Personal Finance LLC
Building Financial Foundations for Gen Z & Millennials
As Seen In
Accessible
No Asset or Income Minimums.
Fiduciary
Always In Your Best Interest.
Fee-Only
No products. No Commissions.
We seek to maximize your money, so you can maximize your life.
Serving STEM & Health Professionals in Lynchburg & Beyond
Ascent exists to empower you to build your financial foundation the right way. We're committed to building genuine & deep relationships so we can help you when you need it most.
As a next-generation fee-only firm, we provide a comprehensive range of virtual financial planning services for Gen Z & Millennial STEM & health professionals.
Our Commitment to You
We value your trust. Here is how we show our commitment to you.
Accessible.
At Every Step.
We're committed to helping you no matter your financial situation.
To show our dedication to the accessibility of quality financial advice, we have no minimum asset or income requirements to work with us.
Fiduciary.
All The Time.
As fiduciaries, we are obligated to provide objective financial advice that is in your best interest.
Our goal is to provide you unbiased, objective solutions & strategies for your situation.
Fee-Only.
No Products.
As a fee-only, advice-only firm, our model is built so that when you do well, we do.
Unlike brokers, we are independent of specific products or services, have no sales quotas, & do not accept commissions.
Ready to build your financial foundation?
Our Passion is Seeing You Succeed.
How We Help
Together, we partner to create a personalized action plan that builds your financial foundation.
Financial Planning Services We Offer Include:
We provide advice on all facets of your personal finances including the aspects below. Additionally, we can coordinate the preparation & filing of your income taxes through Ascent Tax Services, a separate company that's under common ownership with Ascent Personal Finance.
Cash Flow & Debt Management
Investment Direction
Career Asset Management
Business Planning
Retirement Planning
Education Planning
Tax Strategies
Risk Management
Estate Planning
Charitable Giving
Holistic Financial Planning
Check Out Our Videos & Slides That Describe How We Help in Detail!
Ready to Get Started?
Ways to Hire Us
We'd love to work with you! Here are the different ways we partner to build your financial foundation.
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Free 30-minute Consultation to assess your current financial situation and walk you through our financial planning process.
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60-minute Initial Discovery Meeting where we go in depth about your financial goals and most pressing financial concerns.
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A Written Comprehensive Plan covering all aspects of your financial picture including:
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Cash Flow Management
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Debt Repayment
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Investment Direction
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Education Planning
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Tax Strategies
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Risk Management
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Charitable Giving
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Retirement Planning
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2.5 Hour Foundations Meeting where we will present your plan to you and make any necessary refinements.
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1 Month of Email, Phone, & Video Support is provided after we present the plan. Implementation is up to you but we will make ourselves available for support & clarifying questions.
One-Time Fee
$300-4,000
This fee is shown as a wide range because it varies depending on the complexity of your situation & range of services needed.
AscentPlan
Comprehensive Financial Plan
AscentPlan
Comprehensive Financial Plan
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Free 30-minute Consultation to assess your current financial situation and walk you through our financial planning process.
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60-minute Initial Discovery Meeting where we go in depth about your financial goals and most pressing financial concerns.
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Initial 90-minute Foundations Meeting to present your Financial Plan & Quarterly Client Service Plan.
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90-minute Yearly Preview Meetings during the 1st quarter of the year.
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Quarterly Strategy Meetings according to your Client Service Plan.
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Unlimited Access to Your Financial Planner through video, text, telephone and email.
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Access to a Personalized Website & App where you organize your finances and view your plan/progress.
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Proactive Communication when there are new planning opportunities for you.
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Recommendations to Professionals in our network such as estate planning attorneys, realtors, mortgage brokers, & insurance agents.
These fees may vary depending on the complexity of your situation & range of services needed. Our minimum quarterly fee is $135 & our maximum is $2,499.
AscentCare
Ongoing Financial Planning
AscentCare
Ongoing Financial Planning
Annual Fee
1.5-2.5% of household income
Initial Onboarding Fee
$300-1,000
Hourly Financial Planning
AscentHelp
Hourly Financial Planning
AscentHelp
Hourly Fee
$200.00/Hour
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Free 30-minute Consultation to assess your current financial situation and walk you through our financial planning process.
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Focused Engagements, our hourly sessions, are often centered on specific planning conversations such as:
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Tax Planning Strategies
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College Planning For Your Children
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Investment Direction & Portfolio Building
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Unbiased Advice on Insurance coverage & Risk Management
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Starting Your Business & Balancing Personal/Business Finances
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Maximizing Employee Benefits
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Financial Checkups, or sessions like an annual physical where we collaborate to identify possible concern areas and provide advice. This engagement is limited but meant to be an affordable option for an individual or family.
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Follow-up Email clearly describing what we discussed, what recommendations were made, and your next steps.
We will provide you with an estimate of the maximum hours we expect a project to take. We will not exceed our estimate without consulting you first.
Ready to Get Started?
Discover Clarity For Your Today.
What To Expect
We are committed to deeply knowing you, your values, and your vision so that we can create the influence you desire.
Here's how we get to know you.
"The Story & Not The Numbers"
Initial Consultation
We'll have a relaxed conversation where we get to meet you and you get to meet us. We'd love to learn all about where you've come from, where you are now, & discover together whether working with us will help get you where you want to go!
Many people view meeting with their financial planner like reading a book they don't want to - "It's going to be a bit painful, but I'll be better off for it in the end". We make sure it isn't that way. That's why we like to say this meeting is all about "the story and not the numbers". It's all about what's important to you which means we may not even discuss "the numbers" until the Discovery meeting.
Discovery Meeting
In your discovery meeting, we listen closely to uncover data on your financial picture & learn more about your goals, habits, and motivations. The purpose of this time is to begin analyzing your current situation, discovering strengths and weaknesses, and uncovering opportunities.
At this time, we will gather any relevant info appropriate to your situation including asking you to organize several documents that will provide us with key information on your financial picture. We invest a significant amount of time in our discovery process because the better the information we have, the better our recommendations will be.
"The Numbers Behind The Story"
"Let's Get
To Work!"
Foundations Meeting
Equipped with the information we've discovered in conversations with you, we develop your plan and proceed to refine it with you. This process involves analyzing data using sophisticated models, determining your financial probability of success, and setting attainable expectations and investment objectives for you to strive for.
Together, we’ll put to work the strategies our team and professional partners have developed to support your individual aspirations and financial goals.
You're In!
Client Profiles
We're most passionate about serving these Gen Y & Z individuals & couples.
If you or your significant other answer "Yes" to one or several of these questions, let us know!
Are you an engineer looking to jumpstart your finances?
In the same way that pointing the right direction at the start of a hike is more important than simply walking fast, the first 10-15 years of your financial life will set the tone for the next 50.
It is very normal to ask questions such as:
Am I paying off my student loans the right way? How can I budget properly? What is the best way for me to invest? When should I buy a house?
How can I start preparing for retirement?
Together, we will work through these discussions and more so that you feel confident knowing where you are and are prepared to navigate the stages of life you have ahead.
Specializations:
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Student Loans
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"Techies" & Blockchain Enthusiasts
Engineers
Are you a technologist or crypto investor?
Technologists
In addition to the more prevalent areas of financial planning, a deep understanding of tax planning & the intricate situations technologists face is essential for building a personalized plan that ensures you and your family's financial security.
What financial strategies are as high tech as you are? How can you leverage the unique tax strategies available due to your compensation (RSUs, ISOs, etc.)?
Together, we will build a plan that aligns your finances with what matters most in your life – in the right structure, at the right time.
Specializations:
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Financial Planning Strategies Surrounding Crypto & Digital Assets
Are you a medical professional with
unique financial needs?
Medical Professionals
Medical Professionals in their last years of study or first few years of service can often feel like they've gone, in a flash, from the sideline to driving a racecar.
What can you do to make sure you're signing the right contract? How can you pay off your loans in the best way possible while still pursuing your passions? How can you protect the assets you're accruing from the added liability you have as a medical professional?
We support you by exploring these and other unique situations you face and crafting a plan that works for you.
Specializations:
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Nurses
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Dentists/Dental Associates
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Student Loan Strategies Unique to Medical Professionals
Ready to get started?
Unlock Confidence For Your Tomorrow.
Get To Know Us
Our goal is to build a deep and genuine relationship with you.
Meet Zechariah
Professional Zechariah 👨💼
In his role, Zechariah loves the challenge of communicating complex financial information and the joy of building long-term relationships with clients. He begins each of his partnerships with a series of conversations to discover and prioritize his client’s goals and interests. Zechariah is dedicated to his clients and works hard to provide high-quality service to ensure they remain on track to reach their financial goals.
During his schooling, Zechariah discovered his passion for empowering others to achieve financial freedom through tailored education and mentoring. He completed his financial planning degree at Liberty University and has worked at several premium boutique wealth management firms.
One common theme that he noticed during his time working at those firms was the immense challenge that finding excellent, personalized financial help is for young people. He founded Ascent with the objective of providing this group of people with the quality financial help they need.
Weekend Zechariah 😊
I’m all about living life as the adventure that it is! My passions are getting to know people deeply through genuine conversations, discovering unique coffee shops, & exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains, where I live. If I’m not outdoors, then I’m in a coffee shop helping someone reach their financial goals.
I'm a technologist, advocate for accessible financial advice, & excited to be a part of the movement revolutionizing financial planning.
Zechariah Schaefer
Financial Planner
Hometown: Lynchburg, VA
Education:
Liberty University
B.S. in Business Administration
Financial Planning Specialization
Passions:
😁 People. I LOVE people.
📈 Finance (If it wasn't obvious 😂).
🏔 Nature. Hiking & backpacking!
🚀 Blockchain technology. It's sick 🤓.
Interested in Learning More? We'd love to chat.
Based in Lynchburg, Virginia
Passionate about serving Gen Z & Millennials in LYH & Beyond
Connect With Us
Our goal is to be your trusted financial partner.
We'd love to get to know you and give you a chance to get to know us! Choose one of the options below and we'll get back to you soon.
Send Us A Message
Inquiries
Mailing Address:
Ascent Personal Finance LLC
3300 Odd Fellows Rd Unit 10278
Lynchburg, VA 24506
Email: Zechariah@AscentPersonalFinance.com
Text/Call: 609-772-5665