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“Now, more than ever, our job is to educate and provide strategies to combat the stress that a lot of people, especially our retirees, feel as a result of these increasingly high rates of inflation”
Lynn Chen-Zhang,
Zhang Financial
For Matt Barber, a career in financial planning was not always a part of the plan.
Starting off as a corporate finance major at the University of Georgia, Barber became interested in personal finance after meeting two professionals that were starting a financial planning major. After attending several information sessions, Barber decided to switch his specialty.
“It was much more appealing to me to use my skillset to help individuals versus corporations,” he says.
As a partner at SignatureFD, Barber uses his 15 years of industry experience to design personalized financial solutions for clients in areas including retirement, cash flow, estate, and income tax planning.
To provide clients with comprehensive advice, Barber believes strong problem-solving skills are a must.
“Advising clients can be more of an art than a science since there is usually more than one way to solve the clients’ problems,” he says. “You need to be able to navigate their feelings about money and finances to find a solution that works for them and that they will implement.”
Barber’s expertise has helped his firm achieve measurable success. With a 97 percent client retention rating and over 1,400 families served, SignatureFD hopes to impact the lives of 10,000 families in the next five years. To achieve this, Barber recognizes the importance of educating the next generation of advisors on his team.
“It is a balancing act, but I try to take time after meetings to debrief with advisors and coach them on what they did well and anything they can improve on. I’m also trying to let them take more ownership of some clients while providing them any support they need to do their job well.”
Barber attributes much of his success over the past year to his proactive dealings with client business transactions.
“We were able to help structure the ownership of client businesses to save countless millions of tax dollars upon the sale of those businesses. That ultimately led those clients to allow us to manage the totality of the proceeds and provide referrals for new clients.”
Whether a client is new or old, Barber prides himself on using his expertise to provide best-in-class services to help customers feel good about their finances.
“Usually when clients come to us, it is because they have a problem to solve or are worried about something. Our goal is to solve the true underlying problem and help them find confidence in their financial plan. It’s hard not to be grateful for the opportunity to do what we do,” reflects Barber.
“The stories clients tell us about having the freedom to pursue their passions because they know we are on their team are extremely humbling.”
InvestmentNews Top Advisors are ranked based on assets under management, AUM growth, and organic client growth introduced to the business over the last 12 months. The receipt of this award had no associated compensation and was solely based on the metrics described.
1230 Peachtree St., NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
770 595 3405
matt.barber@signaturefd.com
linkedin.com/in/mattbbarber
signaturefd.com
Matt Barber
Partner and Wealth Advisor
SignatureFD
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“I want our employees to know that our goal is to promote from within, and with hard work and determination, they can grow to become the best versions of themselves”
Lynn Chen-Zhang,
Zhang Financial
2008–2013
2013
2017
2018–present
Present
Graduated from the University of Georgia in 2008 with seven others in the second financial planning major class at the school
Obtained CFA and CFP(R) certifications over the next couple of years while working at Homrich Berg
2008–
2013
Started working at SignatureFD
2013
Elected 2017 president of Financial Planning Association of Georgia
2017
Became a partner at SignatureFD in 2018
Now manages the Entrepreneur practice and leads a team of 10 individuals serving the needs of that community
2018–
present
CEO at Zhang Financial since 1997
Named to Investopedia’s list of the Top 100 Most Influential Financial Advisors
Present
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
Aug 2022
Milestones
Sept 2021
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Jul 2022
Aug
2022
Suncorp Bank introduces Solar Home Bonus offer for customers who are choosing renewable energy for their homes
Sept 2021
Month-on-month market share growth commences
Feb 2022
Suncorp Bank wins the Canstar award for most outstanding value in investment loans
Apr 2022
Suncorp Bank wins Money Magazine’s Bank of the Year and Business Bank of the Year awards for the fifth year in a row
Jul 2022
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
“Now, more than ever, our job is to educate and provide strategies to combat the stress that a lot of people, especially our retirees, feel as a result of these increasingly high rates of inflation,” she says. “My approach has always been to build a company that provides the highest value to our clients and provides our employees with opportunities to maximize their potential.”
As part of an ongoing effort to attract the best talent, Chen-Zhang has set up a system that gives younger advisors opportunities to learn and grow within her firm.
She says, “I want our employees to know that our goal is to promote from within, and with hard work and determination, they can grow to become the best versions of themselves.”
Earlier this year, Zhang Financial was ranked no. 6 on Forbes’ list of America’s Top RIA Firms for 2023. Describing the award as one of the proudest moments of her career, Chen-Zhang remains eager to continue serving her clients and building upon this year’s success.
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