Meet the Team 2 | Kefauver Financial Planning & Wealth Management

Meet the team supporting our Maryville and Knoxville area office

Russ Kefauver, AWMA®, CRPC®

Founder and Financial Advisor

Learn About Russ

Russ is an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor℠ and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠ with over two decades of financial planning experience. He is a member of the Flagship Harbor Advisors network, and also a member of the Financial Planning Association. Russ also proudly supports the Foundation for Financial Planning – which brings free, professional financial advice to wounded veterans, domestic violence survivors and many others.

Russ believes that every client needs help realizing their Big Ideas, and that smart financial planning goes a long way toward helping clients enjoy life’s simple pleasures. See our Financial Management and Investment Principles Summary for more insight about Russ’s investment management priorities.

CRPC® conferred by College for Financial Planning.

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Mandy Kefauver

Administrative Assistant

Learn About Mandy

Before coming to work with Kefauver Financial Planning & Wealth Management, Mandy spent over a decade in financial services as a regional account manager. Mandy’s friendly and welcoming personality is eclipsed only by her strong organizational ability.

Jay Sawyer, CFP®

Financial Advisor

Learn About Jay

Jay is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP ^®) professional. As a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner, Jay follows a strict code of ethics in developing, implementing and monitoring each client’s financial plan and investment strategy. Jay also focuses a significant amount of his time on firm management and development, and fulfills the role of Chief Compliance Officer. Jay graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, CT, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics.

Susan Jeune

Administrative Assistant

Learn About Susan

Susan Jeune is an experienced Client Relationship Manager with over a decade of expertise in client service, administrative support, and creative design. She excels in client account administration and regulatory compliance. Susan’s background spans various roles in customer service, sales, and digital marketing project management, demonstrating her versatility and dedication to professional excellence. Susan earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology at Northeastern University in Boston, MA and enjoys international travel with her husband and two sons.

About Our Work:

The value of our work is helping you live a better life. Success in this regard starts as a meeting of the minds, on its way toward realization. Below are a few things you can expect in our work together.

FREE assessment of your situation and assets

Before developing an effective financial or investment plan, it’s important to have a complete understanding of financial resources and instruments. We use a Blueprint process that makes it easy to organize your financial life. Your Blueprint will accurately detail your financial resources, quantify your assets, organize information for building a long-term plan, and lay it all out in easy-to-read sections accessible from anywhere if you so desire, with our easy-to-use mobile app.

Help with a plan that supports your Big Ideas

Starting a journey with a clear destination makes for better trip. We hope to hear about your goals – your Big Ideas – and to provide help as you work toward overcoming challenges to achieving them. We’ll discuss how our work together could best add value to your life.

Investment risk and suitability assessment

Risk can work in two directions. Part of our work will help determine if you are taking too much risk, or not enough. We’ll point out and offer insight about personal or employer-based investments – especially if they are unsuitable or inappropriate for you based on your individual or family situation.

Are you paying too much in fees?

Too few advisors make it a point to clearly articulate what you’re charged, how fees can impact your portfolio, and what you get for your money. We’ll discuss these things, and provide an assessment of the fee structure you’re currently in. You can’t get something for nothing, and you DO get what you pay for, but fees can have profound effects on your portfolio over time and deserve attention.

Investment management & course correction

Every financial plan needs execution and management. And each client needs a portfolio of investments that match their goals. That’s the basic outline of our work when it comes to your investment plan. But our work also includes behavioral coaching and advice with your investments, and your money. It’s during times of life stressors or market ups and downs that people become the most vulnerable to The Big Mistake – a poor decision that leaves lasting and unanticipated results. Helping to avoid this is our most important work together. See our Investment Principles Summary for more insight about our investment management priorities.

Insurance and asset protection strategies

Financial planning and wealth management is often as much about conservation and protection as it is about growth. We’ll provide insight on strategies and products that can protect you and your family against adversity or unforeseen challenges.

Estate considerations

Our work together will take into consideration strategies and tools for preserving wealth that tax and estate planning professionals you work with will find very useful.

*Investing involves risk including loss of principal. No strategy assures success or protects against loss.

What You Can Expect:

Learning About You

At our first meeting we’ll get to know you and your situation. We’ll ask questions and do a lot of listening. We won’t make long-term recommendations before understanding you, your values, goals, and concerns. We will suggest developing a custom Blueprint – a simplified, organized picture of your financial life.

Create & Manage Your Plan

With a solid understanding of your financial life, we’ll aim to help you build a plan that supports your Big Ideas and helps avoid mistakes. That means careful review and management of current and future investments and financial instruments. We’ll consider future funding needs for enjoying more life; plan for taxes, inflation, health care, and more.

Helping You Stay on Plan

The most important factor in long term success for investors is their own behavior. So you can expect thoughtful guidance in moments when life stress, or market conditions would most often leave you vulnerable to a mistake. We’ll suggest course-corrections when necessary, and staying the course when not.