I’m Tyler Bartlett
Director of Wealth Management | AEP®, AIF®, AWMA®, ChFC®, CFP®
Empowering you to LIVE FULLY by providing peace of mind throughout your financial life.
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.
My focus is Investing Wisely, so your focus can be Living Fully.
After my dad passed away when I was in high school, I quickly realized I had a challenging road ahead of me. I went from 18 to 28 in such a short time…from a kid daydreaming in class to an adult making funeral arrangements, handling retirement savings, and taking care of property. My Dad led a relatively simple life; after two tours of duty in Vietnam he returned home and started working as a letter carrier. He purchased a home and paid it off as soon as possible, knowing he would have a pension in retirement. But in his final years, he stopped caring for his 2.5 acres of property and accumulated over 20 broken down cars. After meeting with an attorney, I found out I would be the one responsible for cleaning up and demolishing his house, selling the property, notifying creditors…the list went on and on. I was overwhelmed and confused.
During this time I was finishing up high school, cleaning up my dad’s affairs, and working full-time at a grocery store. In what little spare time I had, I was asking those I trusted for advice on what to do with the money left to me. I wanted to be smart, however I was 18 and easily enticed by the thoughts of a fancy new red sports car, a new stereo system, or name brand clothes. To help make a decision, I met with everyone I could think of: Successful individuals, stockbrokers, real estate investors, life insurance agents, bankers, etc.
I didn’t feel like I was getting the help I needed. It seemed like nobody was willing to spend the time to get to know me and figure out what I needed or wanted to accomplish. It didn’t take long to realize that everyone seemed to have their own agenda. I decided it was in my best interest to begin my own research to gain knowledge on the basics of investing, financial planning, budgeting, risk management and insurance. I began to realize I was enjoying everything I was learning and could turn my newfound passion into a career, helping others through some of life’s most challenging financial decisions. My goal is to be for my clients the person I was looking for during the most challenging and confusing time in my life. My goal is to be a trusted advisor that would seek first to understand what is important to my clients, and help them use their resources wisely to achieve all that is important to them.
Would you like to take a sabbatical? How will this leave impact your ability to achieve your goals?
Is your portfolio designed to last?
Are you taking more risk than you need with your investments to achieve your goals?
Have you sold a business or investment property and are wondering what’s next?
How much do you need to save in order to meet your goals? Would you like guilt free spending?
Would you like to know when you can retire and that you will not become a burden on your loved ones?
Do you know the optimal time for you to begin collecting Social Security?
Incorporate Your Values
The reasoning behind your goals is often a much bigger motivator than the goals themselves. I will work to understand and incorporate your values into your investments and financial plan.
Financial Planning
We’ll work together to identify your goals, create a comprehensive plan to achieve them, and update the plan as life changes inevitably occur.
Providing Education
I’ll provide the expertise needed to help you confidently make decisions that maximize complex financial tools like Social Security, 401(k)s, pensions, and Medicare.
Stress Reduction
I’ll help protect your vision, making emotion-free decisions, avoiding pitfalls, alleviating worries and providing encouragement so you can spend more time on other areas of your life.
About Me
I have been working with clients as an advisor for over 20 years and serve as our Directory of Wealth Management, ensuring our team of advisors has the guidance and support to provide the best possible service for our clients. My advanced designations include Accredited Estate Planner (AEP®), Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®), Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA®) Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®). I have been quoted in the national media, including the Chicago Tribune and online at Bankrate.com and Guidevine.com.
I received my bachelor’s degree in business administration from Seattle Pacific University. Prior to joining Merriman in 2006, I supervised financial planning for American Express Financial Advisors (now Ameriprise), ran my own financial planning practice and oversaw the financial and estate planning for high-net-worth clients at U.S. Trust.
In addition to providing comprehensive wealth management and retirement planning, my specialties include dealing with concentrated stock positions and estate planning. I am a member of the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils and the Estate Planning Council of Seattle.
I believe wealth should be neither the focus nor the end goal. It’s a tool that allows you to experience or achieve whatever is most important to you. I love taking some of the worry about money away so my clients can focus on more important aspects of life. Seeing them achieve their goals and enjoy life is my top priority and brings me great personal satisfaction.
When not working I enjoy golf and spending as much time as I can with my wife Tabitha, daughter Ivy, and sons Owen and Caleb.
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
What Should I Do With My Old 401k?
Whether you are part of a recent layoff or are giving your two weeks’ notice, life can be stressful during a job transition. It may be tempting to delay (and even easier to completely overlook) one of the most important decisions about your financial life: what should you do with your old 401(k)? Here are the options to consider.
Should You Renovate or Move Right Now?
Things that were once easy have become more complicated and time consuming, especially when it pertains to financial decisions. Deciding whether to renovate your home or move into a new one in the midst of this global pandemic for one, comes with added stressors.
Webinar | The Fragility of Retirement in the Coronavirus Era
We have also been hearing lots of questions from clients, prospects, friends, and family.
Should I sell all of my stocks now? Should I go to cash? Should I use all the cash I have to buy in? Should I file for Social Security earlier than planned? How will I pay for a hospital stay if I need one?
If you are worried about some of these things too, then click to learn more.
