Q&A with MDP's Newest Partner: Mark Schweiss CFP®, CPA, CFA
As 2017 drew to a close, Mark Schweiss CFP®, CPA, CFA joined the firm. Mark brings almost 20 years of financial planning experience to Modern Dollar. He started his career working as a CPA for about 10 years, so in addition to his planning & investment knowledge, he’ll be very valuable to our clients when it comes to tax planning.
He’s a native of Minnesota, but since coming to St. Louis 10 years ago, has become a big Cardinals fan and still plays competitive baseball in Forest Park. He and his wife Lisa live in the Central West End, love to travel and have a 3-year-old granddaughter who keeps them sharp.
I’m thrilled to have Mark as my first partner and look forward to introducing him to our clients. Mark is a consummate learner (as evidenced by his alphabet soup credentials), pays very close attention to detail and is already making an impact in our planning process.
With Mark officially aboard, he humored me by answering a few questions so you could learn more about him.
Hometown: Gibbon, MN (formerly the Polka Capitol of the US)
When did you decide to become a financial planner? I'm a very disciplined and goal oriented person. During the 1999 'Dot Com' craze, I realized that most people aren't. It was then that I decided that my even keel and background made me a natural fit for helping others avoid the craziness that comes from bubbles like we experienced then. I haven't looked back since.
What's your favorite part of being a financial planner? I love how much impact we can really make in our clients' lives. Despite the fact that many people even highly educated (Doctors for example) can go their whole lives without ANY formal financial education, personal finance is something we ALL have to deal with. Because of this void of knowledge and training, we have a great opportunity to provide value to our clients.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A Wide Receiver in the NFL (until the 9th Grade when my Dad told me to be a CPA--very practical guy, my father.)
Your favorite thing about St. Louis? Hands down, Cardinal baseball.
Your favorite restaurant in St. Louis? Brasserie, a short walk from our condo. (Try the happy hour burger and beer combo--it's a well kept secret!)
What was your first car? My Grandpa's hand-me-down Pontiac Phoenix, which boasted an AM-only radio. As 1 of 7 children, I was happy to have anything that ran.
The girls of Gibbon High didn't stand a chance...
Favorite band: U2
Tell us something your clients might be surprised to know about you: Despite not having any kids, I served on the Girl Scout Board for about 10 years.
Anything else? I was a bachelor until marrying my wife Lisa in 2016. We said our vows at home plate inside Busch Stadium before having a big party at Paddy O's afterwards.
