I began Eichner Investment Planning in the fall of 2003. Being an independent investment advisor had been a goal of mine since I moved to Cincinnati in 1998. Getting to Cincinnati is an interesting back-story. The course of my life was thoroughly changed by a three-week trip to Europe. Not only did I enjoy the culture, but I came back having met my future wife Claire. I uprooted my life in Florida and moved to Chicago to be with her. After marrying and having a daughter, Lainie, we moved to Cincinnati to be nearer to Claire’s family.
I am one of the few Floridians who has chosen to live in the Midwest. I had lived in Hollywood, Florida until I was 25 when I met my lovely wife (a Cincinnatian). I moved to Chicago to be with her and took a job at a fund of funds hedge fund in 1991. This was before the world even knew what hedge funds were. After getting my masters at Loyola, getting married, and experiencing the joy of our first child, I went to work for Ernst & Young in Chicago. I was part of the Personal Services Group in the tax practice. There I gained tremendous experience working with high-net worth individuals and learned how to build the infrastructure of an independent wealth practice from the inside. Lainie was about to turn three years old and we were outgrowing our condo on Lake Shore Drive. So, we moved to Cincinnati — new city and new employer.
I went to work for Arthur Andersen in the Investment Advisory Practice. I was following the same theme as Ernst & Young, giving independent planning and investment advice. So, new city, new employer, and new child (along comes Jason). I am happy to say after working for two big four accounting firms, I only missed dinner with the family a few times, Yes, before Enron even hit the news, I moved on to start a Wealth Management Practice at Fort Washington Investment Advisors. It was fun building a business using the experience of Ernst &Young and Arthur Anderson.
After a number of years at Fort Washington Investment Advisors, my independence was becoming a gray area. (I worked in a proprietary firm; however, my practice was completely independent.) On October 1, 2003, I had my third child, Eichner Investment Planning, LLC. With two young kids and a wife saying, “I trust you” (and biting her nails at the same time), I embarked on an amazing journey, developed meaningful relationships with my clients, and built a sustainable practice.