Richard Baker is no typical financial adviser. The pastor and soon-to-be author utilizes a love for building wealth with his passion for service. The Galena native who takes half a dozen mission trips a year to train missionaries in remote parts of the world was honored by his broker-dealer, Cambridge Investment Research Inc., among its top brokers based on production and client service. Baker was named a Signature Club member among only a little more than 100 of Cambridge’s 2,500 brokers. The honor comes to the five-year Lawing veteran months after the firm’s buyout of Nadia Cavner’s financial advisory, though Baker said he’s been largely unaffected by the merger that added $300 million in assets under management.
Man on Missions “I’m part of the fifth generation from Galena, Mo., so I have deep roots. I’ve been working in the area, pastoring in the area since I went away to graduate school. I just finished up being the interim pastor at The Pursuit church on East Sunshine. … Basically, I work so I can do mission trips. I try to do six or seven trips a year. This year, I’ve been to Costa Rica, Nicaragua twice and Paraguay (through) Second Baptist Church. I’m vice president of Alongside Educational Ministries, which teaches pastor schools all over creation. The most remote was as far away from modern man as you can get on the Amazon River, teaching on a platform with the Amazon flowing below us.”
Biblical Retirement “I went to College of the Ozarks. I got my bachelor’s there, and I got my master’s and doctorate at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. … My dissertation for my doctorate was on biblical retirement. … I’m writing a book on it that will be out this fall. It basically is about investing and preparing for retirement in a biblical way – in a way that is obviously God-honoring, but that is providing for and taking responsibility for your family even after your death.”
Financial Calling “I’ve always just had a gift for it. I grew up extremely poor. I started working when I was 9 years old. I put myself through college. I got my first investment license when I was in college. And always, it was like the Lord blessed my hands. I could do it really well, and I always had a great understanding of it. I don’t know if it was because when I was young I had to work hard and manage my own little bit of money, but the Lord always blessed it. So in college, I started doing investments.”
Laying Down the Lawing “When I first came on five years ago, there was just the Overland Park office, and now we have eight locations. … I had never heard of it, and now it is just a huge player, especially in the retirement-401(k) area. It seems every huge company in Springfield we handle their 401(k). … Some of our area clients include some of the area’s largest transportation companies, construction companies and private colleges. … A 401(k) is for for-profit companies and 403(b) is the equivalent for nonprofits, and our firm handles those and more. I’d estimate we have 100 401(k)s in Springfield.
The Cavner Effect “I’m in the Aaron Sachs-Regions Bank building at Battlefield and 65. (The Cavner buyout) has broadened our footprint. … Of course, I did [take on a few of her former clients]. It was a great opportunity for our firm. I think of all the financial firms in Springfield, we are the ones best equipped to handle such a large book. It’s been a great experience for us this year getting to know her clients – now, our clients – and bringing them into the Lawing family. … If I knew the number, I wouldn’t tell you, but several. I don’t know how many. They’ve been split between a lot of us here and then a couple of people out of Kansas City, as well.”[[In-content Ad]]
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