Kara Smith
Wealth Management Advisor|MBA, CFP®, ChFC®, RICP®
Heart-Centered, Compassionate, and Collaborative Financial Planning
Meet Kara... And Her Family!
Hello and welcome, I’m so glad you’re here!
I'm Kara Smith. I am a wife, mom to a sweet little boy & tiny baby girl, aunt, daughter, friend, and of course, I am a business owner and a financial planner.
Professionally, I operate a comprehensive financial planning practice based in beautiful Bend, Oregon and my team serves clients across the PNW and beyond. As a CFP® professional, I am passionate about delivering comprehensive financial planning in a collaborative and compassionate way. My team specializes in retirement planning, education planning, investment strategies, wealth management, life insurance, disability insurance, long-term care insurance, and annuities.
My purpose is to become the financial advocate for people that my parents, and so many people in my family, never had. To protect good people with good intentions from financial devastation when their ‘what if’ event eventually hits. And to help people accelerate financially to eventually feel financially secure and ultimately become proud of their finances. My biggest joy comes from being an integral part in my clients’ lives and watching as they achieve big milestones, goals, and eventually, their dreams!
Personally, it is incredibly important to me to be the best wife, mom, family-member, friend, community-member, and financial advisor I can be. That is really the core of what drives me daily. In fact, my husband Cody and I intentionally chose to move to Prineville, with the purpose of being closer to both of our families, as well as to help out with the family farm and ranch as much as we can. When not enjoying quality time with my growing family, you will find me at an industry conference or engaging in community events, or maybe kayaking, paddleboarding, floating the river, camping, traveling, indulging in “foodie” culture, taking our dog Dudley for walks, or spending quality time with family and friends.
My Core Values Include:
Family
Community
Excellence – Personally and Professionally
Generational Impact
Power of Possibility
Intentionality
Love and Compassion
Financial Security – Especially protection from the “what-ifs”
Impact/Making a Difference
Professional Summary
I am a licensed Financial Advisor and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional. I hold the FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) Series 7 and 63 certifications, as well as state insurance licenses in OR, WA, ID, and CA (#4026211).
I have over 7 years of experience in the financial services industry, and I am proud to have partnered with Northwestern Mutual since the beginning.
Check out my full list of services and expertise here.
Learn more about my planning process here.
Designations & Education
I am constantly furthering my education, both inside and outside the financial industry.
The designations and education I most proud of include:
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional (CFP®)
- Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®)
- Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®)
- Masters in Business Administration (MBA)
Its worth mentioning that I am also proud of my Bachelor's in Economics, as I was the first generation in my family to complete a college degree. With all that I have accomplished thus far, I am still proud of my high school diploma because it represents the community that I came from and care so dearly about - Central Oregon as a whole, and specifically Crook County.
You can learn more about the specifics of my educational accomplishments below:
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional
Bringing all the pieces of your financial life together is a challenging task. Today, more than ever, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals are an essential resource. From budgeting, to planning for retirement, to saving for education, to managing your insurance coverage. “Finances” doesn’t mean just one thing for most Americans — and “financial planning” means much more than just investing.
CFP® professionals have completed extensive training and experience requirements and are held to rigorous ethical standards. They understand the complexities of the changing financial climate and will make recommendations in your best interest. For more information, visit the CFP board's website.
Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®)
The RICP® is a professional designation that signifies a specialized education in retirement income, and a commitment to expert guidance and ethical best practices. From retirement portfolio management techniques and mitigation of plan risks, to the proper use of annuities, employer-sponsored benefits, and determining the best Social Security claiming age, the RICP® provides a wealth of practical information. The RICP® is a mark of certification that acknowledges that your advisor has the knowledge and skills to build a sustainable and holistic retirement income plan.
Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®)
The ChFC® program provides the most current and comprehensive financial planning education by combining the key financial planning fundamentals, with practical applications to put those theories to work. With content in the curriculum that addresses topics such as: behavioral finance, special needs planning, small business planning, financial planning for clients in the LGBT community, financial planning for divorce complexities and more, ChFC® designees are trained to masterfully handle a wide variety of modern financial topics.
Masters in Business Administration (MBA)
Finance Focus
Beta Gamma Sigma, Pi Alpha Alpha, Atkinson Honors
Willamette University Atkinson Graduate School of Management
Bachelors of Arts in Economics (BA)
Magna Cum Laude, Mortar Board
Willamette University College of Liberal Arts
High School Diploma
University & Honors Diploma, Valedictorian
Crook County High School
Let's Get Started
Are you ready to get started? Here is a snapshot of next steps:
- Schedule an initial meeting with Kara
- We’ll get to know you, like really get to know YOU -- your feelings around money, your family dynamics, your most important goals, hopes, and dreams, and lastly, your finances
- We will analyze and test your current scenario, collaborate with you to design a meaningful plan, and partner with you to put that plan into action
- We’ll stay in touch, year after year, to help keep you on track, and make adjustments as life inevitably changes
Focus on Diversity
Kara believes that everyone deserves to work with a financial advisor that they can feel comfortable with and trust. In a world where the typical financial advisor is a 55-year-old, white, conservative male, Kara is passionate about supporting the LGBTQ+ community as well as women-owned businesses and women in male-dominated industries.
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer (ALSF)
ALSF funds cancer research, raises awareness, and supports the families of children with cancer. Since 2012, Northwestern Mutual, its employees, and financial professionals like me have donated more than $20 million to support ALSF and fund over 400,000 research hours.
Beads of Courage
Beads of Courage is an art-in-medicine program that helps kids with cancer tell their unique treatment story through colorful beads that are symbols of their courage.
FemCity of Bend (President & Founder)
FemCity : A place where women prosper together. Created by women for women, FemCity is a community dedicated to arm business women with everything they need to grow their business and live a happy life. FemCity brings valuable, targeted advice from the most talented, inspiring, and genuinely generous women across the globe. We highlight local business trends and offer amazing content to help women achieve their goals in business and in life.
Camp Fire of Central Oregon
Camp Fire Central Oregon is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping youth find their spark and discover who they are. We believe that every young person deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, enjoy nature, and thrive, so we offer a variety of programs, camps, events, and service learning projects meant to engage youth and inspire them to be themselves. Young people want to shape the world. Through Camp Fire, they can see immediate action and discover that they have what it takes to make a difference now.
P.E.O. (Member)
P.E.O. exists to be a source of encouragement and support for women to realize their potential in whatever worthwhile endeavor they choose. True to the mission of promoting educational opportunities for women, education continues to be the primary philanthropy of the P.E.O. Sisterhood. In fact, the P.E.O. Sisterhood proudly sponsors six international philanthropies, or projects, designed to assist women with their educational goals.
Bend Young Professionals (Volunteer and Member)
The Bend Chamber’s Young Professionals Network, now known as Bend YP (Young Professionals), is an association of young professionals that are deeply involved in the community, engaged in mentorship, and focused on both personal and professional development. We envision a thriving community of young professionals who are connecting, developing, and collaborating to shape the future of Central Oregon.
Chicks Connect of Bend
Chicks Connect is more than a membership... It is a movement! A movement dedicated to inspiring women to grow personally and professionally by connecting, supporting and encouraging one another. Accountability, love, fun, and support are a few of the amazing benefits of coming together and forming these mastermind groups online and/or in your hometown.
Beers and Business Cards (2018 Ambassador)
The original unique networking group that allows you to meet other like-minded people and network with them while building your business sphere. Beers and Business Cards is always raising the bar and helping the community!
National Association of Women MBA's (Member, President of Willamette Chapter 2016-2017)
The National Association of Women MBAs (NAWMBA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing women into leadership. We do this by: partnering with universities and corporations which elevate women in business, providing professional and leadership development opportunities, and offering a strong national network for our members.
Alpha Phi International Fraternity (Alumni Member, Advisor of Gamma Tau Chapter 2016-2017)
The sisterhood of Alpha Phi stretches from coast to coast through 170 collegiate campuses and more than 200,000 members. Sisters share a commitment to excellence and a strong desire to support one another and their communities. Alpha Phis are leaders, scholars, contributors and lifetime members of a sisterhood that values these traits.
Beta Gamma Sigma (Member)
The purpose of Beta Gamma Sigma is to encourage and honor academic achievement in the study of business and to foster personal and professional excellence among its members. A major emphasis of the society is to foster ethical business leadership. Beta Gamma Sigma members reside in over 160 countries with 27 alumni chapters located in major metropolitan areas in the U.S., Germany, Hong Kong, Spain, Switzerland & Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Peru, London and Toronto. These chapters provide educational and networking opportunities for members. Beta Gamma Sigma is the largest alumni group in the world for graduates of business programs.
Pi Alpha Alpha (Member)
The purpose of Pi Alpha Alpha is to encourage and recognize outstanding scholarship and accomplishment in public affairs and administration. Its objectives, such as fostering integrity, professionalism, and effective performance, promote the advancement of quality in the education and practice of the art and science of public affairs and administration. There are more than 160 chapters located around the world at NASPAA member schools.
Previous Events
Celebrate + Elevate "It was an honor to be one of the keynote speakers at the first annual Celebrate + Elevate on March 10, 2018. This amazing women's enrichment event included goal planning, inspirational talks from local business women, educational talks on body language and personal finance, professional head shots, massages, a photo booth, and so much more. It's safe to say that the women of Central Oregon are already pumped for next year's event!"