Gilbert & Cook Celebrates 25 Years - Business Record Feature
/This article was featured in the Des Moines Business Record, published on July 6th 2018. Read the full online issue (here).
Gilbert & Cook Celebrates 25 Years!
The Gilbert and Cook core belief that people always come first finds its roots back to 1993.
After Linda Cook’s early career in investment planning convinced her long-term relationships are much more valuable than selling something, she started her own independent firm in Des Moines. Linda set out to truly understand her clients, listen to what they wanted to achieve and find the right solutions to meet their needs.
25 Years later, the mission remains the same.
“The core of what we do is caring for people and helping them make good decisions,” Linda said. “Just seeing what clients needed and how to help them wasn’t just about solving their problems with a product, it’s really solving it with a strategy. It’s helping them find the confidence to make good decisions on their finances.”
Linda was joined in 2000 by Marlis Gilbert. Marlis’ many years of experience, including a primary focus on financial planning, made her a great match and asset for the firm. Together, the two worked to build a team environment, cultivating a partnership mentality to grow the firm.
In 2009, Linda’s husband, Chris, who is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), joined the firm as the Chief Investment Strategist.
Because of the well-rounded leadership at Gilbert and Cook, clients get specialized expertise in many different fields.
“We are an ensemble practice,” Linda said. “As a client is engaged with Gilbert and Cook, they don’t just get me or one of the advisers. They get the whole team, and we’re all there to be available and helpful while bringing in additional expertise when needed.”
As a private wealth management firm, Gilbert and Cook offers many different services in financial planning and investments. The firm specializes in life transitions, whether that be a major business transaction, a death in the family, divorce, retirement or many more major life events. Gilbert and Cook serves families, individuals and businesses.
In all of those services, clients are treated with personal care and receive tailored solutions to problems, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. The team at Gilbert & Cook works to bring clarity to the various choices their clients face, and provide the confidence needed to make important wealth decisions. In short, if you are dealing with something complex - Gilbert and Cook professionals can break it down and make it simpler to understand.
“Our mantra is Live a Life of Abundance, and we have each one of our clients define what abundance means to them, allowing us to help in a personal and tailored way,” Linda said. “We keep what’s important to them at the top of our minds in each and every meeting.”The Gilbert & Cook philosophy is predicated on sincere concern for their clients and maintaining a genuine relationship. “We have special relationships with our clients,” Linda said. “It’s not just something we say, but it’s something that we live every single day. We’re there for them every step of the way.”
The Gilbert and Cook investment team has three Chartered Financial Analysts on staff. The CFA designation is regarded as one of the highest certifications in the finance industry. As an independent firm, Gilbert and Cook tailor’s the investment strategy and proprietary asset allocation models for each individual client situation.
Going forward, Gilbert and Cook is looking to grow its team with quality and experienced professionals. “We’re always on the lookout to bring on amazing new team members to join our family and provide value to our clients.” Linda said.
