When planning for your financial future, it can be a difficult road to navigate, but having a partner to guide you through the process can make all the difference.
Gateway Financial Partners, owned by Ron Denova and Trudy Leen, opened its doors in March of 2016, but the pair has been working in the financial industry for decades.
“Trudy and I decided to make the move from institutional planning and investment management to offering independent, local services to our community,” said Denova, who adds that he wanted to have the ability to focus on each client’s unique needs rather than being tied to corporate priorities and constraints. “We feel very fortunate that our vision has been so well received and supported here in North Idaho.”
Gateway Financial Partners provides not only investment advice and planning, but also financial education, retirement planning, asset management and investment and brokerage services.
“Usually, wealth is not a matter of fate or luck,” said Denova. “We can all take practical steps toward financial freedom, and even if we do not end up rich, those steps may improve our personal finances and retirement prospects.” Some of those steps include living within your means, getting rid of bad debt, starting a savings plan and speaking with a financial advisor.
Because they are not tied to a certain institution, Gateway Financial Partners is able to “think outside the box,” something which is important since each and every client has a different need. “This does not mean adding risk,” explained Denova. “It means adding additional diversification thereby reducing risk.”
At Gateway Financial Partners, clients are not limited to proprietary products. Plans and investments are determined by clients’ specific needs and preferences.
Another unique aspect of Gateway Financial Partners is their commitment to making sure all their clients’ questions are answered, whether they are financial, legal or otherwise. Gateway works with professionals throughout the community and is developing a network of strategic alliance partners in financial fields such as Certified Public Accountants, attorneys, insurance agents and bankers, who can assist their clients with very specific needs and situations.
Both Denova and Leen believe in giving back to the community that has supported them throughout the years. Denova is on the financial committee of Kinderhaven, serves as a care pastor in marriage with his wife Christine, and is in his seventh season as a referee for Upward basketball. Lifetime resident Trudy Leen is a board member of the Luke Commission, a medical mission in Swaziland, and also heads the Toys for Tots drive in Priest River.
A native of Chicago, Denova worked on the floor at the Chicago Board of Trade for nearly 20 years. Eager to break away from the big city life, he stumbled upon an article in USA Today about Sandpoint. “I was reading it on a packed commuter train,” recalled Denova who shortly thereafter told his wife of his desire to move to Idaho. The couple and their son moved here in 2006.
“We feel very blessed with the amount of success we’ve had in a short period of time, and we believe our philosophy is something people have been looking for,” said Denova of the business’s growth over the past 10 months.
If you are seeking help navigating the world of investments, contact Gateway Financial Partners. Their knowledge and level of service will give you peace of mind for the future.
“Success, to us, is about more than the returns or the bottom line,” said Denova. “We believe in the deep relationships that we build for the long-term.”
Gateway Financial Partners
515 Pine Street, Suite D
Sandpoint, ID 83864
208.946.5002
