The Impact-Focused Family

Background

Michael and Jennifer have been married for 28 years and raised three children, now in their early twenties. Michael spent his career as an orthopedic surgeon, while Jennifer managed a successful interior design business for fifteen years before transitioning to volunteer leadership at their church and several local nonprofits.

Through disciplined saving, wise real estate decisions, and the eventual sale of Jennifer's business, they accumulated a portfolio worth approximately $6.2 million. They own their home outright and have minimal debt. Their children are now launching into their own careers and starting families.

Both Michael and Jennifer are deeply committed to their Christian faith. They have always tithed faithfully and supported missionaries and their local crisis pregnancy center. But as their wealth grew, so did a nagging question:

"Is our wealth actually being used for Kingdom impact, or just sitting there growing?"

The Problem

Michael and Jennifer reached out to Peak Financial Management because they had questions about what faith-based impact wealth management would look like for their unique situation.

Specifically, they wanted to know:

• Were their investments actually creating value in the world, or were they unknowingly funding companies that contradicted their faith?
• Could they structure their giving to make a bigger Kingdom impact while still providing for their own future needs?
• How could they pass on not just their wealth, but their values, to the next generation?

They knew what they wanted to do. They just needed the right guidance to do it well. Someone who understood biblical stewardship and had the technical expertise to help them navigate faith-based impact investing. Someone who could help them honor the Lord with their wealth while maximizing the difference they could make.

The Solution

After an initial consultation, Michael and Jennifer decided to work with Peak Financial Management. They connected with a Certified Financial Planner who is also a Certified Kingdom Advisor, giving them access to both technical excellence and a shared understanding of biblical stewardship.

Our advisors started by listening. Not just to their financial goals, but to their hearts. They discussed what faithful stewardship meant to this family. They explored the values they wanted to pass on to their children and grandchildren. And they examined the tension between enjoying God's blessings and using wealth for Kingdom purposes.

Together, they developed a comprehensive strategy that addressed four key areas:

1. Impact Investing Portfolio

As their advisor, we redesigned their investment portfolio using a faith-based investment strategy. This meant screening out companies involved in industries that contradicted their values while actively investing in businesses that create genuine value for human flourishing. The goal was not to sacrifice returns for values, but to recognize that companies built on biblical principles of value creation tend to perform well over time.

2. Donor-Advised Fund Strategy

Michael and Jennifer had been giving generously for years, but their approach was reactive and tax-inefficient. Our team at Peak helped them establish a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF), allowing them to make a significant contribution of highly appreciated stock. This created an immediate tax deduction while eliminating capital gains taxes on the appreciated shares. The funds in their DAF could then be distributed to their favorite ministries over time, with the flexibility to respond to needs as they arose.

3. Wealth Transfer Structure

Rather than simply passing wealth to their children in a lump sum, we helped them create a thoughtful transfer strategy. This included establishing trusts that would distribute funds at different life stages, allowing their children to grow in financial maturity over time. They also built in provisions for education funding for grandchildren and a family giving fund that would involve the next generation in charitable decision-making.

4. Next Generation Preparation

Perhaps most meaningful to Michael and Jennifer was the opportunity to involve their adult children in conversations about family wealth. Together, we facilitated a family meeting where they discussed their values, their giving philosophy, and their hopes for how the family legacy would continue. They worked through practical exercises on budgeting, investing, and generosity. For the first time, their children understood not just what their parents had built, but why they had built it.

The Results

With their new plan in place, Michael and Jennifer gained something they had been missing for years: peace of mind. Their wealth was finally working in alignment with their deepest values.

Specifically, they were able to:

• Increase their annual giving by 35% through more tax-efficient strategies
• Eliminate investments in companies that profited from industries contrary to their faith
• Create a giving legacy that will involve their children and grandchildren for generations
• Establish a wealth transfer plan that protects their children from the dangers of sudden wealth
• Begin meaningful conversations with their adult children about stewardship and values

Michael and Jennifer still meet regularly with us. Not just to review portfolio performance, but to revisit their goals, adjust their giving strategy, and continue growing as stewards. They often say the greatest benefit was not any single financial outcome, but finding an advisor who understood that their wealth was never really about the money. It was about faithfulness to the One who entrusted it to them.

Disclaimer: This scenario is entirely hypothetical and does not represent an actual client of Peak Financial Management. Nothing in this case study should be construed as a guarantee of results, outcomes of, or satisfaction with services provided by Peak Financial Management.