Phone: 904-824-8147
Whatever financial question a client might ask, whatever issue a client might raise, it is a near certainty that Cary Cowan has seen it, dealt with it, solved it, during his long and distinguished career.
Cary has been in the financial planning and financial retirement business for 54 years, 44 of them as head of his own firm, Cowan Financial Group in St. Augustine, Florida.
After over a half century in the business, Cary was thinking about a succession plan when he met Arch Global Advisors cofounders Sheraz Iftikhar and Akhil Kumar. During an impromptu conversation with the two at an industry conference, he discovered that they shared some of the same important values and philosophy. “We treat our clients the same way as Arch Global does,” he says. “Meaning that they are always our number one priority. I was impressed with that.”
This serendipitous meeting led to the sale of Cowan’s firm to Arch Global Advisors in April 2023.
Cary continues to advise clients, now as head of AGA’s Southern Region. It is not only his decades of experience that continues to make him such an asset to clients and colleagues alike. You could say Cary authored the book on financial management—and you would be accurate. In his 2001 book, Lifetime Financial Strategies: A 21st Century Financial Planning Process, Cary shares many of his insights gleaned from a lifetime in the business.
A graduate of the American College of Financial Services, Cary has earned multiple financial certificates including CLU ®, Chartered Life Underwriter, ChFC ®, Chartered Financial Consultant, CF2 ® Certified Financial Fiduciary and CFP ®, from the College of Financial Planning.
His practice has evolved with his clients. He started helping many of them when they were starting families in their thirties and continues to advise them in their fifties and sixties. “They are now thinking about retirement, about rolling over their 401Ks and looking ahead to their financial future,” he says.
As part of AGA, Cary continues to fulfill the pledge he made to those clients, years ago. “I was dedicated to helping them reach their financial goals then,” said Cary. “And I am continuing to do it now. They know that they are always our top priority.”
His Background:
Cary grew up in Sanford, Fl, a small town of about 25,000 people back then, located north of Orlando. As senior class president, he got to know everyone in town—a task that would be more difficult today. Part of the state’s skyrocketing growth in recent years, Sanford’s population has now soared to 65,000.
Fun Fact:
Cary is unambiguous and succinct when asked about his outside interests and hobbies: “Just golf,” he replies.