RACQUEL TIBBETTS, Ph.D., CPA, CFP®

Racquel believes in helping her clients make confident financial decisions. Having a solid financial plan can reduce stress over these decisions, so her clients can spend more time doing the things that they enjoy, feeling positive about the future.

Racquel is passionate about getting to know her clients and their families as she crafts a tailored financial plan for them. She specializes in helping her clients organize and prioritize their financial goals. She advises her clients through several important life decisions, such as when to take Social Security benefits, the best way to support charitable causes, gifting to family, and how to create a proper withdrawal strategy in retirement.

Racquel understands the value of a well-managed investment portfolio as a crucial component in supporting her clients’ overall financial plan and personal financial goals. Additionally, Racquel can help her clients build tax-efficiency into their portfolios by putting the right investments into the right accounts, which will provide the best opportunity for her clients’ resources to meet their goals.

Racquel is a researcher in financial planning, having earned her PhD in Personal Financial Planning at Kansas State University. Her research interests include financial and health resources and stress, along with financial counseling for college students. You can find her published work in the Journal of Financial Therapy and the Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning.

Racquel holds a CPA license and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. She completed her MBA and her BA at The University of Maine.

She has served on the board of the YMCA of Greater Bangor and Bangor Rotary. She volunteers as an Adult Learn to Swim instructor and Assistant Coach for Cumberland / North Yarmouth Youth Lacrosse.

Racquel lives in North Yarmouth with her family and enjoys swimming, hiking, and golfing.

EXPERIENCE:
20+ years of experience in financial services and accounting
Bigelow Investment Advisors, Senior Advisor
Key Private Bank, Regional Financial Planning Strategist
Key Private Bank, Senior Financial Planner
KeyBank NA, Business Banking Relationship Manager
University of Southern Maine, Part-time Faculty

EDUCATION:
Kansas State University, PhD, Personal Financial Planning
University of Maine, BA & MBA
Franklin College, Switzerland, International Business Studies

MEMBERSHIP & CERTIFICATION:
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificant
Certified Public Accountant
Financial Planning Association (FPA) member
AICPA member
Maine Society of CPAs member

CFP: Certified Financial Planner. Accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), this designation is issued by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFPBS) and is granted to individuals who complete a CFP Certification Examination. Once issued, the candidate is required to complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years and must continuously meet the standards administered by CFPBS.

CPA: Certified Public Accountant. Accredited by the Maine Board of Accountancy of the Office of Licensing and Registration, and is granted to individuals who complete an examination administered by the Board, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Uniform Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination, met the educational requirements set forth in 32 MRSA subsection 12228(3), and experience requirements set forth in MRSA subsection 12228(10). Once issued, the licensee shall obtain 40 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) annually, including 4 hours of CPE in professional ethics every three years.