Gordon Achtermann
CFP®, MBA, CSRIC®
Your Best Path Financial Planning
Principal & Founder
Gordon Achtermann
CFP®, MBA, CSRIC®
Your Best Path Financial Planning
Principal & Founder
Your life is complicated. I specialize in helping families navigate the complexities of their peak earning years. Because no one can predict the future, you need a guide in this changing landscape we call life. I have the expertise, the experience and the tools to take your financial life from a source of stress to a source of strength. - Gordon Achtermann, CFP®, MBA, CSRIC®
Fee-Only financial planner located in Annandale, VA, serving clients locally and across the country
Gordon Achtermann, CFP® is a Fairfax, VA Fee-Only financial planner. At Your Best Path Financial Planning, I provide comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, and investment management to help clients in any situation organize, grow, and protect their assets. I serve clients as a fiduciary at all times and never takes compensation from anyone, at any time, other than fees the client agrees to in advance. I am a leader in the field of Sustainable, Responsible, and Impact Investing (SRI), having received the CSRIC designation - the first-ever certification for study in the SRI discipline.
In his first job after college, Gordon Achtermann worked for a company that offered free financial plans as an entrée to sell mutual funds and insurance. “I loved helping people find better ways to manage their money, but the conflicts of interest in pure commission sales were just not for me. Now that the industry is moving away from that business model, I can do this my way.”
Gordon founded Your Best Path Financial Planning after a 27-year career at Freddie Mac, where he started in accounting, then purchased mortgages, built software, and analyzed data for new projects. “While the mission of making homeownership possible for all Americans was a big motivator, I always knew in the back of my mind that I would one day open my own business and return to my first love – financial planning.”
Gordon is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM professional, holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Keller Graduate School of Management and a BA in Economics from Duke University. In April 2019, Gordon completed the Chartered SRI Counselor certification from The College for Financial Planning.
Gordon is also a member of the following professional organizations:
- The Garrett Planning Network
- NAPFA
- The XY Planning Network (XYPN)
- US-SIF (The US Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment)
Gordon has lived and worked in Northern Virginia since 1988 and currently resides in Annandale with his wife Joan and kids Jerry and Tess. He is an enthusiastic music fan, enjoys watching basketball, getting outside for cycling and hiking, reading science fiction, and studying history and self-improvement. He will debate any topic at any time with anybody and enjoys playing devil's advocate to explore interesting ideas.
"If you want to do something real and start putting the pieces in place for your extraordinary future — the time to start is now, and the most important ingredient is you. Your plan will work, because you will help create it, you will understand it, and you will know the steps to take." Reach out today to get acquainted and determine if my services may be the right fit for you.
Gordon Achtermann 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.
Your Best Path Financial Planning is an hourly, fee-only financial planning firm. We help people and families get on and stay on their individual best path to handle all aspects of their finances and thus make their individual aspirations a reality.
Your Best Path offers a superior alternative to traditional big box bankers and brokers by creating a client relationship that is free from the conflicts of interest that pervade other business models. When Gordon works with you he serves only one master: you. He takes no compensation of any kind, at any time, from any source, other than the fees agreed to up front. He does not manage assets for a percentage fee and there are no long-term contracts, net worth limits or account minimums required. He offers competent, objective advice to people from all walks of life across all the domains of financial planning in service of YOUR goals, to articulate YOUR true aspirations and uncover YOUR unique best path forward.
Among the financial advice and planning services offered by Your Best Path Financial Planning are:
- SRI (Sustainable, Responsible, and Impact) investing
- Advice by web/video conference
- Risk tolerance testing and exploration
- Asset allocation and portfolio recommendations
- Tax efficient investment strategies
- Retirement projection
- Retirement annuities, including FERS and private pensions
- Retirement planning, including IRAs, Roth IRAs, 401(k) and TSP plans
- Retirement plan rollovers and consolidations
- Mortgage, student loan, and consumer debt review and counseling
- Life and disability insurance needs recommendations
- Long Term Care insurance analysis
- Property and liability insurance needs recommendations
- Education funding, including 529 plans and Coverdell ESAs
- Cash flow review and budgeting
- Real estate investing and mortgage financing analysis
- Legacy and estate planning
- Life planning/lifestyle financial planning
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Retirement Income Planning
- Sustainable, Responsible, Impact Investing
- College Education Planning
- Tax Planning
- Investment Management
- Risk Tolerance Matching
Ideal Clients
- Families in their peak earning years
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Growing Families
- Sudden Money Situations
- ESG/SRI Investors
- Novice Investors
- Sandwhich Generation
Working Together
- Virtual Meetings
- Complimentary Get Aquainted Meeting
- Clearly Defined Fees
- Hourly fee or annual fee
- No Product Sales
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Gordon Achtermann 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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Gordon Achtermann is a NAPFA Affiliate MemberThe 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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Gordon Achtermann is a Member of the XY Planning NetworkThe XY Planning Network is the leading organization of fee-only financial advisors who are focused on working with Generation X and Generation Y clients. Our mission is to connect consumers with best-in-class financial advisors who specialize in working with clients just like you.
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Gordon Achtermann is a member of the Garrett Planning Network. Click here to learn more.Everyone needs competent, objective financial advice from time to time. The Garrett Planning Network has a nationwide membership with hundreds of independent, Fee-Only financial planners providing advice to people from all walks of life, without minimum account requirements, sales commissions, or long-term commitments. Our members proudly embrace their fiduciary duty, always placing their clients' best interests first.
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Gordon Achtermann is a Chartered SRI Counselor™ (CSRIC™)
Individuals who hold the CSRIC™ designation have completed a course of study encompassing the history, definitions, trends, portfolio construction principles, fiduciary responsibilities, and best practices for sustainable, responsible, and impact (SRI) investing. This program was developed in partnership with US SIF, The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment -- the leading voice advancing sustainable, responsible, and impact investing across all asset classes in the United States. Additionally, individuals must pass an end-of-course examination that tests their ability to synthesize complex concepts and apply theoretical concepts to real-life situations. All designees have agreed to adhere to Standards of Professional Conduct and are subject to a disciplinary process.
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Gordon Achtermann is a Member of US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment
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Gordon Achtermann is Quoted on CNBC: "The average credit score of student loan borrowers just went up, but here’s why that’s a red flag"
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Gordon Achtermann is Quoted in Investor's Business Daily: "To Establish Their Green Bona Fides, Advisors Get A New Credential"
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Gordon Achtermann is Quoted in AARP Magazine: "3 Good Money Moves to Make in 2020"
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Gordon Achtermann is Quoted in Forbes: "Should You Get A Second Mortgage To Pay For College?"
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Gordon Achtermann is Quoted in Forbes: "Tips For Couples To Manage Their 401(k) Plans"
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Gordon Achtermann is Quoted in Consumer Reports: "Money-Smart Gifts for College Grads"
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Gordon Achtermann is Quoted on BankRate.com: "Adding it up: Here’s how much Americans spend on financial vices"
Contact Gordon Achtermann
Office Locations:
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8280 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive
Suite 600
Annandale, VA 22031
