Five Star award winner Tyrone Phillippi

Understanding a Life in Transition

At McKinley Carter, our time tested process has brought stability, confidence and wisdom to our clients as we walk with them through the peaks and valleys of significant life change and financial change.

When money changes, life changes.
And when life changes, money changes.

The easy definition of a Financial Transition is an event when you receive an amount of money significantly higher than you are used to managing. The money comes from an event that is rare rather than routine.

People experiencing a financial life transition event often think of it only in financial terms such as “What will I do with the money.” However, a financial transition event can have significant life impact, well beyond finances. This impact has the potential to be positive or negative. It is more of a life event than just a financial event.

Managing new money may seem simple, yet even well educated, sophisticated adults find navigating a life transition is a surprising mix of opportunities and challenges because the decisions that are required go well beyond financial.

Step By Step Process

McKinley Carter’s Financial Transition Process involves the blending of your personal goals, beliefs and dreams, with your new financial reality. When new money arrives or old money becomes your responsibility it is an important life event requiring the guidance of experts trained in blending the human experience with the facts and figures.

Walking through a clearly defined process can bring you peace at a time when many questions are not yet answered. As members of the Financial Transitionist Institute, McKinley Carter advisors have been instrumental in creating this process that can smoothly guide you through a financial life transition.

The benefits of this defined process are significant.

You’ll experience:

An enhanced sense of organization
The excitement of exploring new possibilities
Peace in knowing your limitations
Comfort as you review the issues together with your team of advisors
Confidence as you choose the best course for your future and begin to implement it
The opportunity to rethink the decisions going forward to take into account new or expected life transitions that are on the horizon

Decision Free Zone

One of the immediate benefits of our financial life transition process is the implementation of a Decision Free Zone. Many clients come to us feeling significant pressure to make a decision. The burden can be overwhelming. Our process immediately removes that pressure. We establish a Decision Free Zone that allows you time to take inventory, discover what is most important to you and to begin to look forward to the future. It is important to avoid making long-term commitments or large purchases at this time.

We have a Certified Financial Transitionist advisor on staff, and we will walk with you through the process as you:

Explore new possibilities and strategies.
Review a written plan for moving ahead financially and in life – at this stage, you will feel a growing sense of control and confidence.
Implement your plan – A dynamic time for putting your resources into action.
Rethink and Refine – Life is a fluid experience. We will continue to make adjustments to your plan as you gain a better understanding of the realities in your new life.

McKinley Carter is your safe place to plan when you find yourself in a financial life transition.

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This award was issued on 09/01/2025 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 01/01/2025 through 06/02/2025. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 1789 Cincinnati-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 191 (11 % of candidates) were named 2025 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2024: 1,596, 200, 13%, 9/1/24, 12/12/23 - 7/9/24; 2023: 1,649, 240, 15%, 9/1/23, 12/12/22 - 6/30/23; 2022: 1585, 230, 15%, 9/1/22, 1/3/22 - 7/1/22; 2021: 1357, 216, 16%, 9/1/21, 12/14/20 - 7/9/21; 2020: 1406, 216, 15%, 9/1/20, 12/2/19 - 6/12/20; 2019: 1371, 238, 17%, 9/1/19, 11/19/18 - 6/28/19; 2018: 1413, 239, 17%, 9/1/18, 12/20/17 - 7/19/18; 2017: 985, 288, 29%, 9/1/17, 12/21/16 - 6/29/17; 2016: 918, 368, 40%, 8/1/16, 2/10/16 - 7/25/16; 2015: 1667, 427, 26%, 9/1/15, 2/10/15 - 7/25/15; 2014: 2082, 483, 23%, 9/1/14, 2/10/14 - 7/25/14; 2013: 1367, 509, 37%, 9/1/13, 2/10/13 - 7/25/13; 2012: 1265, 477, 38%, 9/1/12, 2/10/12 - 7/25/12.

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Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria - required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP's consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP's consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client's experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria - considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager's future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients' assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.