Craig R. Smith, CFP®, CFA®, CKA®

Craig is committed to providing impartial and informed financial advice. He empowers his clients with the resources and knowledge to confidently implement strategies that work towards financial success. By actively listening to his clients’ dreams, Craig then enjoys the challenge of creating “Engineered Financial Strategies” tailored for each client to reduce anxiety, and create a clear path for working toward personal and financial goals.

Craig joined von Borstel and Associates in 2009 after spending two years with a Fortune 100 financial services firm where he provided insurance and investment advice. Prior to entering the financial services industry, Craig practiced as a Professional Engineer in the State of Oregon. This background is highly transferable to the field of personal financial planning where success is defined by reducing a multitude of competing factors to a practical solution.

Craig holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Portland in addition to the distinguished professional designations of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ / CFP® Practitioner,  Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA®), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®), and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®). Craig regularly teaches financial planning and social security seminars.

A native Oregonian, Craig was born and raised in The Dalles. Growing up, Craig spent time working on the family cattle ranch and learning many life lessons along the way. His dad, a fourth generation cattle rancher, and his mom, a dedicated public school teacher, imparted simple, down-home values and work ethic that continue to shape him today.

Craig and his wife Melinda are involved in their church and love to get outdoors and be active together. They have hiked over 1000 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail, including a 200-mile backpacking adventure completing the John Muir Trail. They are blessed with two daughters and a son and, although the distances have gotten shorter, continue to enjoy backpacking, hiking, and bicycling as a family!