When you dial the phone number of Wiser Financial Group, you will always be greeted with a cheerful “Hello” and never a machine.

WISER FINANCIAL GROUP; KALAMAZOO, MI | This philosophy of fostering real, human connections is also behind the tray of fresh-baked cookies that greets guests in the lobby.

In turn, the people who make this level of service possible, the Wiser staff, have glowing words for their employer. “When I had my accident, they provided food for my mother and me for as long as six months,” remembers Financial Advisor Denise Garten. “I’ve been here for 11 years now. It’s the best place I’ve worked in my whole career.” Garten’s story is not uncommon at Wiser; in fact, the company has an average tenure of 16 years.

As Wiser Financial has grown, its culture and retention rate have allowed multiple generations of team members to work in the same space. “[Our founder] Ron really took some time years ago to structure our team approach with different levels of experience and different backgrounds. Team veterans can share some wisdom and younger coworkers bring a fresh perspective,” remarks Managing Partner Wesley Lentz. At Wiser, Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers all work together with the common goal of providing the highest level of financial and personal service to clients.

Having a team of diverse perspectives has served the firm well because when families choose Wiser financial planners, they usually stick with them for generations. “We serve multiple generations of clients and, in some cases, entire families,” says Katelyn Charbeneau, director of client engagement. “We have to make sure each client is comfortable with their financial plan. But we also need to find ways to engage clients of different ages.” To accomplish this, and give back to the community, Wiser Financial Group organizes regular outings at charity events for the whole team, their families, and clients, with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Kalamazoo Institute of Art, American Diabetes Association, and many more.