Greg Mengel, in Albany NY

Overview

Greg Mengel has been serving clients at Thrivent Financial since 2001 from his physical office, located in Albany, New York. Now licensed and serving clients in 36 states, Greg still maintains a primary focus in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts with additional team members located in this Northeast zone, available for physical client meetings. Over the COVID era, Greg was able to expand his services well beyond the East Coast and move most of his growing team to a 100% remote work basis. Greg splits his physical time between Albany, Phoenix, and Cape Cod.

Greg’s daily work consists of helping clients craft investment portfolios, retirement distribution plans, and tax-efficient strategies to work towards a more financially secure retirement.

History

Greg went to college at Drake University for Journalism and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. After college, Greg moved to the Northeast for a job, developing software for grocery stores. Shortly after his move, the company dissolved. During Greg’s job search, he met a Thrivent representative who suggested that he consider a career in financial services.

For many years, Greg worked as a solo advisor and on small teams at Thrivent. In 2017, Greg partnered with Robert (Bob) Morse, another successful advisor based in the Philadelphia area. Together they grew their team practice to what it is today.

About Me

A few years later (2022), Greg was inducted into Thrivent’s Hall of Fame. Thrivent’s Hall of Fame represents long-term commitment to the organization with consistent, successful performance in client services. Financial professionals qualify for Thrivent’s Hall of Fame by achieving at least 20 years of service and by meeting performance goals.

More than 20 years of experience and service at Thrivent has helped shape Greg into the advisor that he is today. When asked “What sets you apart from other advisors?”, Greg says, “my unique ability to help clients understand complex topics in a simple way, that really allows families to feel more at ease about their plan, and less worried about reaching their goals.”

Greg truly prioritizes communication with his clients to ensure they feel comfortable with him and their financial goals.

Personal Life

Born and raised in Chicago, Greg is still a huge Chicago sports fan. He spends much of his free time watching his favorite teams, and he travels to attend many games in-person. His favorite sports memory is when the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016 - he and his son (Grant) were at the stadium to witness this historic moment. People who know Greg personally have had the privilege to talk about sports with Greg, and they know that Chicago sports mean a lot to him. Greg’s passion for “his teams” is an important part of his life and identity.

About Me

When he is not watching sports, Greg enjoys traveling, reading, and attempting to golf. Cape Cod is Greg’s summer oasis, where he can visit his favorite beach; Nauset Beach. Greg spends as much time as he can at the beach and he enjoys hosting his family and friends at his residence. In the winter, Greg enjoys spending time with his sister, parents, and extended family in Phoenix. Greg’s international travel list has grown to be very long, but his favorite location so far is Iceland.

Greg has been married for over 30 years to his college sweetheart - Dawn. Greg and Dawn met at Drake University, where they both received their degrees. Greg and Dawn have two adult children, Marin and Grant. Grant is currently one of the advisors at Mengel Morse and Associates and he is part of the team who will continue the business when Greg retires.

Education & Accomplishments

Life and Health Insurance License
FINRA Series 66 Uniform Combined State Law
FINRA Series 7 General Securities Representative
FIC, Fraternal Insurance Counselor
ChFC®, Chartered Financial Consultant
CLU®, Chartered Life Underwriter
Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Drake University
Masters of Business Administration, Butler University

Giving Back

Greg and his family are actively involved with AIM Services INC & Wildwood Programs.

Wildwood Programs strengthens the well-being of people with disabilities and their families, within our entire community, through innovative supports.
AIM Services, Inc. is dedicated to supporting the “power of potential” in people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Through community-based services, advocacy, and education, dedicated professionals focus on supporting people in achieving their personal goals, while promoting self-confidence and independence.

Business Q&A with Greg

Q: Do you like being on a team or working as a solo advisor better?

A: Developing our firm has led to some of the greatest and worst days of my life. We all have different skills sets, look at things in different ways, and we argue about the best way to get to our goals. We always get to a unified end-result, but it can be challenging to steer the whole “ship” the same direction. Our team has so much fun together, we laugh about the good days and lean on each other for the bad days. It’s wonderful to have people to share the journey with, and to know we can each specialize in our own areas along the way. I love knowing that my clients will be in good hands when I retire.

Q: What is your ideal client?

A: All clients. We love helping people reach their goals – that doesn’t have a “type”. Our team does specialize in pre-retirees, so our ideal time to meet clients is about 10yrs before they retire. We can do our best planning at that time, but we hope to meet people sooner than that!

My favorite part about this work is knowing that I get to build relationships with people for years and years to come. I love being a part of their story and success.

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