The Mirror Newspapers Reflecting Life Along The Maumee River
BY KRISTI FISH | MIRROR REPORTER — Bluhm and Associates has been providing financial planning services to clients in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan for 45 years.
A former police officer, Howard Bluhm was looking for a new way to help people in the community when he found his way into the financial planning field in 1977.
In the more than four decades since, Howard has guided his clients by outlining the best asset management programs and preparing them for retirement. In September of 2020, he brought on David Tulppo to help ensure the future of his business and continue to provide for his clients.
“The reason I’m grateful I have Dave is his honesty, his compassion – and he’s protective of the clients,” Howard said.
In January, Howard plans to enter semi-retirement and reduce his workload, allowing David to run the business.
David said he sees an opportunity to expand the business, possibly opening a second location to serve the company’s clients in Michigan. He and Howard are happy, however, with their current Maumee location.
“It’s a centrally located place that’s convenient for us, our clients,” David said. “I like the atmosphere. I like this building we’re in. We’ve got good neighbors; we’ve got a good relationship with the landlord.”
After starting the company in 1977, Howard chose to move to Maumee in 1983 due to the accessibility of the city for his clients. He chose to stay because of the environment.
He said the city has always been helpful and the people he has met in town are always friendly.
“We felt very comfortable here, that’s the bottom line,” Howard said.
The clients, though, are the reason the business has been around for as long as it has.
When Howard and David meet with clients, they get to know them and their preferences. With some clients, they become friends and have been through the ups and downs of life with them – from weddings to funerals.
“We’ve run the full gamut of emotions with our clients,” Howard said.
By getting to know the clients better, the two are better able to understand how to help them going forward and what would be the best choices for them when it comes to managing their money.
“Our goal is to help make sure the money they worked so hard to invest in, that it’s there when they need it,” David said.
As an independently owned business, Howard and David are able to find the best programs for each client, as they are not captive to an insurer or a corporation, Howard said.
The one thing, though, that Howard said he has learned is that most of his clients are more alike than they are different. They have the same anxieties and fears, and they all care about other people.
“Ultimately, we all want to know we’re going to be OK,” David said. “That’s one of the things I’ve learned. No matter where a person is in life, they want to know, at some point in their life, they’re going to be OK and they’re not going to have to worry about money, health care or if their kids will be OK.”
That’s what they do at Bluhm and Associates. They help clients find the best programs for their money and their future that will protect them and those they care about.
Bluhm and Associates is located at 422 W. Sophia St. in Maumee and can be reached at (419) 893-2233. More information can be found at bluhmandassociates.com.
