W. Ben Keel, III, BBA, MBA, CFP®, ChFC®, CFEd®, CLU®, CKA®

W. Ben Keel, III, BBA, MBA, CFP®, ChFC®, CFE®, CLU®, CKA® was named as one of the Top Financial Planners in the Nation by Consumers’ Research Council of America* since 2008. After receiving these honors, along with others, Ben decided it was time to move back home to Katy Texas and work with his father in his financial firm – Financial & Insurance Consultants. Ben attended elementary through high school in the Katy Area and earned his Eagle Scout in Katy back in 1983. Ben has clients located across this great country.

You can view Ben's LinkedIn Profile by clicking Here.

Education

Upon graduating from Katy High School in 1988, Ben received his BBA in Finance from Stephen F. Austin State University and his MBA from The American Military University (Summa Cum Laude). Ben also attended Metro State University of Denver Colorado to complete his 2 Years of Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) class work. Ben then obtained his Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) designations through the American College and his Certified Financial Educator (CFE®) from The Heartland Institute of Financial Education. He has attended classes at Wharton University of Pennsylvania in Financial Client Psychology.  He is a member of the Golden Key Honor Society, Delta Mu Delta International Honour (sic) Society and the Sigma Beta Delta International Honor Society.

Experience

Ben is an adjunct professor for Rice University in the Certified Financial Planning® Program since 2011. Ben has served on the Board of Directors for the Houston Financial Planning Association (FPA) as the Chairman and President. He is also a Certified Financial Educator and in the past has teached Financial Education Classes through the Non-Profit Heartland Institute of Financial Education for companies that would like to have a non-biased financial education class offered to their employees. He has also taught financial literacy classes to all Branches of the United States Military as well as Government Employees. In addition to teaching he is currently working as an active Financial Planner in the Katy Texas office of Financial & Insurance Consultants, a firm that his father started in the 1980's. He has worked for American Express Financial Advisors as a Financial Planner in Austin Texas, had his own Financial Planning Firm in Austin Texas and worked at Fidelity Investments in Denver Colorado as a Senior Financial Planner. He has been in the financial industry since 1993. During and after college Ben served in the US Army and Texas Army National Guard.

Family

Ben and Harmony were married in 2001 and they have five children: Xan, born in 2005, Liam, born in May 2006 and Austin, born in May 2008 and the twins: Kennan and Josiah born in 2009.

Hobbies

If Ben is not spending time with his dynamic family at the family ranch raising farm animals, you might catch him out fly-fishing the Texas Coast, a Mountain Stream in Colorado, New Mexico or looking for Salmon in Alaska. Ben and Harmony loved to snow ski and before they had children you would find them, during ski season, on the slopes weekly. The five children have slowed down the weekly skiing (as well as moving back to Texas.

*Consumers' Research Council of America has compiled a list of Top Financial Planners throughout the United States by utilizing a point value system based on years of experience, education and training, professional associations and financial certifications. Third-party rankings and recognition from rating services or publications are no guarantee of future investment success. Working with a highly rated advisor does not ensure that a client or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance or results. These ratings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor of any client nor are they representative of any one client's evaluation.