Labarge Financial Helps Families Savor The Fruits Of A Lifetime Of Labor In Retirement

The son of a teacher and a businessman, Jason LaBarge, founder and president of LaBarge Financial, has fused those two professions into one: educating families and helping them make confident financial decisions.

Today, those principles are at the heart of a firm built around LaBarge’s mission “to transform the lives of the families we serve, our team, and our community.” For LaBarge, this mission is deeply personal.

LaBarge grew up in a middle-class family in Rapid City, South Dakota, where his mother instilled in him a life value that would eventually become the title of his book: “If It’s Meant to Be, It’s Up to Me.”

His grandmother, Marcella, was another major influence on his life. When her husband died unexpectedly in 1982, she was left without significant financial resources. LaBarge witnessed firsthand the uncertainty that can come when a family is unprepared for the unexpected.

Looking back, he wishes he could have helped her.

LaBarge earned his degree in accounting and healthcare administration from the University of South Dakota and initially believed his calling was to work in nursing homes, where he hoped to improve the way the facilities operated.

“I always felt like if I was helping my community, in a way, I was helping her,” LaBarge said of his grandmother.

As LaBarge explored a career in assisted living, he realized he could make a greater impact by helping families prepare for the financial challenges his grandmother had faced. That realization ultimately led him to a career in financial planning and services.

There, working alongside financial advisors, he saw firsthand how thoughtful planning, strategic guidance, and the right financial decisions could help families navigate the same difficult challenges his own grandmother had faced.

A passion for financial planning was ignited, and the foundation for what would eventually become LaBarge Financial began to take shape.

From the Midwest to Severna Park

With little more than a strong relationship with a representative in Annapolis, LaBarge suggested moving to Maryland to his wife, Lacey, while they were living in Minnesota. In 2013, they packed up and relocated to Severna Park.

Throughout the journey, Lacey has been an integral part of LaBarge Financial and a constant source of support and encouragement.

Before opening the firm’s Severna Park office in 2021, LaBarge spent years building his expertise and growing his practice. In the early days, that growth was decidedly grassroots: He mailed invitations for educational Social Security seminars held at local libraries.

Those small seminars eventually grew into larger educational events.

Today, LaBarge Financial welcomes about 30 families several nights each month at local restaurants for events that combine education, entertainment and a steak dinner. “But it all started with chocolate chip cookies and bottled water at the community library,” LaBarge recalled as he reflected on the early days of his commitment to helping and connecting with his community.

Today, LaBarge Financial families are still greeted at the door with chocolate chip cookies, but the firm has grown considerably. For LaBarge, however, growth is not simply measured by assets or the size of the team. It is measured by the number of families the firm is able to impact.

Building a Life, Not Just a Nest Egg

At LaBarge Financial, retirement planning starts with understanding what a family actually wants retirement to look like.

“People think retirement is the destination, and it’s not,” LaBarge explained. “Retirement is the end of one chapter, but then you get to start another chapter. People think retirement is about money, and it’s not about money; It’s about enjoying the fruits of a lifetime of labor, whether that be time with family, travel, or renewed time to explore new hobbies.”

That is one philosophy reflected in a message at the heart of LaBarge Financial: “Retire with More Than Just Money.”

The team describes their approach as helping families build a life, not just a nest egg. Doing so often requires looking beyond investments alone.

“We’ve brought many professionals and resources together under one umbrella,” LaBarge said. “Our approach goes beyond investment management. We have a CPA who helps with tax planning, an attorney we work with on estate planning, and specialists who assist with life insurance and Medicare planning. We also provide resources for Social Security maximization, real estate, and other areas that can have an impact on a family’s financial life. The goal is to bring all these resources together to help make more informed decisions throughout their retirement.”

Families, Team and Community

The scope of LaBarge Financial’s services deliberately includes three groups: the families they serve, their team, and their community.

The greater Severna Park community embraced Jason and Lacey when they arrived from the Midwest more than a decade ago. Today, they are raising their five children in the community they now call home.

Giving back has become an important part of the culture at LaBarge Financial. The firm supports causes that are meaningful to its families and team, from the Alzheimer’s Association to local nonprofits throughout the community, and has also sponsored the Severna Park Independence Day Parade.

For LaBarge, that community involvement is another extension of the same philosophy that guides the firm’s work with families: Financial success becomes more meaningful when it creates opportunities to give back to the people and communities that matter most.

While the firm has grown beyond the small Social Security seminars at local libraries that helped start it all, its purpose remains rooted in the experiences that first drew LaBarge to financial planning: helping people feel more prepared, helping families make informed decisions, and helping them make the most of the life they have worked so hard to build.

As LaBarge Financial continues to grow, LaBarge hopes to eventually expand into additional offices throughout the region. “I want to help as many people as we can,” he said.

If your family needs assistance with retirement planning or any of the services LaBarge Financial offers, email appointments@labargefinancial.com or call 443-647-4321.