Strategic View Advisors

Above Side row, front to back: Dan Chory, Ed Moyzes, Alessandra Di Monda, Matthew Kilzi, Matthew Mac, Mollie Kaiser Back row, L to R: Chris Hall, Jeff Hennings, Kenny Cole, Griffin McBride Roach Front: Carol Bates, Shanelle Sua, Daniel Chow, Natalie Sauer Rutledge Photographed by Shane O’Donnell

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Strategic View Advisors is a financial planning team that partners with their clients to help them Achieve Financial Peace of Mind^TM. The team, led by CEO Edward Moyzes, operates under the umbrella of the Northwestern Mutual Private Client Group. Northwestern Mutual has been in business for the past 163 years.

After earning a Bachelor of Science in accounting and then a Master of Accountancy from the University of Denver, Edward began his career as an accountant before making the transition into financial planning more than 20 years ago. He maintains the Chartered Life Underwriter and Retirement Income Certified Professional designations, as well as the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^™ certification. Edward founded Strategic View Advisors in 2001.

In what ways do you ensure your business stands out in the marketplace?

We are at an interesting inflection point in the world of advice. Historically, advice-giving was based on unique access to information. Only a stockbroker with access could give you a tip, so you paid them for that information. Now, information is free and clients instead want someone to interpret that information in a way that provides a meaningful benefit as well as clarity. Where others are focused on data only, we trademarked Achieve Financial Peace of Mind^™ because what differentiates someone giving information from someone providing meaning is the impact on the client. We focus on helping ensure our clients’ actions are aligned with their aspirations. 

What is your definition of success? 

Our mission is for those who partner with us to Achieve Financial Peace of Mind^™, freeing up their emotional energy to invest in the things they value most. Every day we live that out, we’re successful. 

What are the best ways to establish trust with new clients?

Demonstrating care and competency. Clients need to know that you are invested in what matters most to them and that you can incorporate their priorities into an analysis tailored to their unique situations. Clients will know if you cut corners or provide boilerplate recommendations, which can immediately reduce trust. We invest the time and energy needed to both understand our clients and translate that understanding into actionable steps backed by rigorous, analytical work.

How do you help clients avoid making rash decisions?

When a client first comes to us, we spend time building a financial plan and educating them on how markets work and what they should expect as investors. This education continues throughout our relationship with informational webinars, written analysis on market events, and many, many conversations both during our regular meetings and through ad hoc check-ins as the need arises. If we wait until equities are in a freefall to tell clients about market risk, it’s too late.

How do you cope with highly stressful situations in your work?

We built a supportive team. Too many people in this field try to navigate it solo, but that can be isolating and exhausting. No matter how much stress we might encounter, we know we’re not in it alone. Often something that causes one person stress will be seen as an opportunity for someone else on the team. By leaning on each other to get the job done, we create a win-win scenario with lower stress and greater work satisfaction for everyone. We have an amazing team, and there are always people who care for us and are willing to support us when challenges arise. 

Give us your thoughts about the importance of charitable contributions.

It’s easy to describe the tax benefits of being charitable to clients, but our belief is that if we really want to make a difference, we need to lead by example. To that end, we have an entirely team-led philanthropic arm called SVA CARES. CARES stands for Community, Advocacy, Responsibility, Education and Service. 

To uphold these values and support our firm’s mission to transform the communities in which we live, SVA CARES organizes quarterly volunteer events that are focused on causes important to the team within our local community. The committee has organized events including hosting clothing drives for women’s shelters, canned food drives, volunteering at our local animal shelter, beach cleanups and annual participation in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

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Disclaimer: Edward Moyzes, Carol Anne Bates, Christopher Hall, Mollie Alyssa Kaiser and Shanelle Medequiso Sua use Strategic View Advisors as a marketing name for doing business as representatives of Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company^® (NMWMC) and Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS). Strategic View Advisors is not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, insurance agency or federal savings bank. Edward Moyzes, Carol Anne Bates, Christopher Hall, Mollie Alyssa Kaiser and Shanelle Medequiso Sua provide investment advisory services as Advisors of NMWMC, a subsidiary of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, located in Milwaukee, WI (NM) and a federal savings bank, and provide investment brokerage services as Registered Representatives of NMIS, a subsidiary of NM and a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer and member FINRA (finra.org) and SIPC (sipc.org). Northwestern Mutual Private Client Group is a select group of Northwestern Mutual advisors and representatives. Northwestern Mutual Private Client Group is not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, insurance agency, federal savings bank or other legal entity.

Photographed by Shane O’Donnell