About Austin's Retirement & Investment Specialists

Greg Schroen

For over 16 years Greg Schroen has been helping people develop comprehensive financial programs:

• To prepare for retirement
• To invest and protect assets
• To maximize wealth
• To save money on taxes
• To insure loved ones are provided for
• To understand and use financial tools

The financial professional you want to work with: knowledgeable, capable and caring

Greg Schroen is knowledgeable and experienced in a wide range of investment disciplines and practices, Using sophisticated wealth building strategies and techniques, he helps clients navigate tough market environments and make sound financial choices. Greg Schroen believes in providing individualized service, hands-on guidance and customized planning to enable each client to understand, and become comfortable with financial tools and concepts. Above all, Greg provides outstanding customer support and a full range of financial, retirement and tax services representing the best products from the best companies in the industry.

A dedicated financial professional, Greg participates in various independent professional associations that require adherence to professional codes of ethics and a commitment to continuing professional education. He devotes considerable time and effort to educational seminars, regional product-provider conferences, annual Firm Element trainings, and Regulatory Element trainings. Active in professional and community organizations in Austin and throughout Central Texas, Greg has served as president of the Austin chapter of the National Association of Accountants. He is treasurer of a Municipal Utility District and is also immediate past president of a non-profit professional association.

Prior to becoming an independent financial/investment professional, Greg worked in the corporate world for over 15 years, holding titles such as senior financial analyst and senior systems analyst. His former employers include Dell, Motorola and Texas Instruments. He owns a growing tax practice and holds a B.S. in Finance and an M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut.

Barry Alexander, CPA

Barry Alexander graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in December, 1976 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and joined the San Antonio audit staff of Ernst & Ernst (presently Ernst & Young), an international accounting firm. His work provided experience in a variety of mid-sized firms in numerous industries and he received his certification as a Certified Public Accountant in January, 1978. As a senior level accountant, he supervised field audit staff until April, 1978, when he became controller at a mortgage company for two years, assisting with the sale of the company.

In January, 1980, he began work as the controller of a conglomerate of companies involved in residential and commercial real estate development, where he served until he established a public accounting practice in July, 1983. In his accounting practice in San Antonio, Barry worked primarily in the real estate industry representing lenders and developers in project accounting, tax planning, structuring real estate syndications and providing tax preparation of individual and small business tax returns.

In 1987, Barry relocated to Central Texas and ultimately, to Austin where in 1990 he established an accounting practice providing tax planning and preparation services for individuals and small businesses. He is one of the founding shareholders of Alexander & Lievens, P.C., which also performs audits of retirement and welfare benefit plans, compilations and reviews of financial statements, and prepares Medicare and State cost reports.

Barry has also taught "Income Tax Planning for Financial Planners" at the Professional Development Center of The University of Texas Continuing Education as a part of the UT Financial Planning Certificate Program.

Barry has represented dozens of clients before the Internal Revenue Service and has instructed and mentored numerous CPA's in public practice. He is a member of the Texas Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs.

Barry and his wife, Karen, live in Austin. They have three sons and four grandchildren.

M. Sheppard (Shep) Strong, Attorney

Shep Strong has been assisting families and individuals including retirees to plan their estates and protect their assets as a part of his practice profile for more than thirty-two years. He is licensed as an attorney in the State of Texas and is certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Tax Law. He also is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant by the State of Texas. While he is not board certified in areas other than Taxation, as a licensed attorney he devotes significant time and offers services in the areas of Estate Planning and Probate, Asset Protection, Business Enterprises, Business Transactions, and Real Estate. His work in the Estate Planning area includes working with his clients to design integrated estate plans which can include wills, living trusts, irrevocable trusts, IRA/retirement plan trusts and other related documents.

Mr. Strong graduated from Abilene Christian University in 1973, with highest honors, with a degree in Accounting. He practiced in the field of public accounting with a major firm for the next two years, after which he obtained his Doctor of Jurisprudence, with honors, from the University of Texas School of Law in 1978.

Shep and his wife Karen have two married children. Shep and Karen are very active in their church, where he serves as an elder. He is also active in his community, serving as a Vice President, a member of the Executive Committee and a member of the Executive Board of the Capitol Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He also is a long time member of the Board of Directors of World Bible School, an organization which provides interactive education in the Bible across the world through its mail and internet programs. Shep is a culinary and cooking enthusiast. He also enjoys shooting sports and is a National Rifle Association certified instructor in rifle, shotgun and muzzle loading. He enjoys speaking at seminars for the public in the area of Estate Planning, Probate and asset protection.