Meet Our Team

We’re a multigenerational family business that values serving clients with excellence. We’ve structured our firm to support you and your family for years to come, and we hold top credentials that ensure you receive the highest level of expertise and guidance. Family and relationships are key to who we are as a firm, and while we take our work seriously, our close connections with clients and each other mean that our work is always infused with fun. After all, part of our mission is to cultivate Joy in every moment—and that begins right here.

Terrence S. Bridgewater, CPA

Principal, Financial Advisor

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Ethan Bridgewater, CFP®, ChFC®

Chief Compliance Officer, Financial Advisor

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Ellen Bridgewater, CPA

Senior Accountant

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Laura Lassing

Client Service Manager

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Planning Approach

“It doesn’t do any good to live your whole life, make money, and not be happy.” – Terrence Bridgewater

Terry’s mission as a financial advisor is to help people experience peace and joy. His clients are intelligent people who have worked hard for their success, but they typically still have doubts about how their future will play out. They generally haven’t taken the opportunity to identify how they can enjoy everything they’ve worked for. So that’s what Terry helps people do—he has deep, meaningful conversations with clients about what they really want out of life; then he helps them organize their financial resources in a way that allows them to pursue those goals and dreams with confidence. He starts with the big picture (“What do you value most? What have you always wanted to do with your life?”), and then he identifies specific financial strategies to support their plan for a great life.

He says the most important thing he offers clients is clarity—clarity about what you really want, if you can do it, and how to make it happen. He’s passionate about showing people how to enjoy life without fear and worry, and he loves helping them create a specific plan so they can pursue their dreams with confidence. When his clients are happy, he’s happy, and he wants them to know they have an experienced professional—someone they can trust who genuinely cares about them—looking out for their future.

Industry Experience

Before his career as an advisor, Terry spent 42 years as a Certified Public Accountant and still holds his license today. He has a wealth of experience helping clients navigate the complex world of tax planning, and he leverages this knowledge regularly in his work as a financial planner. He has always had a desire to help people make the most of their success (and their lives in general), which is what led him to become an advisor.

Before 1999, the CPA code of ethics restricted accountants from becoming advisors, and when he would review his clients’ finances, he had to refer them to someone else to help them develop a more comprehensive retirement plan. Still, he saw that there was often more work to be done for the client, and in 2000, he earned his securities licenses and investment advisor registration so he could guide people through the entire financial planning process. Today, with nearly 40 years of industry experience, he provides personalized, comprehensive wealth management to help people live life with confidence and peace of mind.

Terry’S Definition Of A Happy Life

Terry lives in a small town in Missouri, where he and his wife Ellen raised their three children after a short stint in St. Louis. Terry and Ellen (who is also a CPA) have been married for nearly 40 years, and they’re the proud parents of two sons and one daughter, all of whom have children of their own. Terry cherishes spending weekends with his children, especially when they gather by the pool alongside his five (soon to be six!) grandkids.

Fun Facts

If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?

“That’s really hard because I really like movies! But the first one that comes to mind is True Grit.”

If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what age would you choose and what would you say?

“I would tell my 32-year-old self, ‘Don’t be satisfied.’ In my high school yearbook, they asked about our goals for the next ten years and I said, ‘I’m going to have my own CPA firm, build my own house, and fill it with kids.’ I did that by age 32. And honestly, I became a little complacent. I worked hard, but if I’d been more energetic, I could have been more of the public servant that I want my son Ethan to be. That’s part of the reason I chose to be in financial services—you can make a positive impact on others by doing your job.”

What is one thing every person should add to their daily routine?

“One thing I know is that you should be grateful. When I wake up in the morning, lying in bed, I think, ‘Thank God for that, I woke up.’ That’s the first grateful thing, and it just accumulates from there.”

Planning Approach

Ethan’s objective with clients is to bring them to a place of financial alignment—where their hopes and goals are aligned with their actions and decisions. As an advisor, his job is to collaborate with them, review their financial situation, and help them identify specific strategies to maximize and protect their wealth. He spends ample time asking questions, helping his clients think more intentionally about the kind of life they want to live. He understands how easy it is to get caught in the busyness of life, and he helps people take a step back, examine their desires and motivations, and move intentionally toward a life of meaning and joy. As clients engage in this process and gain a clear understanding of their goals and how to achieve them, they often find a new sense of happiness and contentment because they have a clear path forward and are confident in their decisions.

Family Values

Much like his clients, Ethan cares deeply about his family and appreciates having the freedom to spend more time with them. Bridgewater has always and will always be rooted in family values, and it’s this element that inspires Ethan in the work he does for clients. He loves that he gets to have lunch with his daughter every Tuesday and take her to gymnastics practice on Fridays—and it’s this flexibility and freedom he hopes to help create in his clients’ lives.

As he spends time with clients, he also works to make the process fun. It’s a serious responsibility managing someone’s life savings, but he believes that between the analyses, problem solving, and strategizing, there is always room for a few jokes and a good laugh.

Education & Professional History

Both of Ethan’s parents are accountants, and he was very familiar with the family business growing up—but it wasn’t until he was in college that he considered working in the financial industry himself. By that time, his dad Terry had been an advisor for about ten years, and he encouraged Ethan to consider it for himself. Ethan had always had a talent for numbers, but he wanted a career where he could work closely with people and make a positive impact on their lives—and wealth management gave him the opportunity to do both.

He graduated in 2012 from Southeast Missouri State University with a degree in finance. From there, he was hired by NISA, a large-scale institutional investment firm where he gained experience communicating with stockbrokers, settling trades, and compiling financial reports. In 2014, he earned his Series 7, 66, and Life Insurance licenses and transitioned to his dad’s firm, where he immediately began working with clients and growing the practice. Soon after, he earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation and gained more knowledge about comprehensive planning and ways to serve the firm’s clients more holistically.

Community Involvement

Ethan is a board member of the Mercy Jefferson Health Foundation, where he is on the Finance and Corporate Partners Committees. Through this program, Ethan and the other members of the committee help connect local businesses and their employees with hospital resources. He is also a board member of the Twin City Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Rotary, where he served as president from 2018-2019.

Ethan’S Definition Of A Happy Life

Ethan lives in his hometown of Festus with his wife Chelby and their little girl Olivia. Like his father, Ethan and his wife lived in St. Louis for a short time but chose to move back after their daughter was born. Today, Ethan spends most of his spare time hanging out with his family or volunteering, and as someone who has always wanted to have kids, he wouldn’t have it any other way. Olivia is an energetic little girl who keeps Ethan and Chelby on their toes. She loves singing, dancing, and pretending, and soon, she’ll have a little brother to look out for—something Ethan is very excited about.

Ethan also enjoys exercising in his home gym, being outdoors, and cooking for his family. In fact, he currently owns four different mechanisms for outdoor cooking—a gas grill, a pizza oven, a smoker, and a charcoal grill.

Fun Facts

If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?

“I’m not sure I could narrow it down to one, but I love stories like Miracle, Dead Poets Society, or For Love of the Game. There are so many eye-opening, inspirational moments, and I love that.”

If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what age would you choose and what would you say?

“I would go back to high school and tell myself to prioritize learning important concepts rather than memorizing answers. I can’t think of one area of my life that wouldn’t have been severely impacted by that. That’s what I would tell my daughter now—seek to understand what you’re doing at all costs.”

What is one thing every person should add to their daily routine?

“Carve out time to sit quietly. Don’t think about anything, don’t do anything… Let your brain have a break. When you’re quiet, you’d be amazed at some of the thoughts and ideas you have—and how much your mind wants to not be consuming something every minute of the day.”