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Wealth is the Ability to Fully Experience Life

True wealth can't be defined by a number.
We look beyond the numbers to help you live the life you desire.

ABOUT US


GOING DEEPER

You have questions about your finances. You've looked online and asked friends but you can't find the right answer. That's because there is no universal right answer. Real financial advice is personal and requires an understanding of your unique situation. We develop deep personal relationships with our clients so we can help you determine the right answer.

PEACE OF MIND

The most important thing we can provide for you is peace of mind. We understand how frustrating and complicated it is to manage your personal finances. Our technical knowledge allows us to tackle the complex issues for you and communicate them in a straightforward manner. We want to help you develop a plan for your future and reduce the stress that finances might be causing you.

OBJECTIVE ADVICE

We have always been and will always be a fee-only firm. This means we always act as a fiduciary and put our clients' interests first. It means our only compensation is from the fees our clients pay us and we accept no commissions or referral fees of any kind.

 

OUR BEGINNING

Lyle started our firm in 1994 with one goal in mind: to better serve his individual clients. He was providing financial planning at a larger CPA firm but felt his clients needed and wanted more from him. From the start his focus has been on providing the objective, broad and deep financial advice you need and deserve.

OUR BACKGROUND

As Certified Public Accountants with years of experience in tax and estate planning we have a technical background and an understanding of complex tax laws. We are leaders in the AICPA community and have an extensive network of the best and brightest CPA financial planners around the country.

OUR PASSION

We are driven by our desire to improve our clients' lives. The relationships we develop with our clients are what gets us out of bed in the morning. Our clients are like family to us, so that's how we treat them.

GUIDING PRINCIPALS

  • Always put our clients' interests first
  • Be completely transparent 
  • Build deep and lasting relationships
  • Communicate effectively and regularly
  • Be proactive and very responsive
  • Never stop learning and growing - individually and as a firm
  • Collaborate with a national network of experts
  • Stay on the cutting edge of new technology in our industry

 

Lyle K. Benson, Jr., CPA/PFS, CFP Photo Lyle K. Benson, Jr., CPA/PFS, CFP Hover Photo

Lyle K. Benson, Jr., CPA/PFS, CFP

President & Founder
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President & Founder

Lyle@lkbenson.com

410-494-6680

Lyle began his career in a local CPA firm, where he became a  partner and built their financial planning practice over a fifteen year period. In 1994 he founded L.K. Benson & Company so that he could better serve his clients and address all their financial needs. He has a B.A. in Accounting from Loyola College in Maryland and a Masters of Science in Taxation from the University of Baltimore. His professional designations include CPA, PFS and CFP.

As a leader in the financial planning and accounting professions, he has served in leadership roles of various professional organizations over the past 40 years, is a past chairman of the AICPA PFP Division Executive Committee, co-founder of the AICPA PFP Summit, and founder of the Athena Study Group. 

Lyle and his wife Ellen have two daughters, Michelle, a school administrator, and Jessie, a fitness entrepreneur, and a son, Chris, who works with him. They also have four grandchildren who he loves to spend time with. He enjoys traveling, yoga, stand-up paddle boarding and spending time at the beach.


Chris Benson, CPA/PFS  Photo Chris Benson, CPA/PFS  Hover Photo

Chris Benson, CPA/PFS

Principal
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Principal

Chris@lkbenson.com

410-494-6680

Chris leads our financial planning practice and focuses on providing financial advice that covers the full spectrum of your personal finances. With an extensive tax background he also stays involved in our tax practice preparing and reviewing returns and providing ongoing tax planning. 
 
Chris graduated in 2004 from Bucknell University with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting. He then spent 5 years in the tax department at Grant Thornton while working on his Master's in Taxation from the University of Baltimore. After passing the CPA exam and the PFS exam, he joined the firm in 2009.
 
He is an active member of the AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP) section, where he formed a networking group of young advisers from across the country. He is also the current chair of the local Maryland CPA society's annual financial planning conference. For years he has been actively involved with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, helping run various aspects of their annual PurpleStride event in Baltimore.
 
Chris married his wife Amy on the beach in Siesta Key in 2011 and they have two boys, Chase and Logan. Together they love to travel and attend Ravens and Orioles games. Chris is a craft beer enthusiast, amateur chef, and an avid reader. You can follow him on twitter to learn more. 
 
Kelly Sheehan Photo

Kelly Sheehan

Operations Manager
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Operations Manager

Kelly@lkbenson.com

Kelly focuses on investment monitoring and financial planning services. Her understanding of computer technology aids her in organizing our financial planning analytical work. She prepares the investment reports, serves as the firm's main contact with money managers and investment custodians, and manages our billing process.

Rosemary Parkinson, CPA  Photo

Rosemary Parkinson, CPA

Tax Director
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Tax Director

Rosemary@lkbenson.com

410-494-6680

Rosemary is a CPA with a Master's Degree in Accounting. Her areas of expertise include accounting and the preparation of tax returns for individuals as well as related entities such as corporations, partnerships, and trusts. She is the firm's contact with the IRS.

Jennifer Shin, CPA Photo Jennifer Shin, CPA Hover Photo

Jennifer Shin, CPA

Senior Tax Accountant
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Jennifer joined the firm in January 2022 as a remote senior tax accountant. She graduated from University of Virginia in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a minor degree in studio art. As she greatly enjoyed being on the campus, she continued her education at University of Virginia and earned a master’s degree in accounting, with concentration in tax consulting. In 2014, she began her career in PwC’s Washington National Tax Services (WNTS) practice and was involved in tax compliance and consulting for over 3 years. She then joined the Tax Office at Johns Hopkins University and was responsible for the university’s compliance with corporate and employer tax reporting. She also assisted international scholars with preparing U.S. individual tax returns. 

Jennifer and her husband, Wangjae, are recent newlyweds. They had a lovely family wedding service on their front porch in June, 2020 and later celebrated with friends and extended families in June, 2021. They have been busy furnishing their new home in Virginia and making the most of their newlywed life. Jennifer loves to be organized in all aspects of life and aspires to be a minimalist.

Sarah Marcisz Photo

Sarah Marcisz

Lead Administrative Assistant
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Sarah Marcisz is our office manager and lead administrative assistant. Sarah brings a wealth of experience to our tax practice as she previously spent 7 years at Stegman & Company and Dixon Hughes Goodman. She has twin boys in high school and a daughter in middle school who keep her busy at home.

Camille Phillips, CPA, CFP  Photo Camille Phillips, CPA, CFP  Hover Photo

Camille Phillips, CPA, CFP

Financial Planning Associate
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Camille joined the firm in November 2020 as a remote financial planning associate. She recently added the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification to her skill set in addition to being a CPA for over a decade. She is involved in our tax preparation practice and all aspects of our financial planning practice. Camille’s previous experience includes over 10 years in public accounting focused on tax preparation and review.

Camille earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Wyoming in 2007. After a number of years in public accounting she decided to return to school and earned her Financial Planning Certificate from Texas A&M - College Station. 

Camille and her husband, Adam, reside at the base of the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming with their 3 boys. As a family they love to travel, play games, explore Wyoming, and attend the boys’ sporting events. Camille is an avid runner and reader. She also volunteers on the local food bank board of directors and at her church.

Susan Beaty, CPA Photo

Susan Beaty, CPA

Tax Associate
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Susan Beaty (susan@lkbenson.com) has been a bookkeeper and tax preparer for over 40 years.  After working at a Houston CPA firm as the person in charge of client bookkeeping and payroll, she returned to college and took night school courses to get her CPA certification.  She has experience with partnership, trust, individual and private foundation returns as well as having served as the controller for a local engineering firm. She has lived in Maryland since 1997, when she moved here to marry her high school sweetheart after he found her on the internet.

INDEPENDENT, OBJECTIVE ADVICE

FOCUSED ON YOU AND YOUR GOALS

SERVICES


WHERE IT ALL STARTS

Before we can help you tackle your financial issues we will work with you to develop a financial plan. This process will allow you to:

  • Explore your values and passions
  • Determine your goals for the future
  • Analyze your cash flow needs
  • Organize your financial accounts 
  • Review your investment portfolio
  • Assess your tax situation
  • Develop specific recommendations to help you meet your goals

 

INVESTMENT SERVICES AS PART OF YOUR ONGOING FINANCIAL PLAN

When our clients begin their financial planning journey, they typically have a number of different investment accounts that are being managed individually without regard to one another. They are seeking organization and an overall strategy for their portfolio. We start by developing an investment policy statement that clearly defines your financial goals and the overall investment strategy we will implement to help reach them. 

BUILDING A PORTFOLIO FOR YOU

Your investment portfolio should be structured around your financial plan and built to help you reach your goals. We believe in diversification, rebalancing, and keeping costs low. Our goal is to help you develop an appropriate target asset allocation for the portfolio, then implement that target portfolio and monitor the results.

COORDINATING THE MANY PIECES OF YOUR INVESTMENT STRATEGY

We take on different roles in the investment management process for different clients.  If you don't have anyone managing your investments, we can build and manage a portfolio for you through our custodian, Charles Schwab. If you already have money managers or other investment advisers in place, we can take on the quarterback role and help you develop an overall strategy and monitor each of the individual pieces for you. Or, if you prefer to handle your investments on your own we can provide recommendations for your portfolio that you can implement yourself. Regardless of what role we take, our strategy remains the same and we can monitor the performance and asset allocation of the portfolio on a regular basis for you.


Tax planning is a critical part of ongoing financial planning. Our continual monitoring of changes in the tax laws allows our clients to take advantage of new planning strategies as they become available. We project current and future years' tax scenarios and integrate these into your overall financial planning.

We offer our clients many tax services, including:

  • Preparation of Federal and State Individual Tax Returns
  • Preparation of Federal and State Partnership, S-Corporation and LLC Tax Returns
  • Preparation of Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments
  • Projections for both year-end and quarterly tax planning
  • Payroll Tax Returns
  • Personal Property Tax Returns
  • Handling of Tax Notices and IRS Audits
  • Address State Residency and Tax Issues


CREATIVE, CUTTING-EDGE ESTATE PLANNING STRATEGIES 

For many of our clients, an important aspect of their overall goals is the transfer of wealth to future generations. We believe that estate planning needs to be integrated with all other areas of personal financial planning. As such, our estate planning strategy includes working closely with your other advisors such as attorneys, trust officers, and insurance agents. As there are often so many professionals involved, it is helpful to have a team in place all working together to help you reach your goals. 

However, some of the most important aspects of estate planning also include the non-financial, personal issues related to wealth management and transfer. We work with our clients to develop an estate plan that meets their financial and non-financial goals. 

BEYOND THE NUMBERS

Unlike most fee-only financial advisors who will charge you a percentage of your assets, we don't believe the price you pay for financial advice should be based on your investment portfolio value. Our prices are determined by the services provided and the complexity of your situation.

ANNUAL FIXED FEE

Fees for Investment Advisory Services are typically billed quarterly, in advance. The quarterly retainer fee established for these services are based on the complexity of a client’s financial situation and is confirmed in the client’s investment advisory agreement. This fee covers not only the investment advisory services but may also include advice in other areas such as financial planning or tax preparation. Annual fees typically range between $8,000 - $30,000. Upon termination of any account, any prepaid, unearned fees will be promptly refunded, and any earned, unpaid fees will be due and payable.

HOURLY FEES

Fees for project-based Financial Planning and Tax Planning and Preparation Services are billed at an hourly rate with a range from $175 to $540 per hour, depending on the level of the individual performing the service. Fees are due monthly in arrears. These fees are negotiable and are established as stated in the client’s engagement letter..

TIME IS MORE VALUABLE THAN MONEY

YOU CAN GET MORE MONEY BUT YOU CANNOT GET MORE TIME

HOW WE HELP


We understand how valuable your time is and our goal is to help you free up more of it by being your financial partner. We work with people in all stages of life, with many different occupations and varying levels of net worth. Our fee structure allows us to work with a wide variety of clients but there are certain people in particular situations who we feel we can help the most. 

Going through a transition in your life can be challenging and frustrating. Many of our clients come to us in a time of transition because the financial ramifications can be complex and complicated. We have the breadth of knowledge and provide the personal attention you need to make it through these transitions. Some examples of transitions we have helped clients through are:

  • Retirement
  • Sale of a Business
  • Death of a Spouse
  • Marriage
  • Divorce
  • Starting a Business
  • Sale of a Business
  • Inheritance
  • Starting a Family

We often work with very successful individuals who have built significant wealth during their careers. We serve as the "Personal CFO" to many of these higher net worth clients. We handle all aspects of their personal finances for them and this can include:

  • Helping you determine if you have "enough".
  • Work with others on your estate planning team to implement strategies to preserve your wealth.
  • Meet with your children and grandchildren to be a resource for them as they take on more financial responsibility.
  • Implement tax planning strategies to minimize the impact of taxes and prepare your tax returns.
  • Review your overall investment strategy and make sure it aligns with your goals.
  • Work with your existing investment management team or implement our investment recommendations on your behalf.
  • Organize the various pieces of your financial picture.
  • Provide bookkeeping services.

Our CPA foundation and extensive tax background allows us to help many clients who have some form of complexity in their tax situation. These might include:

  • Business executives with stock options
  • Real estate developers with multiple partnerships
  • Venture capital investors with various complicated investments
  • Multi-state residents with state tax issues
  • Self-employed individuals
  • Business owners

While we work with a variety of clients, not everyone is a good fit. If any of the following statements describe you, we might not be the right adviser for you:

  • If you don't want to build a long-term, trusting relationship with your adviser.
  • If you are just looking for an investment manager who will try to beat the market.
  • If you want someone who will try to predict the future.
  • If you are unwilling to open up about your entire financial picture.
  • If you want someone who will buy and sell individual stocks and bonds for you.
  • If you are only looking for someone to prepare a simple tax return at a low cost.

strive to develop

PERSONAL FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

WITH THE CLIENTS WE SERVE

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CONTACT US

ADDRESS

1107 Kenilworth Dr Suite 302

Towson, MD 21204

PHONE

410.494.6680


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