Finding a financial professional you can trust is key to achieving a successful retirement.
Certified Financial Fiduciaries® are sworn to uphold the highest moral, ethical and fiduciary standards of service when providing advice to potential or existing clients. By choosing to work with a Certified Financial Fiduciary® you can be confident that your best interests will always come first!
Kirk Wilkerson is a Financial Consultant and Managing Director of Consilium Financial Group.
Kirk integrates financial planning, investment management, and estate and philanthropic planning into a custom-tailored financial plan that helps clients accomplish their financial goals. He is responsible for bringing together the specialized resources necessary to effectively meet his clients’ needs and for building long-term client relationships based on integrity, confidence and trust.
Prior to co-founding Consilium Financial Group, Kirk spent 17 years as a Senior Wealth Advisor with Ronald Blue & Co. Other Broker-Dealer positions, beginning in 1992, include his role as a Financial Consultant with Shearson Lehman Brothers, The Robinson Humphrey Company, and Sr. Financial Advisor with Paine Webber, Inc.
When employed in the Broker-Dealer arena, Kirk held his Series 7, 63 and 65 licenses, as well as Georgia Life Insurance and Annuity licenses and earned several professional designations including Guided Portfolio Manager, Retirement Planning Consultant and Managed Account Consultant. In 2001, he earned the designation of Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) through the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Finance and the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA). In 2020 he earned his Certified Financial Fiduciary® (CFF) designation dedicating the practice to a standard of care, loyalty and best interest of the client at all times.
Hannah Buschbom CFP®, CDFA™, CFF is a Wealth Advisor at The AmeriFlex Group. She has over a decade of experience working in the financial services industry. Her specialty is working with people, especially women, during a significant life transition, such as retirement, sale of a business or real estate, change in marital status, or loss of a loved one.
She enjoys engaging clients cooperatively, to develop creative solutions to their often-complex scenarios together. This method, she says, leads to their preferred outcome– “My ultimate goal is to enable clients to be better educated, and in turn to make confident and informed decisions.”
In her search for connections to educate and serve her clients better, Hannah noticed a lack of a centralized way for women to establish and strengthen powerful relationships with other women business leaders in their communities. By Co-Founding The W Source, she helps female professionals tackle this challenge by providing a way for them to connect, engage, and grow their professional networks.
Hannah holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification – the gold standard for financial planning in the financial services industry. Also, Hannah noticed early on in her career that those grappling with the complexities of divorce settlements could benefit from the help of a specialized, trusted advisor. Wanting to fill this void, she pursued and obtained her Certified Divorce Financial Analyst Designation®. Finally, wanting to provide the highest standard of care for clients, she holds the Certified Financial Fiduciary (CFF®) designation.
As a featured speaker, Hannah frequently shares her expertise with other female professionals. She has contributed to Barron’s Magazine, Financial Advisor magazine, Investment News, Financial Planning Magazine, and Wealth Management.com.
In 2019, Hannah was named “Grassroots Champion of the Year”* by Financial Services Institute (FSI). FSI advocates for a more business-friendly regulatory environment for independent financial services firms and independent financial advisors in Washington D.C. The award is given at the discretion of FSI.
* Third-party rankings and recognitions are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a client or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance or results. These ratings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor by any client nor are they representative of any one client’s evaluation.
Loren’s passion is helping people achieve their retirement dreams. He’s been a part of the financial industry since 1998 and has helped thousands of people retire.
Through his many years in the industry, Loren has been able to unmask a lot of what goes on behind the scenes at major corporations. He experienced companies and advisers that would overcharge and oversell investment products with no intention of seeing their clients through. Because of this, he has dedicated himself to changing the industry for the better with a team of professionals driven to put the client’s needs first.
Loren is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Certified Financial Fiduciary® and has his life, health and accident Iowa insurance licenses. He also has passed the Series 6,7,24,63 securities exams. He is the host of the Retiring Today TV show and podcast. Loren resides in Johnston, Iowa, with his daughter. When he is not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling and being outdoors.
Chawn joined Merkle Retirement Planning in 2019. He has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services and public accounting industries. The CPA side of him enjoys the detailed and strategic nature of retirement planning, while the high-energy, outgoing side of him loves asking questions and getting to know the families we have the opportunity to work with. Chawn prides himself on building long-lasting relationships and simplifying the complexities that are part of retirement planning.
Chawn grew up on a dairy farm in eastern Iowa. He is the fourth of five boys, all with names that start with a 'C'. The early mornings and late nights of helping to run the family farm and manage their dairy cows has shaped his approach to hard work. One of their top family values was “put the time in and do the work first, and expect the reward later."
Chawn resides in Clive with his wife Ryan, daughter Morgan, son Tyler and their Cavapoo dog Rex. In the summer you can find Chawn on the baseball field, coaching his son Tyler. In the fall, he is in the gym cheering on his daughter Morgan at volleyball games. Chawn and Ryan enjoy working out, staying active, and tackling projects around their house together.
Chawn has been a CPA since 2000, has his MBA from the University of Iowa, is a Retirement Income Certified Professional®and a Certified Financial Fiduciary®. He has his life, health and accident Iowa insurance licenses and has passed the Series 7 and 66 securities exams.
Robert Cannon, Certified Financial Fiduciary® AIFA®
Robert Cannon, AIFA® has more than three decades of experience working with affluent investors, businesses, and hedge funds across the United States. He places a key focus on creating lifetime income plans for retirement, and in doing so, Robert guides his clients through a very distinctive wealth management and investment process that is specifically designed for financially successful individuals, couples, and families.
He is viewed as a “Chief Financial Officer” to his clients, and in many ways acts as the “quarterback” by implementing an advisory team approach. This allows his clients to receive advice from specialists in different areas, including wealth building and preservation and taxes.
In addition to his vast experience, Robert has earned numerous licenses and industry professional designations, including the Series 7 (General Securities Representative), Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent), Series 66 (Uniform Combined Registered Investment Advisory), and the Series 55 (Equity Trader). He also holds an accident and health insurance license and is eligible to conduct business in over 30 states.
In addition, Robert received a Certificate in Financial Management from Cornell University. He has also earned the prestigious Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA) designation. When not working with clients, Robert enjoys spending time with family and friends. He resides in New York.
Robert Cannon, Certified Financial Fiduciary® AIFA®
Danielle is an Investment Advisor Representative, Certified Financial Fiduciary®, and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® based out of Madrona Financial’s Park City, Utah office. With over a decade of experience in the financial services industry, she executes all aspects of financial planning: investments, alternatives, structured products, insurance, retirement planning, social security, taxation, estate, legacy and divorce planning.
Danielle is a nationally recognized advisor, with a published training series, “Back to Basics,” and she has been featured on national television on CNBC, ABC, FOX, and PBS.
As a former competitive soccer player, Danielle enjoys running and spinning. Her husband, Will, graduated from the Air Force Academy as captain of the Lacrosse team and over the last 15-years has gone on to be an H-60 Blackhawk helicopter and C-26 airplane pilot. Together, they enjoy hiking, biking, and skiing with their two daughters, Claire and Everly. As a family, they root for their favorite football teams, the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos!
Vickie entered the Financial Services space in 1993 where she immediately found her passion for helping clients, specifically in determining the paths they need to take on their own unique financial journey. Vickie believes in open, honest communication with her clients to build lasting, lifelong relationships. “Helping my clients make difficult decisions that ultimately shape their future is a privilege, and a responsibility I take great pride in.”
Vickie holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification – the gold standard for financial planning in the financial services industry. Wanting to provide the highest standard of care for clients, she also holds the Certified Financial Fiduciary® designation. Vickie holds FINRA Securities Registrations Series 7, 6 and 66.
Vickie currently leads the Scottsdale/Arcadia chapter of The W Source™, a female-centric networking group providing women a place to collaborate and help one another grow professionally by providing quality resources for clients and connections to local businesses and professionals. Vickie was also published in the 2018 and 2019 KNOW Phoenix, 100 plus women you want to know and do business with*.
*Third-party rankings and recognitions are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a client or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance or results. These ratings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor by any client nor are, they representative of any one client’s evaluation.
*Securities offered through SagePoint Financial, Inc. (SPF), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through The AmeriFlex® Group, an Independent Registered Investment Advisor. SPF is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of SPF. Insurance is offered independent of SPF.
Proudly serving individuals, families and business owners as an Independent Financial Advisor, since 1999.
Mr. Desberg began his career as an Investment Advisor Representative in Scottsdale helping his clients prepare and plan for their future. The same year, he founded the independent financial services firm, Desberg Financial, and expanded his practice throughout Arizona.
Prior to calling Arizona home in 1996, Todd attended school near Cleveland in the small town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
Todd eventually enrolled in graduate school at the University of Arizona from 1997-1998 to study Public Health, Law, and Business Administration and he received his Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio University. He graduated Cum Laude, with honors in 1995, majoring in Health Services Administration and Business Administration. Todd was also recognized as an outstanding student-athlete and was awarded an athletic scholarship for competing on the University’s NCAA Division I wrestling team from 1990-1994.
Today, Todd is committed to maintaining the highest standards, integrity and professionalism in the work he does for every single family. His strong desire for helping people enables him to fully understand each client's unique situation, so he can deliver quality products along with the personalized service that people deserve.
Professional Career
Mr. Desberg holds a Life and Health Insurance license and maintains the following Securities licenses: Series 6, 7, 63, and 65.
Family life
Married to Melissa in 2005 and happily raising their son and daughter in Scottsdale. They are a family of mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts.
Volunteer Service
Todd passionately supports the following 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations:
Head Coach - Desert Mountain High School and Mountainside Middle School Mountain Bike Team in Scottsdale. Affiliated with the North Valley Riders Mountain Bike team through the Arizona Interscholastic Cycling League (AICL) and the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA).
Past President, Endowment Chairman and Executive Board member for Tucson - Dollars for Scholars, a Scholarship America organization. Proudly dedicated to supporting local high school graduates attending the University of Arizona by awarding over one million dollars in renewable scholarships to highly qualified young men and women.
Financial Literacy Educator - Junior Achievement of Arizona.
Known throughout Central Ohio for his knowledge and experience in retirement planning, Greg Taylor takes the time to carefully learn each family’s unique needs and to help them develop their own individualized retirement plan.
Greg’s vision is to help retirees “re-think” how they manage their financial portfolios. He has created the Family Endowment Portfolio to help create a more predictable and efficient path to achieving your investment goals. His focus is to reduce risk, help protect and grow assets and create an income-generating plan. Greg believes that if you Plan Smart, you can have the security and peace of mind that you can, Retire well.
Greg and his wife, Kristin co-host the weekly radio show Winning Retirement heard every Saturday and Sunday on 610 WTVN. He teaches periodic retirement classes held at the Fawcett Center on the Ohio State University campus. His articles on financial planning have been featured on Forbes.com, Fortune.com and Money.com.
Greg and Kristin live in Grove City with their three boys and their adorable Teacup Yorkie, Belle. Greg enjoys golfing, working out, hanging out with his family and Buckeye Football.