Get to Know Your Founding Advisors at Five Pine Wealth Management

admin • March 20, 2023

By the Five Pine Wealth Management Team

Jeremy Morris

Since 2017, the team at Five Pine Wealth Management has had the great pleasure of serving a diverse group of clients, and we have loved every minute of it. To celebrate six years in business, we’d like to share our stories with you in the hope that you will get to know us even better than you already do. 

As you might know, cofounders Ben and Jeremy met in 2016. After working with a large financial advisory team for a couple of years, they decided they wanted to focus on being fee-only fiduciaries and holistic financial planners. So they branched into the world of entrepreneurship and began Five Pine Wealth Management. Ever since, they’ve worked hard to develop a relationship-centric culture for themselves, their team, and their clients so that going to work every day no longer feels like work at all.

Get to Know Jeremy

In 1998, Jeremy escaped the dry, hot Mojave Desert to pursue an education in Managerial Economics at Oregon State University. While there, he also earned an MBA in Wealth Management. And once he got a taste of the green, cool Pacific Northwest, Jeremy knew he wasn’t returning to the sunny Southwest. After graduation, he settled in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho where he later met Ben Holzhauser. 

An avid fisherman, Jeremy spends many a weekend fishing the lakes and rivers of Northern Idaho. He also enjoys dual sport motorcycle riding in the woods, spending time with his friends and family, and reading every book about Bitcoin he can get his hands on. A few of his favorites include The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous and Inventing Bitcoin by Yan Pritzker.

Why Jeremy Became a Financial Advisor 

Jeremy is a natural-born problem-solver, and no career field offers more genuine problems that need solving than financial services. As a financial advisor, Jeremy gets to use his problem-solving skills every day to help his clients tackle challenges that have a real impact on the quality of life they get to enjoy in the present and the future. 

Jeremy knew he didn’t want a job with a checklist or a routine set of tasks, and he loves that no client situation is quite like another. Helping people learn to make better financial decisions and meet their financial goals provides him with the utmost satisfaction. 

Jeremy respects that his input can have a long-lasting, deeply meaningful impact on the lives of his clients. He knows how important it is that they get the financial planning aspect “right” if they’re to live the lives they want. And he is humbled by the fact that his guidance may have generational effects on his clients and their heirs for decades to come.

On a personal level, being a financial advisor gives Jeremy the autonomy he desires in a career. He loves being able to set his own schedule and having the freedom to choose who he works with—and he believes he gets to work with the best people in the world! His clients become friends, so his job doesn’t seem like work to him at all.

Jeremy’s Wealth Management Specialties

Jeremy specializes in holistic financial planning and wealth management, including insurance planning, estate planning, retirement planning, and investment management. He believes that each area is a critical component of a solid financial foundation.

Jeremy considers himself a Bitcoin maximalist (only Bitcoin, not cryptocurrency as a whole) and understands the space more than most financial advisors. While he doesn’t make purchase recommendations, Jeremy educates his clients on ways to include Bitcoin in their financial and estate planning. He believes that Bitcoin can be used to leave heirs a lasting legacy in the face of inflation and currency debasement.

Get to Know Ben

Before Ben and his beautiful wife, Rachael, had their daughter Evelyn in the summer of 2022, Ben enjoyed traveling across the US (he has been to 47 states) as well as worldwide (more than 20 countries). He comes from a long line of Idahoans: Ben’s grandparents and great-grandparents lived near Priest River, Idaho going back to the 1960s. Today Ben, Rachael, and Evelyn call Coeur d’Alene home.

After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California in Riverside, Ben pursued a Master of Science degree from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Once he finished grad school, Ben worked in compliance and national accounts for a broker-dealer and various investment products. 

Ben is an avid reader and is passionate about various eras of world history. As a student at the University of Edinburgh, he founded the Historical Society for the Second World War. When Ben is not working, he enjoys early morning runs, spending time with his wife and daughter, bowling with a Sunday night league, working on his 100-year-old home, and volunteering for various organizations. 

In the past five years, Ben has been President of the Coeur d’Alene Evening Rotary, Treasurer (x3) of Coeur d’Alene Evening Rotary, Head Trustee of Coeur d’Alene Eagles, President of Early Birds Bowling League, and winner of the “Kootenai County Top 30 Under 40” award. 

Why Ben became a financial advisor

Ben has a diverse background in financial services and spent 12 years working in various real estate investing and private equity roles. While this experience was highly educational, too often Ben would meet with financial advisors that sold expensive products to their clients while neglecting to understand their client’s goals behind investing. 

He commonly experienced financial representatives acting like sales agents, rather than taking the time to understand their clients’ needs and help them achieve their financial goals while taking into consideration fees, tax planning, and more.

Seeing how so many advisors ran their practice, Ben realized that he could make a greater impact by helping individuals, families, and businesses achieve their financial goals as a fiduciary and fee-only financial planner.

As a holistic financial planner, Ben gets to do more of what he loves, which is focusing on the relationship-centric aspects of wealth management. He has a high regard for his clients’ unique visions and enjoys helping them find creative solutions to their problems over the course of a long-term professional relationship. 

Ben’s wealth management specialties

Holistic financial planning allows Ben to pursue two of his interests alongside one another: living a healthy lifestyle and solving the puzzles of personal finance. He approaches wealth management from a whole life perspective to go beyond the numbers. 

Rather than setting arbitrary financial goals, Ben helps his clients consider their vision for the future alongside their health and lifestyle choices to craft a truly custom financial plan. From there, they consider how long a nest egg will need to last based on how active and healthy an individual client might be, as many people are finding they will be retired for 30+ years. 

Ben also helps his clients visualize how they will spend their time in retirement, as the emotional transition can oftentimes be just as challenging—if not more so—than the financial transition. As his clients prepare to go from working full-time to full-time leisure, he encourages them to think of low-cost yet enjoyable day-to-day activities that will allow more flexibility for higher-cost, more infrequent pleasures like traveling. 

Ben and Jeremy’s Shared Philosophies

Ben and Jeremy both believe strongly in the value of education. One of their favorite parts of their job is educating clients about personal finance choices and strategies they’d never before considered. In Jeremy’s words, watching clients have that ‘aha’ moment is one of the most rewarding parts of being a financial advisor. 

Since Ben and Jeremy are younger than many advisors, they’re more knowledgeable in modern areas of personal finance that are highly relevant to today’s wealth management strategies, such as incorporating Bitcoin and other alternative assets into diversified portfolios. 

Ben and Jeremy are often opposed to using actively managed and potentially tax-inefficient mutual funds. Rather, they advocate passive investing strategies and believe in using low-cost ETFs, mutual funds, and indexing strategies to help their clients keep more of their money.

At their core, Jeremy and Ben believe that every client presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities depending on their life situation, goals, and time horizon. And as wealth strategists who truly create value for their clients, they know there are no cookie-cutter approaches to financial planning. 

Instead, they believe that high-caliber wealth strategists need to develop long-term, meaningful relationships with their clients. They prioritize regular communication to build trust and become a dependable resource for the individuals, families, and business owners they work with.

Join the Family at Five Pine Wealth Management

At Five Pine Wealth Management , we pride ourselves on the fiduciary care we show our clients, as well as the personal relationships we’ve developed with every family we work with. If you have friends or family that you think would benefit from working with us, we would be honored to connect with them. Have them give us a call at 877.333.1015, email us at info@fivepinewealth.com , or visit our website to learn more about what it’s like to work with us. 

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40 and Catching Up: Why This Decade Could Be Your Best for Building Wealth

July 18, 2025
Your 40s arrive with a unique mix of clarity and urgency. You've likely figured out what you want from life, but suddenly retirement no longer feels like a distant concept. If you're looking at your financial situation and feeling behind, you're not alone. Many people in their 40s experience this same wake-up call. The good news is that this decade offers some of the most powerful opportunities to accelerate your wealth-building journey. Think of your 40s as your financial prime time. You're earning more than you ever have, you understand money better than in your 20s and 30s, and you still have 20-25 years to let compound growth work its magic. Instead of dwelling on what you should have done differently, let's focus on what you can do right now to make this decade count. The Reality Check: Where You Stand vs. Where You Want to Be Before exploring strategies, let's acknowledge the elephant in the room. Many financial experts recommend saving three times your annual salary by age 40. If you're reading this and thinking, "I'm nowhere near that," take a deep breath. Life happens. Maybe you started your career later, switched fields, dealt with medical expenses, helped family members, or simply prioritized other goals during your 30s. The key is to start from where you are today, not where you think you should be. Your 40s bring unique advantages: higher earning potential, greater financial discipline, and often more stable life circumstances. Many successful investors didn't hit their stride until their 40s or later. You're not behind; you're just getting started on a more intentional path. Retirement Savings Strategies That Work in Your 40s Your retirement savings strategy in your 40s should differ from someone in their 20s or 30s. You have less time but more resources, which means you need to be both aggressive and smart about your approach. First, maximize your employer's 401(k) match if you haven't already. This is free money, and missing out on it is like leaving cash on the table. Additionally, consider increasing your contribution rate by 1-2% each year, or whenever you receive a raise. This gradual approach makes the adjustment less painful while significantly boosting your long-term savings. Roth conversions become particularly powerful in your 40s. If you expect to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement or if you want to leave tax-free money to heirs, converting some traditional IRA or 401(k) funds to Roth accounts can be a smart move. The key is to do this strategically, perhaps in years when your income is temporarily lower or when you can manage the tax impact. Don't overlook the power of diversification beyond your 401(k). A taxable investment account gives you flexibility and access to your money before age 59½ without penalties. This can be crucial for achieving early retirement goals or covering major expenses that may arise before the traditional retirement age. Catch-Up Retirement Contributions: Start the Habit Now Once you reach 50, you can make catch-up contributions to your retirement accounts, which significantly increases your savings potential. For 2025, this means an additional $7,500 in 401(k) contributions (bringing your total to $31,000). However, you don't have to wait until 50 to think like someone making catch-up contributions. Start now by treating your savings rate as if you're already eligible for these higher limits. If you can save an extra $600 per month ($7,200 annually) starting at 45, you'll have built the habit by the time you're actually eligible for catch-up contributions. Retirement Milestones by Age 40: A New Perspective Traditional retirement milestones can be discouraging if you're starting later or if life hasn’t gone as planned. Instead of focusing on arbitrary multiples of your salary, consider these more practical benchmarks for your 40s: The Emergency Fund Foundation : Before aggressively pursuing retirement savings, ensure you have a solid emergency fund in place. This prevents you from having to tap retirement accounts during tough times. Aim for 3-6 months of expenses, adjusted for your specific situation. The Debt Freedom Focus : High-interest debt can quickly derail retirement plans. If you're carrying credit card debt or other high-interest obligations, addressing these might be more valuable than maximizing retirement contributions beyond your employer match. The Income Replacement Goal : Rather than focusing on net worth multiples, think about what percentage of your current income you're on track to replace in retirement. A good target is 70-80% of your pre-retirement income, but this depends on your lifestyle and retirement plans. The Flexibility Buffer : Your 40s are a great time to build financial flexibility. This means having investments outside of retirement accounts that you can access without penalties, creating multiple income streams, and maintaining career skills that keep you marketable. Insurance: Life and disability insurance coverage should reflect your current income and family needs. Estate Planning : A basic will, power of attorney, and healthcare directive should be in place. Making Your Peak Earning Years Count Your 40s often represent your peak earning years, and how you manage this increased income will significantly impact your financial future. The temptation to inflate your lifestyle with every raise is real, but this decade calls for more strategic thinking. Consider implementing a "pay yourself first" approach where you immediately redirect any income increases to savings and investments. If you get a $5,000 raise, automatically increase your 401(k) contribution by $3,000 and your taxable investment account by $2,000. You'll barely notice the difference in your take-home pay, but you will thank yourself in the future. This is also the time to think seriously about additional income streams. Whether it's consulting in your field, starting a side business, or investing in rental real estate, diversifying your income sources provides security and potential for acceleration. Building Wealth Beyond Retirement Accounts While retirement accounts are crucial, they shouldn't be your only wealth-building tool. Your 40s are an excellent time to diversify your investment approach and build wealth that's accessible before traditional retirement age. Consider opening a taxable investment account if you haven't already done so. This provides flexibility and liquidity while still offering growth potential. Focus on tax-efficient investments, such as index funds, and consider holding dividend-paying stocks or REITs for their income potential. Real estate can be particularly powerful in your 40s. Whether it's paying off your primary residence early, investing in rental properties, or exploring REITs, real estate adds diversification and potential inflation protection to your portfolio. Don’t Forget the “You” Factor We’d be remiss not to mention this: life in your 40s is busy. You might be managing aging parents, teenagers, or a toddler (or all three). You may be helping your partner through a career change or navigating one yourself. It’s a lot. Which is precisely why intentional financial planning matters now more than ever. You don’t need to do it perfectly. You just need a plan that’s rooted in your real life — your values, your vision, and your goals. A good financial advisor can help you prioritize, simplify, and clarify the next best steps, even if you feel like you’ve fallen behind. Ready to Create Your Personal Financial Strategy? Feeling overwhelmed by all the options and strategies available? You don't have to navigate this journey alone. At Five Pine Wealth Management , we specialize in helping individuals and families in their 40s and beyond create comprehensive financial plans that align with their goals and circumstances. Whether you're looking to maximize your retirement savings, explore catch-up strategies, or build a diversified investment portfolio, our team can help you develop a personalized approach tailored to your situation. We work with clients at various stages of their financial journey, from those just getting serious about retirement planning to those with substantial assets seeking to optimize their strategies. Don't let another year pass wondering if you're on the right track. Schedule a conversation with our team to discuss your financial goals and explore how we can help you make the most of your financial prime time.

The Best Long-Term Investment Strategy? Stay Invested, Stay Calm

June 20, 2025
When markets are calm, investing can feel easy. You contribute regularly, watch your portfolio grow, and start picturing that future vacation home or early retirement. But when markets get volatile, everything changes. Suddenly, headlines are full of dire warnings. Account balances fluctuate. And the urge to do something can feel overwhelming. At Five Pine Wealth Management , we understand how emotional investing can become during periods of market uncertainty. One of the most important things we do as fiduciary financial planners is to help our clients stay grounded when the market gets choppy. Let’s walk you through how we approach investment risk management and why having a clear, disciplined philosophy matters most when volatility strikes. Our Philosophy: Think Long-Term, Not Next Week When markets are moving fast, it is easy to think that the “best long-term investment strategy” must involve taking action to avoid losses or chase gains. The reality is usually the opposite. Reacting to market noise can often do more harm than good. In fact, one of the greatest risks to long-term returns is making emotional decisions in response to short-term events. We coach our clients to stay focused on their long-term financial plans and goals. Volatility is a feature of markets, not a flaw. By designing portfolios with realistic expectations for ups and downs, we help clients stay invested through all market environments. Here is what this looks like in practice: We use broadly diversified portfolios built around low-cost ETFs. We focus on asset allocation aligned with your time horizon, goals, and risk tolerance. We do not chase trends or attempt to time the market. We regularly review and rebalance portfolios based on your financial plan, not headlines. In short, your portfolio is designed to ride out volatility, not avoid it entirely. Fiduciary Financial Planning: Advice in Your Best Interest There is a great deal of noise in the financial world, particularly during turbulent market conditions. One of the most significant ways we help cut through it is by being fiduciary financial planners. That means we are legally and ethically obligated to act in your best interest at all times. We are also fee-only advisors. We do not receive commissions for recommending one investment over another. Our primary agenda is to help you reach your goals. During market volatility, this matters more than ever. Too many investors fall prey to sales pitches disguised as “solutions” to market risk. We focus on education and long-term planning rather than quick fixes. Being a fiduciary allows us to focus on what serves you best: Keeping you aligned with your personal goals and values Helping you tune out market noise and media hype Offering sound, research-backed guidance without conflicts of interest Your Coach Through Emotional Market Cycles One of our most important roles as financial planners is helping clients manage the psychological side of investing. It is one thing to know, intellectually, that markets will recover over time. It is another thing to watch your portfolio drop 15% and not feel anxious. Market downturns create powerful emotions. Fear. Doubt. Sometimes, even panic. As humans, our instinct is to take action to relieve those feelings, even when the logical course is to stay invested. That is where we come in. We help coach clients through these moments so they can avoid costly mistakes like: Selling during a downturn and locking in losses Chasing the next hot trend during a rebound Over-concentration in “safe” assets out of fear We remind clients that volatility is a normal part of the market. Markets have experienced recessions, wars, pandemics, and political turmoil before. They will again. Over time, markets have historically rewarded patient investors who stayed the course. When you work with us, you gain a trusted partner who is here to talk through your concerns, offer perspective, and help you make decisions that serve your long-term goals. Why Staying the Course Actually Works It may seem counterintuitive, but reducing activity during market volatility often yields better outcomes. Consider this: From 1999 through 2018, if an investor missed just the 10 best days in the S&P 500, their overall return would have been cut nearly in half . Many of the best market days happen very close to the worst ones. Trying to time the market is a challenging task, even for seasoned professionals. By maintaining a disciplined investment approach and staying fully invested, you ensure that you are there for both the recoveries and the long-term growth that markets provide. Our role is to help you build a portfolio designed for precisely this kind of staying power. We structure your investment mix to help you weather market cycles without having to guess what will happen next. Educating Clients About Normal Market Cycles Another key aspect of fiduciary financial planning is helping clients understand what is “normal” in the market. Volatility is not a sign that something is broken. It is a natural part of how markets function. In fact, without volatility, markets would not offer the returns that make long-term investing so powerful. We work with clients to help them see: Why some years will be down, but others will be very strong Why trying to avoid all losses is neither realistic nor necessary How staying invested through cycles often leads to far better outcomes than jumping in and out of the market Perspective is everything . The more you understand market behavior, the less likely you are to make emotional decisions during downturns. Different Stages, Same Principles Our approach also adapts to the varying needs of clients at different stages of their financial journey. For clients in their 40s to 60s: We may focus on prudently preserving and growing wealth. We help manage sequence-of-returns risk as you approach retirement. We may emphasize income planning and portfolio sustainability. We ensure that your investment mix aligns with your evolving goals and risk tolerance. For clients in their 30s: We provide education about typical market cycles (especially if this is their first experience with volatility). We coach clients to take advantage of their longer time horizons. We help younger investors see downturns as buying opportunities, not threats. In all cases, we are committed to helping clients invest with confidence, regardless of the headlines. Ready to Build a More Resilient Investment Strategy? Market volatility will always be part of investing, but it doesn't have to derail your financial goals. As your trusted financial advisor Coeur d'Alene team, we're here to help you navigate market uncertainty with confidence through our comprehensive financial planning approach. Contact Five Pine Wealth Management today to discuss how our investment philosophy and comprehensive financial planning approach can help you navigate market uncertainty with confidence. To see how we can help you support your financial goals, send us an email or call us at 877.333.1015.  Whether you're looking to preserve the wealth you've already accumulated or build a foundation for long-term growth, our team has the experience and commitment to help you stay focused on what matters most: achieving your financial goals.