“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33 NLT).
This bible verse was quoted when Inspire Advisors, a Christian-focused registered investment advisor, asked its newest recruit, Matthew Cunningham, why he transitioned from a major firm. Hailing from Baker City, Oregon, Matthew has 22 years of experience and manages $40M in client assets.
The transition journey for Cunningham started back in 2017 when his youngest son was miraculously brought back to life after being unresponsive from drowning in a nearby pond. “It would have destroyed us all if he had died, but God answered a hopeless prayer from a desperate father and mother,” said Cunningham. “We were already devoted to God when this all happened, but I had never seen an honest-to-goodness miracle before that. From that moment, I knew I didn't want to only work for money anymore. I wanted to work for a greater purpose with a mission I believe in, and Inspire Advisors gives us that chance.”
“It would have destroyed us all if he had died, but God answered a hopeless prayer from a desperate father and mother,” said Cunningham. “We were already devoted to God when this all happened, but I had never seen an honest-to-goodness miracle before that. From that moment, I knew I didn't want to only work for money anymore. I wanted to work for a greater purpose with a mission I believe in, and Inspire Advisors gives us that chance.”
In an interesting discovery, Cunningham realized that while his clients' greatest needs revolve around being encouraged through a relationship with him, he himself did not have any relationships at his previous firm. “This really hit me when I wanted to submit my resignation letter after nearly 18 years, I had no idea who to submit it to.” Cunningham continued, “I have already made more profound friendships at Inspire, even prior to officially joining the firm, and now have access to the tools needed to further the ministry of biblically responsible investing in my practice. My clients need a reason for hope amid a barrage of bad news and now I can share the hope of Christ with them with a team supporting me in prayer.”
“The lack of meaningful and supportive relationships in the workplace is no longer something that can be ignored,” commented Robert Netzly, CEO of Inspire Advisors. “The pandemic lockdowns showed the world how important relationships and human interaction are to thrive in life. God created us to live interdependently on each other in community where trust, love, and peace, govern our interactions and this is the exact environment we strive to create at Inspire Advisors. We’re proud to welcome Matt to our advisor family and look forward to supporting him as he serves his clients.”
Cunningham grew up in the Puget Sound area, learning the investment business from his father, Richard. In 2021 his father passed away and Matt wanted to continue the tradition of keeping the practice in the family. He hired two of his sons (Johnathan and Shane) to continue what has become the family business. He credits his father and mother for instilling in him a strong love of God and Country.
About Inspire Advisors
Inspire Advisors is the wealth management division of the Inspire Investing family of companies, an enterprise with $1.98 billion in assets under management (as of 3/31/22), ranked as the third fastest growing investment firm in the nation in the Financial Advisor Magazine annual report two years in a row, and top-quartile member of the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in the United States.
The Inspire Advisors platform is purpose-built from the ground up to support Christian financial advisors who want to run their practices with diligent biblically responsible investing (BRI) alignment, a growing conviction among financial advisors and their clients.
Christian financial advisors interested in exploring a relationship with Inspire Advisors can email inspire@inspireadvisors.com or visit www.inspireadvisors.com to learn more.
