When it comes to investments and financial planning, many people are looking for guidance. For over 13 years, the father-and-son team of Arie and Stephen Korving has been dedicated to providing personalized financial planning and investment assistance to individuals, families, and small businesses in Hampton Roads through their own family business, Korving & Company, LLC.

Although their primary focus is on investment management, they are also well known for their financial planning skills. "The most common question we receive from people when approaching retirement is what do they need to do to keep from running out of money," Arie explains. "The clients who use us want to have their portfolios managed by seasoned professionals. Our clients are looking for the comfort and peace of mind that comes from knowing someone qualified is looking over their investment portfolios, freeing them to focus on their families and careers."

Both Arie and Stephen are certified financial planner™ professionals. This certification recognizes a planner's knowledge of and experience in the field, as well as their stringent code of conduct and high ethical standards.

According to Arie, consumers today are faced with the dilemma of how to get more for their money. “People want to get a better rate of return on their money than that which banks provide, but they are concerned about risking money by investing it,” he says. “Fluctuating markets can make people extremely wary of exposing themselves to market risk. We create portfolios that we consider to be all-weather portfolios that are widely diversified and focused on risk control. People have entrusted us with their portfolios, so our primary goal is to avoid significant losses and get fair returns on their investments.”

Arie majored in chemistry at Michigan Technological University, where he earned his bachelor's degree with honors. He began working for General Electric in 1978. That brought him to Virginia 40 years ago. During his tenure at GE, Arie could not escape the refrain of an old adage that continually ran through his mind: “If you can work doing something you love, you will never work a day in your life.”
 

“I kept thinking of that old saying,” he recalls.”That's when I decided it was time for a major career change in 1986. What I really enjoyed was  finance and investing, and now I couldn't be happier doing what I love!”

Arie's love for finance rubbed off on his son, Stephen, who graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor's degree in finance and a concentration in risk management. After working for several decades for some major global investment firms, in 2010, Arie and Stephen decided to go independent and set up their family firm to provide better and more personalized service for their clients. They took along their long-time administrative assistant, Ella Bourne, as their administrative manager to provide their clients with the excellent service that they have come to expect.

“Being an independent firm provides our clients with fewer conflicts of interest because we work for them, rather than a large corporation,” Arie points out. “When you work for a large brokerage firm, many viable investment options are unavailable due to company policies.”

Over the years, Korving & Company has garnered a number of honors and awards, including Suffolk Small Business of the Year for 2015 and 2021 and Coastal Virginia Magazine Best of Business Award for 2018 and 2020.

Arie and Stephen attribute this success to their dedication to providing honest and personalized service to all of their clients. “We are fiduciaries,” Stephen points out. “Therefore, we are bound ethically and legally to operate in the best interests of our clients and to put their interests ahead of our own. We take that responsibility very seriously.”

Equally important to Arie and Stephen is the fact that their clients are not just numbers but individuals with specific needs, personalities, and aspirations.

“I really enjoy having the time to focus on each client personally and individually,” Arie says with a smile. “When I worked for large corporations, I was one of ten to fifteen thousand advisors serving millions of clients. At Korving  & Company, clients aren't just one of millions. We know each client personally and handle their finances on a daily basis, right down to sending them requested funds for expenses such as a car or home repairs, or other major purchases.”

Arie and Stephen consider personalized service much more than making phone calls and issuing regular financial reports. They advise clients on a wide range of issues. They work closely with clients transitioning from life in a single-family home to choosing a retirement community. They help clients determine which community works best for their needs and their budget, ensuring that it will still be affordable for them 20 years from now.

One of the most personalized experiences that Arie remembers is helping one client purchase a car. “This one client needed to access funds for a new car but was uncomfortable engaging with salespeople,” he recalls. “So, I offered to do car shopping for her. I visited several dealerships and arranged for her to purchase a car so that all she had to do was come in and sign the paperwork. She was incredibly grateful.

“That kind of personalized service stems from loving what I do,” Arie concludes. “That love translates into doing what is best for each of our clients. Coming into the office to work for our clients gives me a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment than anything I can imagine. It is what I love to do .”