Feature image: Rena Williams, from left, Charley Gardner, Crystal Swearingen, Pat Moon, Diana Hinojosa, Jennifer Greer and Marshall Moon
“Investing for a rich life, realizing what you value” is the mantra at Meridian Investment Advisors in Little Rock.
What we do is invest money for people and companies, but the reason we do that is they have something that they want to accomplish with that money,” Chartered Financial Analyst Pat Moon, managing principal, told Arkansas Money & Politics earlier this year. “Those are really the things that they value. What we do just enables them to be able to do that, so that’s what our strategy is.”
The firm offers a full suite of wealth management, financial planning and retirement plan services. Charley Gardner, retirement plan advisor, and his team are experts at helping business clients develop a suitable retirement plan.
The firm’s vendor-partner selection process determines the best fit for record keeping, administration and plan document services, and Meridian employs a due diligence checklist that helps plan and document fiduciary control activities and responsibilities.
While the bulk of the firm’s work has historically focused on institutional money management such as pension and profit-sharing plans, city and government groups, endowments, and foundations, Meridian is increasingly leaning into wealth management for families.
Of particular importance is the more active role women are now taking when it comes to financial planning. The company is also staying abreast of the ongoing wealth transfer from baby boomers to younger generations.
Although what we’re doing is essentially the same, the service model is changing completely, so we’re making investments in people — in many cases, younger people,” Moon said. “We’re investing in systems and technology where we’ll be able to address the experience that the younger people are looking for, because they’ve grown up having [come] to expect that.”
With more than $800 million in assets, Meridian has distinguished itself not only by financial savvy but by having a strong focus on education, providing resources to clients, and working to make complex topics and strategies more approachable.
Founded in 1983, Meridian provides clients with invaluable knowledge due to the experience of its long-tenured staff, three of whom have been with the firm for more than 25 years. At the same time, the business continues to grow, adding new team members, new assets and new clients.
The culture that we have is when somebody walks through the door, everybody’s on alert about what would make that client’s experience good for that particular visit,” Moon said. “The client experience aspect of our business is something we are focusing a lot on as we continue to grow our team and move towards the future.”
11300 Cantrell Road Suite 200, Little Rock
501-663-7055
Year founded: 1983
Years in Business: 42
Number of Employees: 9
Years in LREA: 32
Having served the central Arkansas community for more than 40 years, Meridian Investment Advisors continues to evolve while serving clients with professionalism and expertise.
