Value Proposition

We bring value to our clients by examining what is in the best interest of each individual client and what is most suitable for their unique individual or family financial goals. If you’re navigating a life change (relocation, divorce, new job, new baby, just married, etc.), we would love the opportunity to walk with you and help put some of your puzzle pieces together.

Our team brings 40+ years of financial industry experience to our clients…but what does that really mean? It means we can pass-along decades of triumphs, mistakes, and tough lessons learned by our clients. The best time to find a financial consultant is 5 years ago--the second-best time is today.

For those seeking an investment fiduciary relationship, we can establish an advisory account where we charge a percentage of assets under management. For those who do not desire that level of service, we can also work on a commission basis. We believe financial professionals should be transparent about their fees so that you can make financial decisions that are in your best interest. In short, our business is about you.

In 2009, our founder Don Vaught carefully chose LPL Financial from the list of broker/dealers available to him. LPL Financial (Nasdaq: LPLA) was founded on the principle that the firm should work for the advisor, and not the other way around. Today, LPL is a leader in the markets we serve,* supporting nearly 20,000 financial advisors, and approximately 800 institution-based investment programs and 500 independent RIA firms nationwide. We are steadfast in our commitment to the advisor-centered model and the belief that Americans deserve access to personalized guidance from a financial advisor. At LPL, independence means that advisors have the freedom they deserve to choose the business model, services, and technology resources that allow them to run their perfect practice. And they have the freedom to manage their client relationships, because they know their clients best. Simply put, we take care of our advisors, so they can take care of their clients.

*Top RIA custodian (Cerulli Associates, 2020 U.S. RIA Marketplace Report); No. 1 Independent Broker-Dealer in the U.S (Based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine 1996-2021); No. 1 provider of third-party brokerage services to banks and credit unions (2020-2021 Kehrer Bielan Research & Consulting Annual TPM Report); Fortune 500 Company as of June 2021. LPL and its affiliated companies provide financial services only from the United States.

Vaught, Spangler & Associates promises to continually work to focus on five areas that we have found important to our clients over the years.

Our first focus is EDUCATION. It is important for you to make an educated financial decision from whatever level of understanding you bring to the table. We use a combination of white board drawings and paper reports to present financial concepts visually. Whether you're new to these concepts or have been a do-it-yourself-er for years, we hope you will drive home with a new feather in your cap.

Our second focus is exceptional SERVICE. We have a team that works to provide a detailed level of service. Everyone defines that differently; so we encourage our clients to let us know their specific needs, and we are usually able to address their requests. If you find our service to be enjoyable, then perhaps one day your friends and family will give us a call and we can try to help them as well.

The third focus is transparency on PRICE. As independent advisors, we have a number of different ways we can structure our pricing, and it all depends on the level of service you're looking for. We want our clients to be comfortable with the price they’re paying, and we won’t hesitate to take the time to explain it.

Our fourth focus is to help you uncover YOUR GOALS for your future. Are you pondering retirement? Ready to save for college? Have you just lost a spouse or parent and are now settling their estate? Are you saving for a house or other purchase? We use LPL Financial's resources to assist you in meeting your goals with major life events. As part of your goal setting, we lay-out the “What If’s” and help you create a vision for where your family would like to be. Our job is to help you ask the right questions; the final decisions are completely up to you.

Finally, we strive to help you make TIME for your finances. Truth be told, you've got a busy lifestyle. You already know you need to update your beneficiaries, your will, and your 401(k) allocation, but you've got a lot of things that take priority. We will help you get around to those things you know you should do, by being a squeaky wheel and helping you be accountable to your own goals.

Dear Reader,

If you are interested, I would like to share my own "financial testimony," if you will. I am an open book, so if you are left with more questions, just ask me. I have always had the viewpoint that life happens, and if I share my own hard-learned lessons with you, perhaps I can help others make a better decision in their future.

Throughout my career, I have worked for several companies in the financial industry, and was compensated either by a salary, commission, or a combination of both. My years of sales experience are near and dear to my heart, because they allowed me to support my family and give my young son great opportunities to travel and grow as a person. Over the years I was able to build-up our family savings and my own retirement account, and we were comfortable.

In 2005, I made the decision to move into the financial advice side of the business. This was a huge change because I used to be an employee, but now I was on my own. I was building my own book of business, while supporting my family and studying long hours for licensing exams. This was a huge financial transition for me, but luckily I had our savings to help me build this new business and career. This next part of my story is probably the same as yours: along came 2008, and things were changing quickly as the economy and the markets were the most turbulent they had been in years. Toward the end of 2009, I joined LPL Financial, and while I knew this would be a perfect fit for me and my clients, I was using the last of my savings to keep things going. There was nowhere else to turn but my retirement savings. The problem was I wasn't retirement age yet, so any money I withdrew came with penalties attached. I stretched every dollar as far as I could, building a strong foundation for the future of the business.

In 2010, my wife and I missed one tax payment, and then delayed paying taxes for another year, and then another. If you or a loved one have ever owed money to the IRS, you know that the penalties and fees compound quickly, and it can grow into a huge black cloud over your head, as it did for us. In early 2015, we sat down with the IRS and tried to develop a schedule for paying off the money we owed. This was a very difficult and time-consuming process, and could be emotionally draining at times. Finally, in June of 2017 (two years later), we settled on a payment plan to repay all the funds owed, plus interest. We've been paying the IRS in monthly installments ever since. We later learned that the IRS doesn't update the balance owed until the entire amount has been paid off, so the balance shown in the public record is still the original balance from years ago. As I said, it has been a very difficult process.

I'm extremely proud to say that we have not missed a quarterly estimated tax payment since 2017. My family and clients have been there for me with full support, trust and love. This business would not be what it is today without the understanding, grace, and friendship shown every day by these individuals. I don't regret the risks I took as an entrepreneur, and am proud of the rapidly growing business that exists today. Though I'm not perfect, this experience, coupled with my passion to help people others, has allowed me to better empathize with and help my clients work through their financial challenges on the way to achieving their goals. As I said above, I am an open book, so if you have more questions please ask.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.

Don R. Vaught, President & Founder

Vaught, Spangler & Associates Financial Services