BIO

Jake Gardner, CFP®

Co-Founder | Financial Planner

Jake is the Co-Founder and Lead Financial Planner of Defining Wealth Partners. He is passionate about building meaningful relationships and creating a community of like-minded, motivated individuals dedicated to improving their lives and the lives of others. With a thoughtful, diligent approach, his goal is to help you create your vision of a wealthy life and allocate your most precious resources – time, money, and attention – to achieve it.

Professionally

Jake is a CFP® professional and has built up the expertise to help clients cut through the noise and make smart decisions about their money. He is the writer of the Defining Wealth Blog, delivering content on life and wealth that matter to millennial and Gen Z entrepreneurs, business owners, and driven professionals.

Jake began his career in financial services at Jackson National as an internal wholesaler and quickly moved into the financial planning world, spending the last seven years serving physicians, entrepreneurs, and business owners.

Most recently, Jake worked at TDC Investment Advisory (now TFO Wealth Partners) with high net worth and ultra-high net worth business owners as a Family Wealth Advisor. Here he focused on detailed tax and estate planning strategies to align clients’ use of capital with their values, motivations, and goals.

Personally

Jake lives in Franklin, TN with the love of his life, Lydia, and their three little girls – Adeline, Lorelai, and Josephine. Their faith is integral to the family’s life and rhythm while staying involved in the local church.

As a four-year varsity letterman for the Hillsdale College baseball team, Jake sometimes gets the itch to throw the ball around with whoever will tolerate it. His favorite hobbies include reading, being outside, watching Detroit sports (or any baseball game!), and watching Disney movies with the girls.

Memberships

Jake is a member of FPA’s Middle Tennessee chapter, a national membership organization for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals and those engaged in the financial planning process.