If a quote could define Mark Dutram of Bayview Private Wealth, it would be Theodore Roosevelt’s famous line; “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
This is evident by the fact that although Dutram is a highly credentialed financial planner and has 25 years of experience as a Wealth Advisor, he says relationships with his clients are first and foremost in the culture at Bayview.
“We work with about 100 families at our Destin practice, and that facilitates not only a great work life balance for us but is very intentional," Mark said. “The average advisor spends a large portion of their time trying to find new clients, but since we are intentionally small, we can use that time to add value to the families we have.”
Building familial trust among his clients has led to client relationships that stretch generations and beyond financial advice, touching all aspects of the lives of those they serve.
“Our families call us for everything such as which contractors to work on their houses," Mark said. "Between our 100 families, we collectively can come up with strong recommendations, while still doing the normal financial things such as investments, tax strategy estate planning, and building a legacy for the next generation.”
Bayview Private Wealth has three focus niche markets that work hand in hand. The first is serving military veterans, the second is empowering women, and the third is championing small business owners.
As an Air Force veteran who served in Special Operations, Mark said that he is passionate about helping service members achieve their financial goals. Mark explained that veterans often seek a second career after retirement or separating from the military, and many open small businesses. As for the focus on empowering women, Mark said that hits a personal chord with him as he was raised by a single mom.
“My mom was a single mother, raising five children and worked two jobs. That is my big why,” Mark said. “She was a teacher, and we now do a lot of education both with our clients and out in the community. Our practice is based around community and client events, and we try to engage women through the StrongHer Money initiative, which is about empowering women to become more financially independent and break down barriers that the industry has set up against them.”
In addition to StrongHer Money, the team at Bayview Private Wealth are very active in supporting local charities. The firm runs Bayview Hope Foundation which allows for charitable giving to deserving charities throughout the year.
“I do this personally, as I give a percentage of my income to charitable causes, so I wanted to do it professionally as well,” Mark said. “The funds from Bayview Hope Foundation go to non-profit organizations and missionaries. Locally we support many organizations like the White Wilson Community Foundation and various veteran associations. It feels good to help make our community a better place.”
Mark holds various credentials such as a Certified Private Wealth Advisor CPWA®, Certified Financial Planner CFP® and Accredited Estate Planner AEP®. Everyone on the team is highly qualified including Wealth Advisor Jonathan Slater CFP®, Wealth Advisor Chandler Dutram, who manages the St. Petersburg office and is currently in the CFP® program, and Mary Richards the Client Relationship Manager.
“There are lots of credentials in the financial industry, but there are only a few that are nationally recognized,” Mark said. “The CFP® is the standard for financial planning. Professionals must meet experience, education, training, and ethical standards and are required to operate as a fiduciary with
their clients. The CPWA® certification is designed specifically for those advisors who work with high net-worth families. All these designations and qualifications serve to make us better at what we do.”
Disclosure
Advisory services offered by Investment Advisory Representatives of RFG Advisory, LLC ("RFG Advisory" or "RFG"), a registered investment advisor. BayView Private Wealth and RFG Advisory are unaffiliated entities. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where RFG Advisory and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advisory services may be rendered by RFG Advisory unless a client agreement is in place.
"Our practice is based around community and client events, and we try to engage women through the StrongHer Money initiative."