As the four founders got Buckingham up and running, the first order of business was to network! In some cases, when Bert Schweizer III and Stuart Zimmerman went looking for investors or for clients, they end up with colleagues — many of whom have been critical to the success of the firm.

Wealth Advisor Ed Goldberg

As his neighbor and his accountant, current wealth advisor Ed Goldberg heard by the fall of 1994 about Bert’s plan to leave his accounting practice and start a wealth advisory firm. Bert shared he thought Ed would make a great addition to their group, and little did Ed know that by the following year he’d be looking for a second career after he closed a family business. A year after first hearing from Bert, Ed was on the payroll and today is as passionate as ever about Buckingham and the clients he’s helped over the years.

Wealth Advisor and Board Member Mont Levy

Just a few months after Bert reached out to Ed, Stuart reached out to Mont Levy, current wealth advisor and member of the firm’s board of managers. Originally approached to be an investor and client, Mont learned of Buckingham’s early adoption of an evidence-based investing philosophy and association with Dimensional Fund Advisors and became intrigued. After doing his research, Mont was convinced it was the second career he had been waiting for. By December of 1995, Mont began his journey as a wealth advisor and soon became one of the firm’s most ardent advocates.

1996 was the year Buckingham landed one of its most well-known associates, Director of Research Larry Swedroe. But that wasn’t the case at the time. Larry was vice chairman of Prudential Home Mortgage. When Prudential had to sell the company to raise capital, Larry found himself in the midst of a liquidity event — and an opportunity for a second career. He thought first of teaching, but when his friend Bert approached him about becoming a client, Larry had other ideas. His experience in managing risk and market analysis was the perfect match for the penchant for planning the original founders possessed.

They struck a deal, and a year later Larry had helped create Buckingham’s very first brochure, which later became the basis of his first book! More than a dozen books and countless interviews, lectures and appearances later, few have shared the firm’s message as far and wide as Larry.

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Buckingham Celebrates 20 Years: Moments in Buckingham History

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