues the financial management industry faces How advisors can become more transparent with their clients by cultivating relationships How becoming authentic with his clients contributed to Chris’s success in the firm The relationship between transparency and an advisor’s faith in their value proposition    Resources Mentioned:    Book:  Catch-22 by Joseph Heller Book:  Atomic Habits: An Easy &amp; Proven Way to Build Good Habits &amp; Break Bad Ones by James Clear Book:  The Snowball System: How to Win More Businesses and Turn Clients into Raving Fans by Mo Bunnell Book:  The Great Game of Business: The Only Sensible Way to Run a Company by Jack Stack Book:  On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life by John O’Leary    Our Favorite Quotes:    “Some people don’t get the attention they need because they don’t fit advisors’ business models. Treat humans as humans regardless of the assets they may or may not have.” - David DeCelle “Provide an amazing client experience and they’ll spread the word. You’ll have raving fan-clients who are going to give out your name more often.” - Chris Kerckhoff “When you build relationships with clients, the less important the fees become and the more comfortable you feel with transparency because you know you’ve won the relationship.” - David DeCelle    Connect with Chris Kerckhoff:    Plancorp Email: chris@plancorp.com Plancorp on LinkedIn Plancorp on Facebook Plancorp on YouTube Chris Kerckhoff on LinkedIn      About the Model FA Podcast   The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams.    Did you like this conversation? Then leave us a rating and a review in whatever podcast player you use. We would love your feedback, and your ratings help us reach more advisors with ideas for growing their practices, attracting great clients, and achieving a better quality of life. While you are there, feel free to share your ideas about future podcast guests or topics you’d love to see covered.    Our Team: President of Model FA, David DeCelle   If you like this podcast, you will love our community! Join the Model FA Community on Facebook to connect with like-minded advisors and share the day-to-day challenges and wins of running a growing financial services firm.

Chris Kerckhoff is the CEO of Plancorp, a fee-only RIA firm. Chris first joined the company as an intern right out of college in 1997. Through hard work and a passion for ensuring the quality of their client experience, Chris advanced through the ranks over the years and was named President in 2010. The company has experienced tremendous growth under his watch, scaling from $1 billion to $5 billion in assets under management. Chris believes in helping people live their best lives and has led Plancorp to serve as financial advocates for over 1,300 families, businesses, and institutions. Chris has also been instrumental in launching Plancorp’s sister company, BrightPlan, a financial wellness solution for fiduciary excellence. Chris joins me today to share his journey from being an intern to becoming the CEO of Plancorp. He explains the importance of asking great questions and why leadership is about looking for people you can count on. He describes how he used to create an inauthentic “work version” of himself when interacting with clients and how embracing authenticity has supported his success. He also discusses the complex financial situations employees face and underscores the importance of connecting with your clients’ humanity. “Humans are relationship-driven species; as an advisor, everything is about the relationship you build with clients and becoming a trusted advocate for them.” - Chris Kerckhoff This week on The Model FA Podcast: <ul> <li>Chris’s 24-year-long career with the firm, from intern to CEO</li> <li>How his dedication to ensure amazing client experiences helped him get to the CEO role</li> <li>Common characteristics of rising financial advisor stars</li> <li>Plancorp’s true team approach and its vision for the future</li> <li>How to turn clients into raving fans</li> <li>Why Chris doesn’t think the approach to a financial crisis should be 100% digital</li> <li>The financial stress many employees feel and how BrightPlan is addressing it</li> <li>The transparency and honesty issues the financial management industry faces</li> <li>How advisors can become more transparent with their clients by cultivating relationships</li> <li>How becoming authentic with his clients contributed to Chris’s success in the firm</li> <li>The relationship between transparency and an advisor’s faith in their value proposition</li> </ul> Resources Mentioned: <ul> <li>Book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Catch-22-50th-Anniversary-Joseph-Heller/dp/1451626657" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Catch-22</a> by Joseph Heller</li> <li>Book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Atomic Habits: An Easy &amp; Proven Way to Build Good Habits &amp; Break Bad Ones</a> by James Clear</li> <li>Book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Snowball-System-Business-Clients-Raving/dp/1610399609" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Snowball System: How to Win More Businesses and Turn Clients into Raving Fans</a> by Mo Bunnell</li> <li>Book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Great-Game-Business-Expanded-Updated/dp/0385348339" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Great Game of Business: The Only Sensible Way to Run a Company</a> by Jack Stack</li> <li>Book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Choices-Ignite-Radically-Inspired/dp/1501117726" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life</a> by John O’Leary</li> </ul> Our Favorite Quotes: <ul> <li>“Some people don’t get the attention they need because they don’t fit advisors’ business models. Treat humans as humans regardless of the assets they may or may not have.” - David DeCelle</li> <li>“Provide an amazing client experience and they’ll spread the word. You’ll have raving fan-clients who are going to give out your name more often.” - Chris Kerckhoff</li> <li>“When you build relationships with clients, the less important the fees become and the more comfortable you feel with transparency because you know you’ve won the relationship.” - David DeCelle</li> </ul> Connect with Chris Kerckhoff: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.plancorp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Plancorp</a></li> <li>Email: chris@plancorp.com</li> <li><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/plancorp-llc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Plancorp on LinkedIn</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Plancorp/117209011673086" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Plancorp on Facebook</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/plancorpllc/videos" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Plancorp on YouTube</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriskerckhoff/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chris Kerckhoff on LinkedIn</a></li> </ul> About the Model FA Podcast The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams.  Did you like this conversation? Then leave us a rating and a review in whatever podcast player you use. We would love your feedback, and your ratings help us reach more advisors with ideas for growing their practices, attracting great clients, and achieving a better quality of life. While you are there, feel free to share your ideas about future podcast guests or topics you’d love to see covered.  Our Team: President of Model FA, David DeCelle If you like this podcast, you will love our community! Join the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/modelfa/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Model FA Community on Facebook</a> to connect with like-minded advisors and share the day-to-day challenges and wins of running a growing financial services firm.

Chris Kerckhoff on Advocating Clients’ Financial Wellness