Been working with Guidant Financial for about 1.5 years. Overall the service has been good in an area that most other firms are unfamiliar. I rarely take time to write a review, positive or negative, but I just had an amazing experience with Starsha H. (Shared Services Specialist) that warranted the time and effort to follow-up and commend her explicitly. Business ownership, and all the formalities and ambiguous considerations that entails, can be daunting. Having a true partner, that THOROUGHLY understands the burden that carries is vital for success and sanity, especially early on in the journey (e.g. technical, legal, financial, emotional, circumstantial, and operational). However, in my opinion, understanding and expertise is only half of what is required to earn the overused corporate vendor term of "business partner". The other equally critical half is communication skills and genuine care - often even more rare from any employee at any business. Starsha truly shines in both halves of this equation and truly earned my view of her as a partner for my business. We just spent a long time on a call essentially truing up all the value I hoped to gain by hiring Guidant across their many otherwise disperate service offerings. I've understood Guidant's value and expertise on paper from day one, but haven't fully experienced and appreciated it until my introduction with Starsha today. Honestly can't say enough about her, her effort, her knowledge, and even more importantly her partnership as my primary point of contact across the multitude of relationships we have with Guidant. It also says a lot about Guidant's foresight in creating a shared services team and acquiring talent like Starsha to be the face of the entire relationship with entrepreneurs like myself. For what it's worth, I've also had very good experience with Louryn from Bookkeeping and Tax, and feel compelled to not leave her out of this commendation for similar reasons. Thank you so much, Starsha, Louryn and team, I hope Guidant appreciates you as much as I do. J read more

Navigating the intricacies of an IRA ROBS can be daunting, but with the Guidant Financial Team by my side, Mike, Lucas, & Ashley the process felt seamless and incredibly manageable. Their expertise was evident from our first interaction. They possess a deep well of knowledge on the subject and were always ready to clarify even the most complex elements, ensuring I had a clear understanding every step of the way. Moreover, their responsiveness was exemplary. In a financial realm where timely information and action can make all the difference, the Guidant team proved time and again that they prioritized my needs and concerns. Whenever I had a question or encountered a hurdle, they were right there, offering solutions and guidance with efficiency and professionalism. The peace of mind I experienced, knowing that such a competent team was handling my financial matters, is priceless. I wholeheartedly recommend the Guidant Financial Team to anyone seeking expert assistance with their IRA ROBS. Their knowledge, responsiveness, and genuine care for their clients make them stand head and shoulders above the rest. Kudos to this fantastic team for making my financial journey a positive and enlightening experience! P.S. They did such a great Job they earned my 401k Plan Managment Business aswell as my bookkeeping business. Love these people. -C.J. Hubbell President of Cajun Food Hub Inc. read more

I had an excellent experience with Guidant Financial and the team that worked with me. Javairia was my onboarding specialist and -- for all intents and purposes -- my primary, day-to-day contact with the company... and she was phenomenal. Javairia was incredibly knowledgeable of the processes related to business formation, and what's more she was super patient with my novice-level inquiries. I am so grateful to have worked with her, and if I ever go through this process again I plan to request her by name. Her grace and positive attitude helped assuage any fears I had as a first-time entrepreneur. Gratitude. I also worked with financing consultant Michael and loan consultant Ryan. Michael was the first person I spoke to at Guidant, and his no-pressure professionalism immediately stood out among the other financing consultants I had spoken to across other firms. Point-blank: Michael is the reason I decided to work with Guidant. Ryan was also helpful, as he later served as an advisor when I had to make some tough choices in selecting a lender. His candor was very beneficial and helped me get through a difficult decision. I would absolutely love to work with this team again. read more

I am writing to express my utmost appreciation for Ms. Helen Denowh from Guidant Financial, who was assigned to my case by the leadership team. Her dedication and expertise in helping me close out and transfer the remaining funds through buyback in a compliant manner were truly outstanding. Ms. Denowh consistently went above and beyond in providing solutions and recommendations, even when we encountered multiple complex issues along the way. Her commitment to conducting additional research and consultation to present viable solutions was impressive and greatly appreciated. Her leadership skills and exceptional customer service have made a significant positive impact on my experience. My heartfelt thanks also go out to the leadership team at Guidant Financial for their prompt and effective resolution of my issue. I highly recommend Guidant Financial and their team for providing an exceptional customer service experience. Thank you, Ms. Helen Denowh, for your remarkable support and dedication. Thanks Moses & Cecilia Oladugbewo read more

**Outstanding Experience with Guidant Financial** I recently went through the ROBS process with Guidant Financial for my franchise business, and I can't express how fabulous the experience has been--especially thanks to Tina Harris. From day one, she has been an incredible onboarding specialist, guiding me every step of the way. Tina has consistently made herself available to answer my questions, no matter the time of day. No question was too big or too small; she made me feel comfortable and valued. I never once felt belittled or hesitant to reach out, and every time I did, I received a thoughtful response the very same day! Her dedication and knowledge transformed what could have been a daunting process into a smooth and enjoyable experience. I truly appreciate her support and expertise, and I highly recommend Guidant Financial to anyone looking to embark on their business journey. Thank you, Tina, for making this experience so fabulous! read more

I contacted Guidant Financial looking for my Trust/LLC accounts which had been supposedly transferred to Guidant. After speaking with several polite customer service representatives, I finally got to the correct department and was serviced by Leslie Matthews. She took down my information and had a quick answer within hours that my records were no longer there and had been transferred. Several days later, she provided me with the names of three companies which my accounts probably were transferred. I applaud Leslie for her thorough research, diligence and providing me with further leads to follow. This was not an easy search for her as I know from my experience over the last 4 months of calling custodial trust companies that have been acquired or gone out of business, all to no avail. I still haven't found my accounts, but Guidant Financial should know that they are lucky to have Leslie Matthews as an employee who truly services customers. read more

I am happy to share my experience with Guidant Financial and its fantastic team of professionals. I recently used their services to complete my IRA ROBS for my new business, and I cannot thank them enough for all their help and support. Jordan, Michael, and Nan were a pleasure to work with. They were knowledgeable and patient and took the time to explain everything to me in detail. They were always available to answer any questions and were proactive in keeping me updated throughout the process. What stood out to me the most was their dedication to ensuring that my IRA ROBS was completed accurately and efficiently. They went above and beyond to ensure everything was done correctly and on time. Overall, I highly recommend Guidant Financial and their team to anyone looking for a reliable and trustworthy company to assist them with their IRA ROBS. Thank you, Jordan, Michael, and Nan, for all your hard work and support! read more

I was referred to Guidant through my SBA lending bank, and was assured that they were experts and would guide me through the ROBS process. That's exactly what I experienced. From the initial sales call to the actual facilitation I felt that they had it in control. Did I understand half the stuff that was going on? Nope. Did I ask a ton of questions to gain as much clarity as I felt was needed for my personal comfort level? Yep. Tina was immensely helpful throughout the entire process: knowledgeable, quick to respond, and an absolute pleasure to speak with on the phone. If you think you can do this on your own to save the fee, go for it, but I promise you there's some complexity and legal stuff here that if you don't do it right, you can get into a hot mess. The fee was well worth the peace of mind that everything was being set up properly... not to mention saving me so much time. read more

We were deeply disappointed with our experience utilizing the services of Guidant Financial to navigate the ROBS program. Despite being promised comprehensive guidance throughout the process, we found that the $5,000 fee we paid amounted to little more than a checklist of tasks to complete. In retrospect, we could have easily found the necessary information through simple online research and completed the process on our own with greater ease and efficiency. We find it highly questionable that they charge such exorbitant fees. Additionally, our initial point of contact with the company treated us with a condescending attitude, and our subsequent interactions with another representative were marked by impersonal, boilerplate responses that often contained irrelevant information and even references to other clients. read more

Waited 6 months for a business loan from a local bank. They never called back with updates or progress reports of any kind. After getting the cold shoulder I started doing research and found Guidant Financial Group. Guidant was able to show how someone can legally use a retirement account, penalty free and tax free, to start a business. Of course this seemed like a scam since nobody will ever tell you about it. Short story is Guidant was able to help me fully fund my business in 6 weeks. Now I have my business off the ground running debt free and all capital can be used for inventory instead of interest on a loan. I still get calls weekly from Guidant to see how things are going and advising us, making sure we stay 401k compliant. Thank you Guidant Financial for helping my dream become a reality. read more

We just started using Guidant Financial and they have been nothing but professional and helpful. I read the other reviews and I do not have the same to say at all. We have been helped through out the entire process by several people that contact us weekly and communicate all the time with us. I have never had an issue contacting anyone and their customer service is excellent. Our main person Brian had initial contact with us and continued to connect us with whom ever we needed and called weekly or bi-weekly just to make sure we understood the process and were being taken care of. I would highly recommend Guidant Financial with any of your financial needs. We are just about to start our life long dream business and couldn't have done it without Brian and his team. Thank you all so much. A nd G Whitinger read more

I do not typically write reviews but my experience with Guidant Financial was so good I feel compelled to do so. From the beginning Guidant, and my rep Steve Nilssen, completely exceeded expectation. I personally enjoy their approach. They took the time to explain to me the different funding options that are available in simple terms which was nice since this was my first time looking at franchises and funding. With Guidant, I never felt like I was being pressured or "sold" anything. I spoke with one of Guidant's competitors and that company had a very sleazy, hard-core sales process. Steve was always patient and pleasant and helped me come to the funding option that was best for me and for my new business. I could not have done this without Guidant and the assistance of Steve. Thanks! read more

I spent 19 years working my way up in a major U.S. corporation to finally land my dream job. 5 months after I got it, they cut half of my department, including me. Soured on corporate life, I decided I wanted to pursue my longtime dream of business ownership but didn't know where to start or how. My franchisors directed me to Guidant, and I am so grateful they did. Their professionals were able to take their knowledge of tax law and corporate formations and work it together in a way I understood. Today I am president of my new corporation, and I have tax-free access to basically my entire life's savings. I can fund my basically fund my startup with no debt! My gratitude to the professionals at Guidant who helped me navigate the ROBS process and start my dream. read more

I had the pleasure of working with Sierra throughout a very confusing and stressful process, and I truly can't say enough good things about her. From start to finish, she was patient, professional, communicative, and incredibly helpful every step of the way. She took the time to explain everything clearly, answered all of my questions, and made a difficult situation feel much more manageable. What stood out most was her willingness to go above and beyond to help, including assisting with refunding the last two months, which I greatly appreciated. Her support, responsiveness, and professionalism did not go unnoticed. If you have the opportunity to work with Sierra, you'll be in great hands. Thank you again for all of your help and outstanding customer service! read more

I decided to start a Schooley Mitchell franchise with the intention of rolling over a pension for funding. I was directed to Guidant to explore financial instruments and was informed about the ROBS 401k. I worked with Lucas Bade and the experience was beyond my expectations. Lucas and the team at Guidant set up everything seamlessly and conducted the super complicated process of setting up a C Corp issuing stock and moving the pension through various stages to abide by the law. The team at Guidant saved me nearly 30k in tax liability that can now go to fund my business. Lucas was always responsive and explained the process in a way I could understand. I highly reccomend the folks at Guidant to anyone in a similar situation to myself. read more

I used Guidant for a rollover business start up (ROBS) and for annual reporting for most of the past 8 years. They have been phenomenal to work with and I highly recommend their services if you are contemplating going this route to start a business. They have saved me time, money and most importantly, offered peace of mind. Recently I had an issue with the IRS (mostly my fault) and when I went to Guidant for a resolution the account representative I was working with, Skye Ansbach, dug into the issue's, researched my case and got the team in action. Thank you Skye and the entire Guidant team who worked on my behalf! These people know what they are doing with these types of business start ups. read more

ComForCare Home Care has enjoyed a longstanding and fruitful relationship with Guidant now for a number of years. The ease with which we are able to communicate with them and in turn help our clients fully understand all of the funding options available to them is vital. Guidant understands the franchise awarding process and how important it is for us to provide clear guidance and direction to our potential new franchise owners and the partnership just adds the additional credibility and support required to help folks get comfortable with the risks involved and most importantly, the confidence to move forward with a sound business decision. Great partners! read more

If you are looking to pursue the dream of business ownership by investing your 401(k) savings, there is no better team to work with. My business partner and I have run businesses for years, but never started one. Without the knowledge, patience, and understanding of the team at Guidant, Velocity Custom Fabrication would have never been realized. Starting a business is not easy, but there would have been more sleepless nights than what did occur without the help of the Guidant team. Selfishly, I am using this forum to give a special shout out to Michael, Tara, and Shelby - you are the best of the best. Chad and Scott will be forever grateful! read more

I've had a great experience with Guidant Financial. Michael Stein was amazing to work with. I was looking for an option after retiring from the Corp. life. Leveraging my 401k was a great way to create a revenue stream. The process was fast and thorough. I would recommend this to anyone. Do your research on the right business, then they take over and complete the process. I actually went in one direction to start a business and decided to change. They give a certain amount of advice as well. Still your decision, but it helped me greatly. There's always a cost and when you use the best it does cost. Well worth it. read more