Chris Alman
CFP®, CEPA
Equip Financial Partners
Founder & Lead Financial Planner
Chris Alman
CFP®, CEPA
Equip Financial Partners
Founder & Lead Financial Planner
I help owners and entrepreneurs cut taxes, build wealth, and protect what's important so they can exit when they're ready, on their terms. - Chris Alman, CFP®, CEPA
Hi! I'm Chris Alman and I'm a fee-only financial advisor in Fairhope, AL serving clients throughout the country. Equip Financial Partners provides expert financial planning and exit planning strategies to business owners and entrepreneurs that don't want to be placed into a traditional advisor's box.
80% of small businesses won't sell. Why? They don't have an exit plan to make it happen.
If you want a successful exit and enough wealth to live your next stage of life, you need an exit plan and financial plan that work together.
The common financial planning that everyone else does isn't going to work for a business owner. Owning a business presents unique strategies and opportunities as well as challenges that require a different approach.
I understand that your business is likely your greatest asset and you may not have money you want to invest in the stock market. That's why investment management is NOT a requirement. You deserve expert advice, even if you don't have a portfolio.
I am fee-only, a fiduciary, and an independent financial planner. I'm never paid a commission of any kind, and I have a legal obligation to provide unbiased advice that's always in your best interest.
Sound refreshing? Schedule a free 30-minute strategy call and let's chat!
A decade into my financial planning career, I realized my true passion is helping small business owners and entrepreneurs plan for their future. After seeing one study after another concluding that 80% of small businesses won't sell, I needed to do something. I tried to fit their needs into the traditional financial planning box, but I realized that the common financial planning that everyone else does won't work for an owner. Common planning leads to common results. That's when I left the firm I was with to start Equip Financial Partners.
Now, I'm fully dedicated to helping business owners and entrepreneurs build plans that actually work for them. An owner's greatest source of wealth is their business. They need to have a strategy that builds transferable value (so they have a business to sell when they're ready) and they need a financial plan that accounts for the business and the unique strategies and opportunities it provides (so they can cut taxes, protect their income, and know when the business value meets their needs).
I believe financial planning and exit planning advice should be accessible, regardless of whether you have investments to manage. Afterall, studies show that 75% of an owner's wealth is tied up in their business. You probably don't have a portfolio. That's why investment management is an add-on service and not required. Our services are built with you in mind.
Having an exit plan doesn't mean you're ready to sell. It means you're building a business that can be sold when you're ready.
I love to fly fish. I tie my own flies and target everything from small brook trout to 100-lb tarpon. Being on the water is my happy place. I love to travel with my wife and two daughters. I like iced coffee and a good stout.
One of the most rewarding things I've done is serve on the board for the Anchor Cross Cancer Foundation. Helping people meet their needs when they're fighting the hardest battle of their life puts your life into perspective.
Chris Alman 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.
Equip Financial Partners was founded in 2022 on the belief that small business owners and entrepreneurs deserve expert exit planning and financial planning strategies that don't try to force them into the "ordinary financial planning box."
Equip Financial Partners understands that common planning leads to common results (aka: businesses that don't sell and inadequate wealth). We help our clients utilize the unique strategies their business provides in order to create transferable value, cut taxes, protect what's most important, and provide more opportunities to exit their business on their terms with the wealth they need.
We believe investment management shouldn't be a requirement to access expert exit planning and financial planning advice which is why we only offer it as an add-on service.
We're Fee-Only and believe in acting as a fiduciary at all times for our clients... not just some of the time. When it comes to receiving advice, you shouldn't have to wonder if it's in your best interest. The only income we receive is the fee paid by you for the service we provide.
If you're ready to get out of the box you've been put in and experience planning that was built just for you, let's chat!
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Exit Options (types of buyers)
- Exit Planning (how you vision your future)
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Advanced Tax Planning
- Investment Management
- Charitable Giving Strategies
Ideal Clients
- Business Owners and Entrepreneurs
- Startup Founders
- Highly Compensated Young Professionals
Working Together
- Virtual Meetings (to fit your busy schedule)
- Transparent Fees (defined from the start)
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Chris Alman 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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Chris Alman 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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Chris Alman is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor® (CEPA®)The Certified Exit Planning Advisor® (CEPA®) designation is obtained by financial professionals upon completion of a five-day in-person credentialing program. Advisors who earn this credential are specially trained to help business owners create an exit plan for selling their company for maximum benefit. The CEPA Program integrates exit strategy into business, personal, and financial goals of the business owner. Using this holistic approach, Certified Exit Planning Advisors® guide business owners to decide when’s the best time to sell their business and how to minimize taxes from the sale.
Contact Chris Alman
Office Locations:
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Fairhope, AL 36532
