Karen S. Patel, CLTC
Financial Consultant and Advisor
Educating on options. Deciding with confidence. Executing your priorities.
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Karen S. Patel, CLTC
Financial Consultant and Advisor
Educating on options. Deciding with confidence. Executing your priorities.
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About
Karen has advocated for business owners in construction, manufacturing, professional services, and technology for several decades. Her Midwest roots in a family-owned business are the foundation of her “it’s not how much you make, but how much you keep” strategies.
Being a “women business owner specialist,” she focuses on relationship-based, comprehensive financial planning for women business owners aged 45 and older, and also helps them create strategies for long-term care and estate planning. Though she focuses on this specific niche audience, she welcomes anyone who is interested in learning more about their finances and wants to pursue their goals.
Karen believes in maintaining a high degree of integrity by putting her client’s needs first and providing personalized solutions for their unique situations and obstacles. In short, she guides business owners, families, and individuals to a life free from the stress of financial worries.
Knowing that not everyone has the knowledge, experience, or professional contacts to assist them, Karen strives to assist her lifelong clients and those referred to her by satisfied clients.
A financial advocate for your business, your family, and your community.
Karen works with a team of experienced internal and external client-centric resources who play a pivotal role in executing financial strategies. The understanding of day-to-day business challenges and opportunities serves clients well from 30 years in financial management and commercial lending. Her integrity in relationship management shines through with her personable and trustworthy demeanor, which is critical for clients seeking a personal and professional relationship. With her additional economic development experience in both private and public entities, Karen provides resources, networks, and structure to strengthen her clients’ overall position.
As a woman business owner herself, Karen understands the needs of small businesses and is passionate about helping entrepreneurs lay the foundation of sound financial principles and practices. Additionally, she recognizes that, as much as an entrepreneur’s business is often their largest asset, their whole family and lifestyle should be at the forefront of their financial planning success.
As a young teen, she developed her vision to reap rewards from her disciplined saving. She saved, spent, and paid taxes realizing there must be better ways to manage her finances.
She began her financial practice to coach small businesses on the comprehensive strategies needed for them to be successful long-term.
A community leader dedicated to change.
Karen is a life-long, dedicated community leader and has had a significant impact as a member of various business and government organizations. She has held governmental and nonprofit positions in metropolitan areas throughout the country, including positions as inaugural chair and member of the Eastvale Planning Commission and President of the National Association of Women Business Owners Inland Empire.
Her past positions include President and Director of Economic Development in metro Chicago and Inland Empire and President of Empty Stocking Fund with the Atlanta Jaycees. She has also worked with Girl Scouts and numerous girl’s fastpitch softball organizations for several years, thanks to her daughters’ participation in both.
Personal
Outside of her practice, Karen enjoys hobbies and recreations like cooking and baking, gardening, rooting for her favorite NFL Teams, eclectic arts and crafts, wine tasting, golf, and traveling internationally. As a mother, daughter, sister, spouse, aunt, friend, neighbor, and woman business owner, she understands, empathizes, and supports all ancestors of “Eve.”
She has been married for over 30 years and has three marvelous daughters who keep the family laughing together and active.
Qualifications
Karen has a variety of licenses and certifications, including Certification in Long-Term Care (CLTC) and registrations for her Series 6, 63, 65, and 7, along with her Life and Health license.
Services
Comprehensive business owner solutions
Karen can help evaluate the complete financial and insurance needs of your business, so you can find gaps, get organized, and start focusing on what matters for you to excel.
- Transition and succession solutions
- Informal business valuations
- Total business review of risk mitigation
- Foundational and advanced business education through Cetera’s Business University
- Wealth accumulation and distribution strategies
- Group and key employee benefits
Personal financial wellness solutions
Karen isn’t a formulaic advisor. She’s focused on you—what you’re passionate about, how you spend your free time, what you value in the community—and helps align your finances to those priorities.
- Comprehensive financial planning
- Investments
- Retirement strategies
- Risk management
- Long-term care strategies
- Wealth management
Team
When working with Karen, you gain access to a team of financial strategists whom Karen regularly consults.
Serving as your financial coordinator, Karen works with her team of specialists and yours to synchronize your wealth solutions to find inefficiencies and resolve them.
Carrie Hancock, ChFC®, CLU®
Vice President, Financial Planning Resource Center
Chris Sitek, CLTC®, CASL®, CLU®, ChFC®, RHU®, REBC®
Vice President Life and Long-Term Care
Jeff Landt, CFA, CFP®
Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer
Events
Karen is very proactive with current and prospective clients, and she holds educational events like business owner symposiums, seminars, and workshops on a diverse selection of financially related topics.
Upcoming events and webinars
NAWBO – Co Special Event: Italian Wine Tasting Kickoff | Wednesday, May 15 | 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM MT | The Overlook in Collier’s Hill, Erie, CO
Karen will be one of the presenters at this event, organized by NAWBO Colorado.
Sisterhood Experience 2024 | Wednesday, September 11-13 | Estes Park Community Center, Estes Park, CO
Karen will be a featured speaker at the inaugural Sisterhood Experience 2024, organized by Tangled Silver magazine.
Calculators
Investment advisor representative of Cetera Advisor Networks, LLC. Securities offered through Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory Services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity.
