"I founded Impact Financial after working as a Senior Financial Advisor at some of the largest Registered Investment Advisory firms in the country. I held various investment, tax, & planning leadership roles which contributes to the comprehensive approach that I maintain today.
During this time, I worked with many unique individuals & families and quickly saw the need for tailored services.
Templated plans, generic calculators and cookie cutter model portfolios don’t cut it and don’t address unique financial complexities & needs.
You are unique and your financial advice should be too.
It’s with this focus that I founded Impact Financial, offering comprehensive tailored advice to better help you meet your goals."
Founder & Lead Advisor
Brett Spencer, CFP®, CEPA, GFP
Education:
Professional
Designations:
Organizations:
Education:
Professional
Designations:
Organizations:
University of Illinois - Undergraduate degree in personal financial planning
Texas Tech University - Master's degree in personal financial planning
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP®)
- Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA)
- Global Financial Planner (GFP)
TM
- Currently on the 100 Fund board, which is a group focused on helping people achieve their "bucket list" goals.
Insurance Planning Partner
Leigh Harter, CFP®, ChFC, TEP
Business Valuations & Consulting Partner
Abhi Mathews, CFA, CBV
Tax Services Partner
Andrew Balderson, CPA, MT
Investment Research Partner
Charles Freeman, Jr., CFA
Our Team & Partnerships
Tax Advisor
Kayla Vandegoede, CPA, EA
Investment Research Partner
Charles Freeman, Jr., CFA
Charles conducts investment research for Impact Financial. Charles’ expertise not only brings a high level of knowledge and perspective to portfolios but also allows for custom solutions for clients.
Charles obtained his bachelor’s degree in business administration from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, while being a student athlete on the fencing team.
Charles began his investment career in 1998 while in New York City. Originally from Kernersville, NC, Charles found his way to NYC on a fencing scholarship to the New York Athletic Club.
In New York, a fellow fencer introduced Charles to a small investment stock trading firm. At this job, Charles knew immediately that he had a passion for investing. Since then, Charles has worked at several other investment companies along the East Coast before starting his own in 2017. Charles now provides investment research, analytics and collaborates with companies like Impact Financial on ideas and solutions for clients.
Tax Service Partner
Andrew Balderson, CPA, MT
Andrew helps with tax filing and planning for clients. Andrew also helps Impact Financial stay on top of any tax law changes and tax planning opportunities for clients.
Andrew began his career in Columbus, Ohio with Coopers & Lybrand, the predecessor to PricewaterhouseCoopers where he focused on working with closely held and family-owned businesses. While at PwC, he spent a year with the transaction services group helping clients buy and sell their businesses. He left PwC in 2005 and continued working with individuals and business owners as a CPA, ultimately starting his own accounting practice in November 2012.
Andrew graduated cum laude from California State University, Long Beach in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and completed his master’s in taxation at Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio.
Business Valuations & Consulting Parter
Abhi Mathews, CFA, CBV
Abhi helps business owner clients value their businesses and consult on strategies to increase business value.
Abhi has worked at several business valuation firms, investment banks, and accounting firms, while raising or advising on over $400 million in capital for public and private companies. Abhi has assisted business owners and accredited investors value businesses, intellectual properties (patents, trademarks, customer lists, licenses etc.), and assets. Abhi also has a broad range of experience working with companies of various sizes, industries and in both the public and private markets.
Abhi graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelors in Accounting & Financial Management, with a minor in Economics. He has attended the University of Connecticut Masters in Accounting program. He currently sits as a member of the educational working body of the CFA Institute, member of the Estate Planning Council of Mississauga, member of the CFA Society Toronto, member of the CFA Society Chicago, member of the Chicago Chapter ASA and a member of the Institute of Chartered Business Valuators. Abhi is a Chartered Business Valuator (2013), a Chartered Financial Analyst (2014) and a member of the American Society of Appraisers (2022).
Insurance Planning Partner
Leigh Harter, CFP®, ChFC, TEP
Leigh has over 20 years of experience and a distinctive track record of wealth transfer and insurance expertise that includes all aspects of high-net-worth life insurance ranging from advanced underwriting and life settlement negotiation to portfolio analysis and case design.
As a renowned expert in her field, Leigh has been published in Trusts and Estates magazine and the Journal of Practical Estate Planning on topics such as “Holistic Estate Planning” and “Succession Planning.” She helped develop and teach a national program to educate law firms, trust companies, and family offices on changes in the insurance industry, as well as the opportunities and risks of holding life insurance capital. Leigh's contributions and experience in writing and speaking about life insurance have made her a frequent, in-demand presenter at industry events.
Leigh graduated from DePaul University with a B.S. in Business Administration and Economics, magna cum laude. She is a Certified Financial Planner™ and Registered Investment Advisor. She also holds the NASD Series 7 and 66 certifications. She is a member of the Chicago Finance Exchange, the Society of Trust and Estate Planners (STEP), and serves on the Finance and Investment Committees of the Chicago Foundation for Women as well as the Networking Committee of the Chicago Estate Planning Council.
Tax Advisor
Kayla Vandegoede, CPA, EA
Kayla is a tax advisor with unique expertise in cross-border tax planning for US citizens.
Kayla has over 15 years of experience in public practice accounting, with management roles at major accounting firms, such as KPMG, prior to joining Impact Financial.
Kayla's professional journey has taken her across three different countries, providing her with extensive experience helping U.S. clients mitigate taxes in various jurisdictions.
Kayla is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), licensed in Canada and is an Enrolled Agent (EA) licensed in the US.
We will give you steps to strengthen your financial plan and will provide an analysis of your investments.
This will show how we can help you manage and coordinate your finances to meet your goals.
Free Assessment
We will review your information, help quantify your goals and organize everything into a financial portal.
You will then have access to this portal where you can monitor and track your finances over time.
Review & Organize
Start with an introductory call to explain what you’re looking for and to learn more about us.
We can start with a free assessment to give you a "health check" on your finances.
