Daniel Patterson, CFP®, EA, MBA
Hi! My name is Daniel Patterson. I’m a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) and the founder of Sweetgrass Financial Planning. Besides my faith and my family, nothing brings me more pleasure than helping clients identify and develop solutions to the many different financial situations that we encounter in life. Whether it be something stressful, such as how to get out from under the weight of your student loan debt, or something exciting, such as what to do with the extra money that you’re receiving from that new promotion at work, my goal is to provide you with tailor-made advice that is both relevant and applicable within a fee-only, fiduciary framework.
In 2017, I founded Sweetgrass Financial Planning to help make fee-only planning more accessible to younger professionals in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. Today, most financial planning firms mainly operate under one of two business models: 1.) Serving high net worth individuals that are approaching retirement, or 2.) Commission-based firms that make the majority of their money from selling clients high commission products; such as loaded mutual funds, various insurance policies, and high fee annuities. The first model is obviously not the most conducive to those that are still in the wealth accumulation phase of life. The second model is rife with conflicts of interest that many times leaves the client wondering if the particular products and services being recommended were made in the best interest of the client or the advisor. I formed SFP in order to provide a third option; where young professionals can receive the proper planning that they need without wondering if their advisor has ulterior motives for the advice being given.
As a fiduciary, I am committed to giving advice that is in your best interest. My firm operates using a transparent fee structure that allows you, the client, to see exactly what you’re paying for the services being provided. We do not receive any additional compensation from any insurance, investment, or annuity company, or any other third-party. Our goal is to give financial advice that benefits the only person that should matter: you.
Daniel's Professional Story
Over the course of the past 12+ years working with clients and their finances, I’ve had the unique opportunity to work in various parts of the industry, including stints working as an advisor at a large life insurance company and at an independent Broker/Dealer. Along the way, I’ve established some credentials that help me do a great job for my clients:
- Completed the educational, exam, work experience, and ethics requirements to become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
-Became an Enrolled Agent (EA) of the IRS
- Series 65, Uniform Investment Advisor Law Exam
- MBA, Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK
- Completed the CFP® coursework through the American College of Financial Services
-12+ years of experience in areas of financial planning and wealth management
Daniel's Personal Story
My wife Jenny and I met while both of us were undergrads at Oral Roberts University, a Christian university in Tulsa, OK (Go Golden Eagles!). In 2013, having an itch to be closer to the coast, we moved cross-country to my home state of South Carolina and have resided in Charleston ever since. We both love the outdoors and, when not working, you will probably find us exploring the area's beaches, waterways, and parks with our three boys, Judah, Levi, and Asher.
I’m an avid sports fan (football, soccer, basketball, you name it) that loves spending Saturdays in the fall cheering on my favorite team, the Clemson Tigers. I'm also a craft beer enthusiast and closet nerd that has a knack for fantasy novels and board games.
My wife and I enjoy traveling within the United States and abroad whenever we can. I've currently been to 17 different nations on four different continents and have been in 39 of the 50 states (still need to see the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii).
We've been blessed with great friends and family that we've had the pleasure of doing life with, as is evidenced by the pictures below.
