(618) 624-5588   pbuchana@burgdorfwm.com

I grew up in Alton, Illinois, an historic (and hilly!) town on the Mississippi River. Alton was home to the tallest man in the world (Robert Wadlow), was the site of the presidential debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, and was the site of the famous Lewis and Clark explorer expeditions. One of my earliest memories of money and finances was keeping — in a really fancy cigar box — the money I’d earn from helping my parents run yard sales and flea markets.

In the late 2000s I met Mark Burgdorf. As we talked, it started making more sense for us to join forces. We were, and are to this day, aligned in our personal financial philosophies.

In 2011, I became Series 7 and 66 registered as a Financial Advisor. I added a Certified Wealth Strategist professional designation in 2015. Recently, I was designated as a SmartVestor Pro.*  But my real passion has always been to work with families to put common sense financial solutions in place. I feel what sets our firm apart is that we seek to first listen to you — as an individual and as a family — with the patience and heart of a teacher.

My financial philosophy has always been informed by the teachings of my faith. I believe for a person to make progress on their journey towards financial peace, acceptance of their current situation must happen. God commands us towards humility, transparency with ourselves and good stewardship with our households. If we follow Him and the plan He has for us, our reward will be bountiful. The idea that everything we need to know to be smart with our money was already baked in The Bible — that everything is all connected — always struck a very meaningful chord with me. This philosophy guides much of my advising service today.

My wife, Liz, and I have a son, Flynn who literally is just beginning to take baby steps. Liz is also a proud step-mother to my older teen boys, Reed and Luke. We are confirmed members of the Missouri Synod of Zion Lutheran Church. We live on a nine acre rural property in the Metro-East and enjoy homesteading together, raising honeybees, planting raised garden beds and canning fruits and vegetables. Some of my personal hobbies include refurbishing and selling vintage stereo equipment, going to car shows in our 1971 Plymouth Barracuda 440 and playing guitar along to records on our record player.