Ben Jacobs
MS, CFP®, EA, AIF®
Elwood & Goetz Wealth Advisory Group, LLC
Partner & CFO
Ben Jacobs
MS, CFP®, EA, AIF®
Elwood & Goetz Wealth Advisory Group, LLC
Partner & CFO
As a comprehensive fee-only financial planner, I strive to help clients find balance between living their best lives today and reaching their goals for tomorrow. - Ben Jacobs, MS, CFP®, EA, AIF®
Let’s build the future that matters most to you. Serving clients locally and across the country.
Elwood & Goetz Wealth Advisory Group is an independent fee-only financial planning and investment management firm with offices in Atlanta; Athens, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; and Naples, Florida. Helping clients navigate their financial future is a responsibility we take seriously. And it’s an opportunity we cherish deeply.
As a fee-only firm and legal fiduciary, we are solely devoted to our clients’ success. That means our clients will always get objective, unbiased, and evidence-based financial advice centered around their best interests.
Elwood & Goetz specializes in personalized and comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, investment management, and tax planning to help clients organize, grow, and protect their assets through life’s transitions. We do all the heavy lifting and day-to-day optimizations to manage your financial life — so you don’t have to.
We are grateful to now serve more than 450 families across 35 states, and we’re proud to have an annual client retention rate above 99%.
After serving in a variety of leadership roles at Elwood & Goetz for seven years, Ben was named a partner of the firm in 2021 and chief financial officer in 2022. He currently manages an ensemble advisory team based in Athens overseeing complex tax strategies, comprehensive financial plans, and new client relationships.
Ben is a "Double Dawg," having received both his master's degree in Financial Planning and bachelor's degree in Consumer Economics (summa cum laude with highest honors) from the University of Georgia.
In addition to his CFP® and AIF® designations, Ben is an Enrolled Agent licensed to practice before the IRS.
While at UGA, Ben worked as a financial counselor at UGA’s ASPIRE Clinic, providing financial advice to the Athens impoverished community. He also served as a site coordinator with UGA's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program in Athens, GA. Ben has also volunteered at The Ark, helping to provide financial education to community members in Athens and has taught free classes on credit repair and debt management.
Ben is currently a board member on the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) National Board of Directors. Ben has previously served NAPFA as the chair of the Genesis Committee and as a conference committee member for the 2022 Spring National Conference. He is also a past president of the UGA Family and Consumer Sciences Alumni Association and a past chair of the Young Alumni Council for the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at UGA.
Ben grew up in Connecticut and Georgia and studied abroad in Costa Rica prior to landing in Athens, Georgia. Ben is passionate about his three dogs, Roth IRAs, to-do lists, and of course, his family.
Education + Credentials
- Master of Science - Financial Planning (UGA)
- Bachelor of Science - Consumer Economics (UGA)
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional
- Enrolled Agent
- Accredited Investment Fiduciary™
- NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor
Activities. Affiliations. Accolades
- Member, National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
- Board Member, National Association of Personal Financial Advisors National Board of Directors
- Past-President, UGA Family + Consumer Sciences Alumni Association
Ben Jacobs is a Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors - highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
NAPFA members live by three important values:
- To be the beacon for independent, objective financial advice for individuals and families.
- To be the champion of financial services delivered in the public interest.
- To be the standard bearer for the emerging profession of financial planning.
At Elwood & Goetz, our comprehensive and personalized financial advice is always centered around our clients’ unique situation, needs, and goals. We value our independence and fiduciary duty. That means you will always get objective, unbiased, and evidence-based advice. Plus, our 100% fee-only structure helps ensure that our success is only measured by your success.
As one of the most educated, trusted, and credentialed advisory teams in the country, we prioritize quality, effective, and responsive client service. We started with just one client and the promise to show up every day to deliver our very best work. And even as we’ve grown, we’ve held closely to this mission.
To maximize the value of our process and comprehensive management services, we are best suited to serve clients with at least $1,000,000 in investable assets who are ready to delegate all of their financial planning and investment management.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Retirement Income Planning
- Investment Management
- College Education Planning
- Tax Planning
Ideal Clients
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Growing Families
- Business Owners and Executives
- Sudden Money Situations
- Novice Investors
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Ben Jacobs is a NAPFA-Registered Financial AdvisorThe National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors—highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
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Ben Jacobs is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for VerificationCFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation.
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Ben Jacobs is an Enrolled Agent (EA) with the IRSAn enrolled agent is a federally authorized tax practitioner empowered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to represent taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service. Enrolled agent status is the highest credential awarded by the IRS.
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Ben Jacobs is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF)Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) training empowers investment professionals with the fiduciary knowledge and tools they need to serve their clients’ best interests. Advisors who have earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary designation have gone through training, met the qualifications, and passed the exam allowing use of the AIF designation and they are immediately able to demonstrate the added value that they can bring to both existing and prospective clients.
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Ben Jacobs Serves on the NAPFA National Board of Directors
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Ben Jacobs is Quoted in the New York Times: "Credit Card Debt Is Bad for More Than Just Your Finances"
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Ben Jacobs is Quoted on CNBC: "Financial advisor, financial planner or robo-advisor? Here’s how to find the right help to manage your money"
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Ben Jacobs is a Guest on the New Planner Podcast: "NAPFA GENESIS PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY FOR NEW PLANNERS WITH BEN JACOBS"
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Ben Jacobs Serves as Treasurer for the Board of NAPFA Genesis
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Ben Jacobs is Board Member and President Elect for the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at UGA Alumni Association
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Ben Jacobs is an Adjunct Professor at the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at UGA
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Ben Jacobs is a Featured Alumnus on the UGA Foundation Site
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Ben Jacobs is Quoted on ConsumerCredit.com: "Why Is Credit Important?"
Contact Ben Jacobs
Office Locations:
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687 S Milledge Ave
Athens, GA 30605 -
490 Brasfield Square
Atlanta, GA 30316 -
656 Ellis Oak Ave
Suite 114
Charleston, SC 29412 -
4850 Tamiami Trail North
Suite 301
Naples, FL 34103
