Mary Mcminn

Winding Trail Financial is an independent, fee-only financial planning firm located in Lafayette (Boulder County), Colorado. We provide ongoing retirement planning, investment management, and tax planning advice to families locally and throughout the United States. I am a licensed Certified Public Accountant (Michigan, Colorado). While my experience in public accounting and in private industry has given me a unique perspective to financial planning, I place a high value on self-improvement. As such, I obtained the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. In 2013, my wife and I made the decision to move half way across the country to Boulder County, Colorado and took a position with a privately-held, multi-entity health care consulting firm where I was formerly the Chief Administrative Officer. As CAO, I oversaw the accounting and finance functions of the company as well as human resources including benefits administration. In addition to the business side, I also played an integral part in assisting with the personal finances of the business owners. Prior to moving to Colorado, I worked in public accounting servicing closely-held businesses and their owners and high net worth individuals. In our time off, you can usually find my wife and I enjoying our local trails whether it's backpacking through Rocky Mountain National Park, trail running throughout Boulder and Jefferson counties, or snowshoeing the high country. We still get back to Michigan to visit friends and family and we try to celebrate Adrienne's birthday in a new city each year. We welcomed the birth of our first child, Emmerich, in August 2018 and our daughter, Arlowe, in 2022.

Kyle Simmons, CFP®, CRPC®, worked for over 13 years in the tech industry as an engineer. When you work with him, you’re not working with a product salesman, but rather someone who works and talks like you, taking a logical and efficient approach to investment management and retirement planning. He understands the financial and intellectual benefits of being a highly compensated employee as well as the challenges and frustrations. He thinks like an engineer and has the integrity of one too. We are a fiduciary, fee-only firm, which means we're required to always put your interests ahead of our own. We don't sell products, get paid commissions, or receive referral fees. Many advisors or financial salespeople work for a brokerage or insurance company and are paid commissions or are "fee-based". We believe that our fee-only, fiduciary structure allows us to have a more objective relationship with our clients because it reduces the possible conflicts of interest.

I graduated from Texas A&M’s Mays Business School in 2008 (perfect timing for a job hunt!) and quickly discovered a passion for investing. During my eight years working in real estate, I devoured everything I could find on investing and personal finance. This led to the realization – far too slowly, my wife points out – that my true passion is helping others craft their best lives through real financial planning. Appalled by the status quo within the industry, and determined to serve families the way they truly deserve, I set out to found Downshift Financial with Eddie. We founded Downshift Financial to deliver real financial planning to regular people through a service model that actually makes sense: Flat quarterly fees. No commissions. No sales pressure. No BS. Our goal is to help clients maximize their lifetime fulfillment through financial independence. Often, that means working less to free up time for family and hobbies.

I strive to help people committed to creating a better financial life for themselves. From my firm in Erie, Colorado, I provide individually tailored advice and realistic, implementable solutions for busy individuals. Twenty-plus years working for national and regional firms focused on wealthy clients in Denver and Boulder taught me how to provide highly personalized advice and coaching with simplicity and clarity. Today I am especially passionate about helping people like me: Gen X professionals trying to navigate the myriad challenges of saving for retirement, kids, aging parents and busy households. What sets Hinman Financial Planning apart, though, is the ability to connect the art and science of financial planning. I run the numbers but also spend time exploring your values (your “Why?”) because your values and beliefs around money drive your actions. While you shouldn’t expect each meeting to turn into a session on a counselor’s couch, we do circle back from time-to-time to ensure our work together truly reflects your values and goals. A Colorado native, I earned a B.S. in Finance from CU-Boulder and am a member of several professional organizations. I also serve as Treasurer and Board Member for Mental Health Partners. When away from work, I enjoy quiet evenings at home with my husband. With two teenage boys, though, my evenings and weekends are frequently spent suffering through homework, chores and, soon, teaching my older son to drive. We are avid basketball fans (Go Buffs!) and enjoy many of the outdoor activities Colorado has to offer.

Mark Strynar is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, bringing over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. Throughout his career, Mark has worked with firms such as Morgan Stanley and UBS before joining Merrill Lynch in 2014. He specializes in delivering disciplined, goals-based financial planning and outcome-oriented strategies tailored for high-net-worth individuals and families. His areas of focus include education planning, family wealth management, legacy and estate planning, tax minimization, retirement income planning, and socially responsible investing. Mark is part of a comprehensive advisory team that provides services including trust and estate planning, liquidity and cash management, asset and liability management, and wealth advisory to a diverse clientele that includes business owners, executives, entrepreneurs, attorneys, and artists. He holds the Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designations and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Art History from Rutgers University. Beyond his professional responsibilities, Mark serves on the board of the Boulder Jewish Community Center. He and his family reside in Boulder, Colorado, where they engage in outdoor activities such as skiing, hiking, biking, and trail running with their dogs. He also values community involvement, volunteering in local organizations and promoting a balanced lifestyle that reflects his personal interests in fitness and nutrition.