Our Approach

Charlotte Westbrook and Richard Van Meer are fiduciaries. They are legally and ethically bound to act in your interest. Not theirs. Not the firm's. Yours.

This is not a marketing statement. It is a legal commitment that governs every recommendation, every portfolio decision, and every conversation Charlotte and Richard have with the families they serve.

The Investment Philosophy

Charlotte Westbrook, CFP®, CFA — Chief Investment Officer

Charlotte's investment philosophy is built on three principles: long-horizon thinking, tax awareness, and behavioral discipline. She believes that the greatest risk to a portfolio is not market volatility — it is the investor's response to it.

Every portfolio Charlotte constructs is designed for after-tax returns, not gross returns. The distinction matters more than most investors realize. A portfolio that earns 8% but pays 2% in avoidable taxes has underperformed a portfolio that earns 7% with optimized tax positioning. Charlotte manages for the number that matters: what you keep.

Her expertise in municipal bonds provides tax-advantaged income for high-net-worth clients. Municipal bond selection, ladder construction, and credit analysis are not add-ons — they are core competencies that Charlotte has refined over three decades of managing institutional and individual portfolios.

Charlotte's institutional background — managing family offices for Tennessee's oldest fortunes — informs her approach to individual families. The rigor is the same. The attention is personal.

The Relationship Philosophy

Richard Van Meer, CFP®, CIMA® — Director of Client Services

Richard believes that wealth is not an end. It is a tool. The advisor's job is not to impress clients with complexity but to reduce it — to help families use their wealth deliberately, with clarity and intention.

As a third-generation wealth advisor, Richard understands the human dimension of money in a way that cannot be taught in a certification program. He has seen what happens when families talk about wealth honestly and what happens when they do not. His work begins with the relationship, not the portfolio.

Richard's philanthropic strategy work grows from a simple conviction: giving is most meaningful when it is structured with the same care as investing. He helps families design charitable vehicles that reflect their values and serve their tax planning — not as an afterthought, but as a deliberate expression of what their wealth is for.

The succession planning ethos is the clearest expression of Richard's philosophy. Every plan he designs is built to answer one question: when you are no longer here, will the people who matter be prepared — financially, emotionally, and practically — for what they inherit?

The Process

The Ecosystem

We are one part of a larger advisory picture. We work best when we are integrated with your other trusted advisors, not siloed from them.

A genuinely complex financial life requires multiple specialists who actually talk to each other. Meridian coordinates with accountants, attorneys, mortgage advisors, and notaries who share our standard of care. When Charlotte adjusts your portfolio, your CPA knows. When Richard updates your estate plan, your attorney is involved. When a business succession triggers a mortgage consideration, the conversation happens before the deadline.

This is not a referral network. It is a working ecosystem — professionals who have collaborated on complex NVC families for years and trust each other's judgment.