Gateway Financial Advisors

Business Details

32 Years

experience

Your Trusted Partner for Financial Planning Solutions

For over four decades, Gateway Financial Advisors has dedicated itself to empowering individuals, retirees, families, and business owners to maximize the value of their hard-earned assets. Founded in 1994 by Tom Craft, a seasoned professional with a career spanning public accounting, corporate tax management, and financial advisory services, our firm combines deep technical expertise with a personalized approach to financial planning. Our team of certified professionals specializes in investment management, tax strategies, retirement planning, and legacy development, guided by a philosophy that emphasizes behavioral change as the key to financial success. We have built a reputation for excellence through our proprietary planning methodologies, including the PLAN Success Cycle and Portfolio Pillars, which ensure comprehensive, adaptable solutions tailored to each client's unique needs. With a strong commitment to community service and industry leadership, we maintain affiliations with organizations like the Estate Planning Council of Cleveland and the Northern Ohio Planned Giving Council.

Our hands-on, results-driven approach focuses on delivering peace of mind through disciplined investment strategies, rigorous rebalancing, and meticulous monitoring of all client portfolios. We pride ourselves on transparency, ethical practices, and a client-centric culture that prioritizes long-term relationships over transactional interactions. Our Independence, Ohio-based team serves clients across Northern Ohio, offering complimentary resources like Income Plans and Portfolio Analyses to help individuals navigate their financial journeys. By integrating cutting-edge technology with personalized service, we strive to simplify complex financial landscapes and empower clients to achieve their life goals with confidence.

Services

Financial Planning Investment Management Tax Planning Retirement Planning Estate Planning Risk Management Portfolio Analysis Income Planning Legacy Development Wealth Checkpoints

Details

Year established: 1994

Highlights and features

We offer 40+ years of combined experience in financial planning and investment management.
Our proprietary PLAN Success Cycle ensures comprehensive, adaptable financial strategies.
We maintain active community involvement through boards like the Estate Planning Council of Cleveland.
Our Portfolio Pillars methodology guarantees disciplined investment management practices.
We provide complimentary financial resources including Income Plans and Portfolio Analyses.

Associations and certifications

State of Ohio Registered Investment Advisor
SEC registered Investment Advisor (Advisory Alpha LLC)

Website

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Services

Financial Planning

Our comprehensive financial planning service creates customized roadmaps for clients' financial futures. Using the PLAN Success Cycle methodology, we analyze current financial status, develop tailored strategies, and continuously adapt plans to changing life circumstances. This service integrates investment positioning, tax optimization, and risk management to help clients achieve both short-term objectives and long-term security.

Investment Management

We provide active investment management guided by our Portfolio Pillars framework. Our team employs smart strategy development, rigorous rebalancing, and meticulous monitoring to optimize returns while managing risk. Through disciplined diversification across multiple asset classes, we construct portfolios aligned with clients' risk tolerance, time horizons, and financial goals while minimizing transaction costs and tax implications.

Tax Planning

Our tax planning service focuses on minimizing clients' tax liabilities through strategic positioning and proactive planning. Drawing on decades of experience from public accounting and corporate tax roles, we implement proven strategies for income tax reduction, estate tax preservation, and business tax optimization while maintaining full compliance with regulatory requirements.

Retirement Planning

We specialize in creating sustainable retirement income plans that ensure financial security throughout clients' post-career years. Our Wealth CheckPoints system evaluates retirement readiness, develops withdrawal strategies, and coordinates estate planning elements to guarantee sufficient resources meet both desired and required expenses over clients' lifetimes.

Estate Planning

Our estate planning service focuses on preserving wealth for future generations through strategic asset transfer techniques. We collaborate with legal professionals to implement wills, trusts, and charitable giving strategies that align with clients' legacy goals while minimizing estate tax exposure and ensuring smooth wealth transition processes.

People

Tom Craft

President/CEO

With 40 years in financial services, Tom Craft founded Gateway Financial Advisors in 1994 after careers at Deloitte and corporate tax departments. A recognized speaker on tax strategies and estate preservation, he combines technical expertise with a passion for improving clients' lives through behavioral finance principles.

Julie Craft

Vice President of Finance

Julie Craft brings 38 years of financial services experience, specializing in family office services and cash management. Former Corporate Controller at Summers Rubber Company, she focuses on financial reporting, budgeting, and lifestyle services to help clients reclaim valuable time through organized financial management.

Donna Taylor

Vice President of Client Relations

With 16 years in financial services, Donna Taylor leads client relations with a focus on personalized service and relationship-building. As Director of Practice Management, she ensures seamless client communication and operational efficiency, serving as the primary point of contact for Gateway Financial Advisors' clientele.

Steve Osterink Jr.

Chief Investment Officer

CFA charterholder Steve Osterink Jr. leads investment strategy development and implementation. With dual CFP and AIF certifications, he drives innovation in portfolio management while maintaining a client-focused approach to asset allocation and risk management through Advisory Alpha's SEC-registered framework.

Jon Lohr

Research Director

Jon Lohr, a CFA charterholder and Certified Financial Planner, oversees daily investment research and portfolio management. He specializes in asset allocation analysis, fund monitoring, and strategy implementation, ensuring clients benefit from data-driven investment decisions and rigorous market evaluation.

Questions

What financial planning services do you offer?

We provide comprehensive financial planning covering investment management, tax strategies, retirement planning, estate planning, and risk management through our Wealth CheckPoints system.

How does your planning process work?

Our PLAN Success Cycle methodology includes Prepare, Learn, Align, and Navigate phases to create adaptable financial strategies that evolve with clients' changing circumstances.

What areas do you serve?

We primarily serve clients in Northern Ohio and the Cleveland metropolitan area from our Independence office.

Do you offer free initial consultations?

Yes, we provide complimentary Income Plans and Portfolio Analyses to help clients understand their financial positioning without any obligation.

What investment approach do you use?

Our Portfolio Pillars framework guides investment decisions through Smart Strategy, Rigorous Rebalancing, Disciplined Diversification, Intelligent Investments, and Meticulous Monitoring.