Written by Tyson Ray, FORM Wealth Advisors | CFP®, CExP®, CIMA®
Why we do what we do should matter to you, our client. Let me explain.
As one of the founding partners of FORM Wealth Advisors, my reasons for getting out of bed every morning stem from deeply personal experiences that have shaped my view of money, family and what truly matters.
Like many people, my earliest lessons about money came from my parents. As a boy, I watched my mom and dad run a successful custom-home construction business. I remember walking through the beautiful homes that were built in the Lake Geneva area.
But almost as quickly, I watched that success fade. The company collapsed, and vehicles with the business logo disappeared. One day, my sisters and I were told that our parents were divorcing. Soon after, I saw an eviction notice taped to our refrigerator — my mom’s silent reminder that we couldn’t ask for money.
I grew up fast. At 12, I got my first job busing tables for $2.50 an hour. I wasn’t excited about the paycheck as much as the free Friday fish fry and Saturday shrimp dinners. I saved what I earned in a Chubby Chubby Chipmunk bank account that, back then, earned about 7 percent interest.
Around that time, I met Roy, a retired engineer who loved water skiing. I worked at a marina and often ended up as his boat spotter. Over time, he became a father figure. What I didn’t realize until later was how much he was quietly doing for my family. Roy helped my mom keep our house, and he even set aside a small trust fund so I could go to college, which was something I didn’t think was possible.
But before I turned 17, Roy passed away from cancer. He never had the chance to enjoy the retirement he worked so hard for. To make matters worse, his sons contested the trust he had left for me. I spent my junior and senior years in court fighting for those funds. Thankfully, I won, and in the process, I learned how powerful estate planning can be in honoring someone’s wishes.
I also discovered a fascination with investing. In high school, I joined the stock market game, read The Wall Street Journal and convinced my mom to let me invest in mutual funds. Those early experiences ignited a passion in me to learn how money really works — and how, when managed properly — it can change lives.
Why do I share all this with you? Because my life was shaped by a man who never enjoyed his retirement yet gave me the hope and means to pursue mine. That’s why, over the past 27 years, I’ve dedicated myself to building a firm with a clear purpose: to help you live a better life. It’s about growing wealth and making sure you have the freedom and resources to enjoy it.
At FORM, we achieve this through our team and our Total Relationship Planning™ (TR Planning) approach. If it matters to you, it matters to us.
