Chris Berkel has been in the financial industry for over 20 years. He specializes in a variety of Financial Planning, Retirement Planning, and Portfolio Management topics, and is proud to be featured in Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, WTOP News, Yahoo News, and msn Money. This industry was appealing to him due to his desire to help others and create a positive experience that leaves a lasting impression. He sees money as a tool that can be used to gain access to whatever is most important to each individual client. Over the years, he has developed a clear understanding of the importance of truly listening to what the client wants and utilizing that clear picture of the client’s needs to align what they have with what is most important to them.

He has modeled his business off of two different core values. First, he values the definition of what it means to be a fiduciary. The old adage, “People don’t care about what you know until they know how much you care,” speaks true to that meaning for him. This also translates to always acting in the client’s best interest and being truly concerned with understanding what is important to them. Second, he believes in the meaning of AXIS Financial. Everything in his life rotates around his personal axis, and everything he does for his clients revolves around the axis of what is most important to them. Using these two core values, he has developed a process where clients feel listened to, understood, and honored.

The hardest time in Chris’ life was when his son had to undergo two open heart surgeries. This extremely personal time shaped the way he views many aspects of his life now, including his profession. He realized that while the surgeon had many pressing matters that day, that he was personally most concerned about his son. In a similar way, his client’s are most concerned about their own finances. He understands how monumental it is to trust someone with a huge part of your life. When he meets with clients he always wants them to feel like the most important people in the room! Additionally, he gives back to his community frequently by sitting on boards, donating to organizations, and sponsoring children in Haiti and Columbia. Many people are also shocked to hear that Chris is a fantastic musician, he sings as well as plays the piano and drums.