I’m Lowell Parker
Wealth Advisor, CFP®
Helping tech professionals INVEST WISELY so they can LIVE FULLY.
Planning with your goals in mind
We work hard to understand who you are and what you want to accomplish, both personally and professionally, so we can best support you and your family in achieving your goals.
We're more than just investments
Together, we’ll implement a customized plan for all areas of your financial life: Investments, taxes, estate planning, insurance, charitable giving, and more.
Helping you invest and plan wisely so you can achieve the goals that matter most to you.
My passion for investing and financial planning was spurred by my high school freshman math teacher. It was the late 90’s and he was convinced the current stock market euphoria was rational and boundless returns would continue. With my parents’ help, I opened a Roth IRA, purchased a few shares of Cisco and… proceeded to watch it plummet by more than 85%.
Fortunately, the value of the lessons learned from this experiment exceeded the monetary outlay. The importance of diversification and the value of Roth IRAs, in this case. Since then, my investment and planning philosophy have evolved. I believe investing should start with a goal. For many, this is simply to have a comfortable retirement. Once that goal is taken care of, we can begin to craft peripheral goals around saving for college, leaving a legacy, buying a house, or managing investment taxes, for instance.
Am I saving enough to make work optional? How much is enough?
How do I effectively and tax efficiently manage my stock option plan?
What's the difference between an IRA and a Roth IRA? Which should I choose?
How do I save for my children's education? How much should I save?
What is an estate plan? Do I need one and how do I set it up?
How can I pay less in taxes?
What's the difference between a broker and a Wealth Advisor? Who can I trust and why?
Let's define your goals
We'll build a plan
And track your progress
I'll be your personal CFO
About Me
A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ born and raised in Washington State, Lowell graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in economics and joined the Merriman team in 2006. He is a partner with the firm and his practice focuses on mid-career technology professionals.
Lowell currently resides in Snoqualmie, WA with his wife and two sons. Outdoor recreation is a big part of their lives – they enjoy hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and golf. Lowell is also an avid reader and enjoys books on business and science fiction. Another passion of Lowell’s is the guitar. On a sunny day you may catch him strumming a few chords out on his deck.
What is wealth management?
Wealth management is a comprehensive approach to financial planning. It covers all areas of your financial life, making wise use of your assets to help you in achieving your goals and living life to the fullest. Do you want to spend more time doing the things you love and worry less about your finances?
Then wealth management is for you!
Wealth Enhancement - make your assets work for you
- Minimizing taxes – now vs future?
- Managing appropriate cash reserves
- Should you pay off your mortgage early?
- How can you get the most out of Social Security?
- Evaluate your options for college savings
Wealth Preservation - strategies to help reduce risk
- Diversification
- Asset allocation and rebalancing
- Trend following
- Stock option planning
- What to do with concentrated stock positions?
Wealth Protection - proper coverage is key
- Disability or Long-Term-Care insurance planning
- Is umbrella insurance right for you?
- What type of life insurance makes the most sense?
- What level of homeowner’s coverage is appropriate?
- Is your rental property adequately protected?
Wealth Transfer - leaving a lasting legacy for your heirs
- How can you leave the most behind to your heirs without sacrificing too much now?
- Are your assets correctly titled so they’ll pass on in the way you intend?
- Are your healthcare directives and letters of instruction in place?
- Does a trust make sense for you? Which kind?
Charitable Giving - make the most of your contributions
- What charities are important to you?
- How can you make the most of your gifts to charity?
- Is a charitable trust right for you?
Plan with intention,
not by default.
Online Blog Resources
Breaking Down the Barriers to Sustainable Investing
You can incorporate your values and support causes through sustainable, responsible, and impact (SRI) investing. Learn about some of the roadblocks and how to break down the barriers to sustainable investing.
The 5 Biggest Financial Planning Mistakes Made by Tech Professionals | Mistake #2
Through my own experience as a tech employee and my experiences now as an advisor working with tech professionals, I’ve identified some of the biggest financial planning mistakes that can hold the tech community back from achieving financial independence and success.
Should I Set Up a Traditional 401k for My Business?
Whether you recently transitioned to being self-employed or have been a business owner for years, you may have wondered what the best way is to save for retirement. However, the decision as to which type of plan to choose is far from simple. Let this flowchart help guide you!
