Doing Our Part: B&H Wealth Strategies Helps Kingsport Keep Dollars Local

A town feels different when the people who serve it plan to stay. We sit down with Jeff Bingham and special guest Matt Bingham to talk about what 60 years of B&H Wealth Strategies in Kingsport has really meant, not just for clients, but for the community that surrounds them. The heart of the conversation is simple: retirement planning and wealth management are personal, but the impact can be public.

We dig into the “ripple effect” of investment income in retirement. When a plan creates steady cash flow, clients can spend confidently on everyday life, and those dollars often land in local shops, restaurants, and services across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. That local spending supports small businesses, keeps sales taxes closer to home, and reinforces the fabric of Kingsport in a way most people never think about when they hear the phrase financial advisor. 

We also talk about community involvement beyond finance, including chambers, civic groups, and support for schools, plus the outsized role that coaching and sports can play in shaping young people into adults with character. Jeff connects that coaching mindset to financial education in the office: each meeting is a chance to help people understand the investment and economic world a little more clearly so they can make better decisions with less stress. 

Finally, we look forward to the next 60 years and the legacy we want to build: integrity, honesty, compassion, and a standard of “hospitality” that treats people like people, not accounts. If you care about retirement planning in Kingsport, TN, community-first business values, and what real stewardship looks like over generations, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend in the Tri-Cities, and leave a review with the one lesson you think every family should learn about money.

To learn more about B&H Wealth Strategies visit:
https://www.BHRetire.com
B&H Wealth Strategies 
423-247-1152 

Securities and advisory services offered through Silver Oak Securities, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. Silver Oak and B&H Wealth Strategies are not affiliated. http://www.finra.org/ http://www.sipc.org/

Transcript

Welcome And Podcast Mission

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome to the Four Seasons Podcast, brought to you by BH Wealth Strategies, serving Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia since 1966. Here, we guide you through the ever-changing seasons of your financial journey, offering insights to help you grow, protect, and enjoy your wealth. Ready to turn your financial dreams into reality? Dare to dream. And now, here's your host, President of BH Wealth Strategies, Jeff Bingham.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

Business doesn't just serve a community. It grows with it, invests in it, and becomes part of the story. For six decades, BH Wealth Strategies has done exactly that. Welcome back, everybody. Skip Moni, back in the studio again with president of BH Wealth Strategies, Mr. Jeff Bingham, as well as, we're very fortunate to have a special guest, uh, Matt Bingham, who is the I believe marketing director with BH uh Wealth Strategies. So uh Jeff, Matt, welcome, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

Thank you. Thanks. Uh looking forward to it. Glad to have Matt back uh back beside me as we talk about you know the the family, the generational, you know, the generations that we've been here and and what impact we've had on the community and what we hope to do going forward. So this is this will be a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Well, we're I'm excited to actually get to see Matt because Matt, uh, for those that uh watch the show uh uh or listen, uh Matt's usually behind the camera. So we're glad to have you out front, Matt. So uh Jeff, BH has really deep roots in in uh the town of Kingsport, and so does your family. So how has BH Well Strategies and the Bingham family impacted the Kingsport community over the years? I'd love uh for both of you to share your perspective on that.

Retirement Income And The Ripple Effect

SPEAKER_02 2:03

Yeah, sure. And I'll I'll I'll I'll start out since I'm a lot older than Matt, so I can at least I can go back through and maybe remember some of the the older history. But you know, I think when you think about just you know BH and its impact on the on the community, is that you know, we have as long as we've been around, obviously 60 years, and you know, and obviously we've really emphasized kind of you know retirement planning, cash flow planning, you know, and the investment strategies that go along with that and all the legacy things that go there, is that, you know, and I I wrote about this in uh in a writing that I did not too often long ago, which was talking about how much you know revenue that we generate for our clients, right? Their investments to kick off that investment income during their retirement years and that money that uh you know that comes in and goes into their bank accounts that they're spending, you know, just in the community locally shopping at the grocery stores, the downtown shops, and all those kind of places. And and and I think many of my clients feel the same way that I do is that you know, the less you can stay off of of Amazon and the more you can shop in your community, that we keep those dollars, you know, at home. So what we're able to send our clients and help them with that their income uh you know to take care of their lifestyle needs, then that money comes out, it goes into their pocketbook, and then it stays, you know, again, it stays in the community, that it pays the local sales taxes, it keeps the local business owners, you know, in business. And it's just that, you know, what I always call is the the ripple effect of that, that it just stays locally in the community. And I think that's you know, that's certainly one way. I mean, um, I guess the one thing that that we haven't done, which is kind of interesting and uh because I'm very interested in politics, uh, is that we never have been, none of us that I can think of have ever, you know, ever served on the board or the board of education and whatnot. And my brother's a teacher and and is very involved in education around here. But I think that's the one thing that we probably haven't done. Doesn't mean that some one of us or you know uh might not do it one of these days, but uh but but aside from that, I think we certainly have been, you know, involved in the in the community, certainly in, as I said, in education, because my brother is involved with that and we in in coach and track. So, you know, through an extension through us, I think we've impacted, you know, the young people that are now grown up and are now the adults in the community and are kind of running those kind of things. Um and that's a you know, that's just kind of giving back. Like I said, you know, as my dad always said, you know, we we're our responsibility is to look to leave our community better than where we found it. And uh, you know, and the and the generations in in front of us uh did a really good job of doing that. So we've got our work cut out for us, but I think we're up to it. So I'll let let Matt have a little perspective on that as well.

SPEAKER_03 4:59

Yeah, I mean, absolutely. Doug I can kind of add a little uh anecdotal story to that actually about his father, my grandfather, uh Bob Bangham Sr. Uh just a few years ago I was at a uh funeral, unfortunately, for a good friend of mine's father, and uh ended up talking to one of his uncles there at the funeral, and he found out who my grandfather was, and he said, Oh, well, I used to work for Bingham Furniture, which is uh you know, but with the business he he had owned, um, and he still ran it now for a time at the same time he was running this one. I mean it was still. Yeah, he started. He did work for he worked for Papa Sam down there for a bit. That's right. Exactly. So um he worked for this man who worked for Bangham Furniture, and the thing that he remembered most about it was my grandfather's generosity. Well, not just him, him and my grandmother's generosity at Christmas time. He said they gave the best Christmas gift basket of any employer he ever had. And that was, you know, very heartwarming to me for me to hear that because it was a very also relatable experience because I Christmas time was it was my grandmother spoiled us just a little bit. Just to say the least, just a little bit. That's for sure. She went, I'd say maybe a little overboard with the stockings and and all that. But yeah, they love gift giving. It was a huge um deal for my grandparents, and it was just so cool to hear somebody who had been in the community a long time, you know, relaying something I know in a long time about my grandparents back to me. I just really appreciated that.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

Oh, that's that's awesome.

Community Groups And Giving Back

SPEAKER_03 6:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:32

So uh I know over the years, at 60 years, you know, you guys are so involved in the community. Can you think of any examples of community programs, partnerships, or initiatives that BH has supported over the years?

Coaching As Character Education

SPEAKER_02 6:47

Well, I mean, certainly we're you know, we're a member of the local chamber uh and things of that nature, and certainly uh, you know, support that and think it's an awfully important thing, you know, the uh the small business uh Cosby uh you know organization as well. So we've been you know involved in those things over the years and continue to be. So I think there's that, you know, my dad, and I and I haven't done this in in a long time, but I remember also the root rotary and kwan's clubs, right? They were we were involved in those, and those are, you know, and those I and I don't honestly, and it was just kind of a shame on me as I say this, but I don't even know how much uh, you know, I don't have any involvement in, which I probably should, but I don't even know how how viable they are today if they if they are still rolling and going in kings, or I think they are. Uh, but uh, you know, we like I said with my dad, I mean, we used to go to the local, you know, the Wednesday lunches or whatever, you know, I think they were on Wednesdays and that kind of thing, as I recall. Uh somebody can check me on that. But um, you know, and also I and again, um I I will go back. I mean, so we've been involved in those communities. We've given, you know, to to the school systems and through and and but most much of what our because this is have the DNA of of the family, is not just here in the financial services business, obviously, whether we are how we make our living and our impact with with clients and whatnot. And to a degree, and I think as I talked about in the community, but we are such ardent sports fans, and Dobbins been at uh sports uh at the at the front and center of that, you know, roll tribe. Uh, and so, you know, and my dad actually coached and wanted to really be a teacher back when he when he originally graduated from from college, you know, all those years ago. Uh, but anyway, to to raise a family and do the things he felt like he needed to get into another career. So, and then my brother Bobby, uh, you know, has coached and and uh and taught, you know, in the King Sports School system for gosh, I don't know, 50 years, I guess now. Yeah, almost almost 50 years. Yeah, close to it, yeah. And he's retired from from teaching now, uh, but still coaches the track team. He finally he got a state title in the cross-country uh for his cross-country team a couple years ago and and retired uh after after capturing that after many, many attempts to do it, uh, but still coaches the track team and is still involved and still substitute teaches and all those things. So I guess the point that I'm making there is that and then my dad coached boys club football, you know, going all the way back even when he was here and working and still and we were young. He coached my brother, he coached me, but he also coached beyond when he was coaching me. I'm the I'm the youngest in the family, but he continued, he continued to coach and uh and he passed that along to obviously his sons, because my brother, you know, my brother Bobby, you know, launched into a teaching and coaching career. And that that was how he, you know, that's what he did, that was his job. Um, but for for John and I, you know, we opted into being the financial planning career and John is a lawyer, but we we uh coached and and feel like we taught as well because we were trying to teach, you know, the young people not we wanted to win. And so there's a competitiveness that's there, but also, you know, we were we were trying to to take young and in the in the case here, you know, boys and turn them into, you know, uh as they were moving towards their adolescence, towards their teenage years, as we were, as we were moving them through, trying to, you know, prepare them from that. And sports is such a a great microcosm to look at of the world and the and how you can, you know, it's it's competitive, but at the end of the day, you shake hands at the end, you know, what win, lose, or draw, you shake hands and congratulate the winner, uh, and don't and the winners don't gloat, right? You know, they don't rub it into to the face of the losers. And we were successful at doing that most of the time. Yeah. Uh you know, there's something about winning, and there's also the pain of losing. And so sometimes those can be very painful. And, you know, you can it doesn't always bring out the best in you, but but generally I would say that we we were able to do that. And and I just remember that was just instilled in us. And, you know, I think that like I said, I think, you know, being um, you know, coaching and and and I really think coaching and and doing what I do in here in this room and teaching clients about you know finances and beginning them to understand is all is is something that is really you know present and prevalent today. You know, that's that really what it is. It's a bit of a of an education every time that they're in here. And if I'm doing my job, uh they're gonna, they're gonna know more every time about their, not just their situation, but but the general investment economic world that's out there, if I'm doing, if I'm doing a good job. And and I think that's and that's that's very uh you know, it's humbling, but it's also very gratifying to to see that. And and and you know, and you'll get people that'll tell you that from time to time, and that's very edifying.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

So very cool. Obviously, huge impact on a lot of lives. I mean, literally hundreds, maybe even thousands of uh students that uh that your family has has impacted, and that stays with them the rest of their lives. So big, big impact. With that said, what legacy do you guys hope B and H continues to build in the next 60 years?

SPEAKER_02 12:11

You want to start? I'll let you start it.

SPEAKER_03 12:14

Well, um I mean just that uh I mean we we want it to be we want to be recognized for our integrity and our honesty and our comp you know and compassion to to our clients. Um and I mean those are the values that kind of come to mind for me. Um that's that's probably that's right.

Hospitality, Faith, And Stewardship

SPEAKER_02 12:33

No, I think I I think yeah, no, no, I think that that's you know that's that's kind of a drop the mic kind of kind of statement right there, if you will. Yeah, I mean it it's is we just want to continue to to get to get better at what at what we hold ourselves out to be, right? We're all we're aiming at, you know, and uh as I always say, I'm we I aim all the way up. I think this organization, everybody that's in this, aims all the way up. And then what that means to me is that we're aiming at the Lord. And if you're trying to, you know, to to obey and also to please your your father, then you know matter what you're doing, no matter how mundane the task or how important the task, it's the most important thing you're doing, right? If you're always focused on that. And so I think that's you know, if we take that mindset and we continue to refine that mindset, uh, that we can't help but get better and better at what we do. You know, we say that uh, you know, we're we're here to serve. We have the this is the Four Seasons podcast, and that model comes from, you know, then that idea comes in in many ways it's evolved out of that, but the Four Seasons Hotel, which is, you know, when does when does superior service become hospitality? And I come from, you know, a restaurant background. And so hospitality, I was in the hospitality industry before I, you know, and through my through college and and into actually into my late 20s uh before I came on board here. And so I've carried that, and I was at a and I was at a country club. I was at Rich you know, at a country club. So it's a different than being in the in the public setting. So I was in a private setting right there, and you are catering right to to the individuals because that's what they expect, right? They've got it's a different, it's a different different atmosphere. You know, it's not about getting getting people in and out as fast as you can, it's about serving them and understanding their needs and doing that. And that's what the four seasons, that's how it was born uh from that right there. And obviously it's it's grown and there's a lot of connotations to four seasons when you think about you know the financial service industry or life in general for that matter. But um, you know, we just um we just want to make it the the world a better place and and how big of a footprint that's gonna be for us. It could just be right here with the clients that come in and out of here and the ones that we run into on the on the streets and our friends, relatives, and and uh and whatnot. Um, but it but it can grow through this podcast as an example as as folks listen to that. I mean, I think um, you know, and you you've heard me say this, those that are listening, and Skip you certainly have in Matt, that I consider this not, you know, this is a this is a ministry, you know, we're and and that's what we're really trying to do is is is spread the word. It doesn't mean that we're gonna, you know, try to to drive our beliefs down anybody's system, but I think if you could see how how sincere where it comes from within us, you know, and that um that in just those the way that we it's not saying you believe, it's it's acting like you believe. And I think if we can do that uh and and get better at that every day, then this place will be around for another 60 years because the cornerstones and the foundations that it's built on come out of those tenants right there, as I was describing right there. I mean, you don't make it 60 years with the all the ups and downs and the you know the I mean the the health, the catastrophes that have, you know, happened. I mean, it's just life, right? I mean, everybody experiences that. And as a business organization, as a living breeding or you know, organism, it experiences the same thing because the people that are in it, that's that's what you know the life of it is. Um, like I said, I'm not I'm not the owner of this business. Jake won't be the owner of this business. My dad and Norman is the founder's work. We're just stewards of this. And so we want to steward it, you know, to to the next and um, you know, and just keep on keeping on.

SPEAKER_01 16:25

Very well said. Well, Jeff, Matt, I want to thank you for sharing that heartfelt look at BH's impact on on the the great city of Kingsport. It's clear that the connection runs really deep. So thank you so much for that, and we'll talk more about the legacy of uh BH uh in the next episode.

SPEAKER_02 16:44

Sounds great, Skip. Thank you very much, and to everybody out there, have a uh have a blessed rest of day and weekend.

SPEAKER_00 16:54

Thanks for tuning in to the Four Seasons Podcast, brought to you by BH Wealth Strategies, where your financial success is our priority. Schedule your free 20-minute consultation today by calling 423-247-1152 or by visiting bhretire.com. Take the first step toward making your financial dreams come true. Until next time, remember every season is the right season to plan for your future. Securities and Registered Investment Advisory Services offered through Silver Oak Securities, Inc. Member FINRA SIPC, BH Wealth Strategies and Silver Oak Securities Inc. are not affiliate.