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My Story 
Why I Do This Work 

By Brian Benatovich, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional 

I’m a business owner, father, husband, and caregiver. My wife and I are raising two small children and our two dogs. I’m also the primary caregiver for my mother, who has Alzheimer’s. 

I know firsthand what it’s like to juggle running a business, raising young kids, managing healthcare decisions, and being present for the people who matter most. 

I started Live Free Wealth Planning because I was living the exact challenges I now help solve: 

  • How do you build a business AND build a life? 
  • How do you plan for your kids’ future while caring for aging parents? 
  • How do you create wealth without sacrificing every moment to work? 
  • How do you make smart financial decisions when you’re exhausted and pulled in multiple directions?

Here’s What I’ve Learned

Financial planning isn’t about complex investment strategies or chasing returns. It’s about creating clarity and control in the middle of REAL life’s complexity. 

It’s about having a clear strategy so you can make confident decisions—about personal and business growth, family time, healthcare, education, and yes, even retirement someday. 

It’s about building wealth in a way that actually supports the life you want to live now, not just decades from now. 

My Approach 

I work with business owners and families who are juggling multiple priorities—just like I am. Together, we create comprehensive, tax-smart financial plans that coordinate: 

  • Tax-smart personal and business strategies 
  • Family protection (life insurance, disability, estate planning) 
  • Education funding for kids 
  • Healthcare and caregiving 
  • Retirement and wealth building 
  • Legacy planning (for your kids, your parents, your community and generations to come) 

My Commitment 

Create clear, actionable plans that reduce financial stress, give you control over your time and resources, and help you build the life you actually want—not one that you’re too busy to enjoy. 

Because I’m living it too. And I know that the whole point of financial success is to support the life you’re working so hard to build. 

When I’m Not Working 

I’m with my family, our two dogs, usually somewhere outside, trying to tire out a 2-year-old while keeping a newborn happy. (If you’re a parent, you know.) 

In the Summer, you’ll find me out on the golf course. In the Winter, I curl—yes, the Olympic sport. And as a true Buffalonian, there’s no place I’d rather be on a Sunday in the Fall than watching the Bills. There’s no other option! 

Philosophy: Work Hard. Plan Smart. Live Free. 

Brian Benatovich, CFP®

Financial Advisor

704-200-9035

brian.benatovich@livefreeplan.com

My Story

I grew up in Buffalo, NY, surrounded by entrepreneurs and professionals. My grandfather and his brothers owned grocery stores. My father ran a private law practice and owned a restaurant. I watched them work incredibly hard—and pay big tax bills every year. Not because they had to, but because nobody showed them a better way. 

I always knew I wanted to be in business for myself. From lemonade stands and washing cars as a kid to running a laundry service and landscaping company as a young adult, I was always entrepreneurial. In 2010, I moved to Charlotte to pursue a childhood dream—opening a restaurant with authentic, made-to-order foods hot off a hickory charcoal grill. I loved the business, but there was no time for anything else.  

That’s when I made the shift to financial services in 2014. 

Ready to Build Wealth, Take Care of Your Family, and Live Your Life?

Schedule a free strategy session to discover how a Live Free Wealth Plan™ can help you reach your goals and live life on your terms.


Plan Smarter. Live Free.  

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