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Although there’s no such thing as a crystalball, Financial House may have the next bestthing. For more than 30 years, the team ofprofessionals at this Centreville, Del.-based fi-nancial-services firm has been helping clientslook to the future with a sense of comfort,calm, and preparedness. In the same breath, the firm has embracedits own good advice by taking steps to ensureits long-term health. Many of the foundingpartners have retired over the years, and thebusiness has since transitioned to the nextgeneration. Currently, a trio of partners isleading Financial House into the future—namely, Joseph E. Biloon, CFP, Robert D.Griesemer, CLU, ChFC, and Emily R. Woodson,CFP, the daughter of former partner Mary AnnBlair, who retired at the end of 2016. “The transition has been very smooth,”says Woodson. “I had worked with our clientsfor seven or eight years prior to my motherretiring, so it was a win-win-win situation:She was able to retire knowing things herewould be well taken care of; I had the oppor-tunity to be mentored and trained by an ex-perienced advisor who had been in the busi-ness for more than 30 years; and our clientshad peace of mind from knowing they wouldcontinue to work with advisors they alreadyknow and trust.” The next generation of Financial House’sadvisory team includes seven financial planners,each one assisted by a devoted staff member,an in-house investment analyst, and other vitalresources. All team members are focused onunderstanding what’s most important to clientsand then creating customized plans regarding

investments, insurance coverage, and estateplanning, among other strategies, all designedto create, grow, and protect clients’ wealth. “When people come to us, we start witha conversation, not all of which is about fi-nances,” says Woodson, who worked as aneducator prior to earning her CERTIFIED FI-NANCIAL PLANNER™ designation and joiningFinancial House. “We talk about their goals inlife. Maybe they want to have a peaceful re-tirement, or help their children buy their firsthome, or leave a legacy for future generations.We want to find out what’s important andwho’s important, and then use that perspectiveas a starting point.” Financial House also works to make eachclient feel appreciated as an individual. Whilethe advisors’ client lists include anumber of high-net-worth individualsand families, Biloon says clients ap-preciate the fact that there are noaccount minimums. “If it’s a lot of money to you, it’sa lot of money to us,” he says.“Whether it’s $50, $5,000, $5 million,or $50 million, we’re here to help. Ifyou have an issue that’s keepingyou awake at night or a problem tosolve, we’re going to try to help yousolve it. If we can’t, we’re going tohelp you find out where to go to ad-dress whatever the issue is.” As an independent firm, Finan-cial House is not limited to certainfinancial products and solutions,so its advisors can offer a host ofprescriptions to serve clients’ best

interests. In fact, Biloon sees his primaryrole as someone who helps clients makeinformed decisions. “Sometimes we have to play devil’s advo-cate,” he says. “A client may come to us andsay, ‘I want to buy a boat.’ Our responsibilityis to then say, ‘OK, you can certainly do that,but here’s what that’s going to mean to yourfinancial plan.’ … The only bad decision is anuninformed decision, and that’s where wecome in.” This client-first philosophy underscoresthe foundation of every strong relationship:trust. Advisors continually make sure clientsare working toward their financial goals. Duringtimes of intense market volatility, such as thetail end of 2018, this might include helpingclients manage their emotions. “Some clients are more sensitive to thosekinds of market corrections,” says Griesemer,now in his 37th year in the financial-services in-dustry. “We’ve always done our best to putthings in perspective and mentally preparepeople for those kinds of market moves. At thesame time, those situations may present anopportunity to proactively review their portfolioand reset the compass. In some cases, we maybe able to look at their overall tax picture to seeif we can turn lemons into lemonade.” As Woodson suggests, Financial Houseaims to build lasting relationships rooted intrust, service, and respect. “Our job is to be stewards of our clients’wealth,” she says. “Everyone here has a client-first mentality, and with every interaction wewant to get a clearer understanding of what’simportant to them. When our clients tell us, ‘Ifeel better off today than I did yesterday,’ thenwe know we’re doing our job well.” ■

For more than 30 years, the team of professionals at Financial House has been helping clients build a rock-solid foundation for the future.by BILL DONAHUE | photography by JEFF ANDERSON

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FINANCIAL HOUSE5818 Kennett Pike

Centreville, Del. (302) 654-5451FinancialHouse.com

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Rooted in Trust

Registered associates of Financial House are registered representatives offering securities and investment advi-sory services through Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation, Member SIPC. Lincoln Financial Securities andFinancial House are not affiliated. LFS-2530122-050619

Financial House partners (left to right) Emily R.Woodson, CFP, Robert D. Griesemer, CLU, ChFC, and

Joseph E. Biloon, CFP