Financial advice is better when you don’t have to navigate it alone
Most people come to us not knowing if they are actually on track. They’ve gotten advice from a dozen directions, a friend, a father-in-law, someone who sold them a policy, and none of it quite added up. It’s not that they don’t get it. They just feel like nobody’s shown them the full picture, or told them plainly what to do with it.
We built Compass Ridge to fix that. When you’re working through a major planning decision at Compass Ridge, you’ve got two financial planners in the room with you, not just one read on your situation. More questions get asked. More perspectives. And more on the table before anything gets decided.
Our goal is simple: give you a team of people who know your financial life, know what you’re working toward, and are invested in helping you get there.
OUr Team Approach
One client. Multiple perspectives
A collaborative team approach to financial planning and wealth management.
At Compass Ridge, important decisions aren’t viewed through just one lens. Our collaborative approach brings financial planning and investment management together, helping us ask better questions and build a more complete understanding of your financial life.
Meet your wealth Advisors
Different backgrounds. Shared approach
Tyler’s background is social work and counseling. Laura spent 31 years teaching. Neither background is what you’d expect from a financial advisor, and that’s exactly what shapes how we work: we listen carefully, look at the whole picture, and help you make decisions you actually understand.
Wealth Advisor
Tyler Freeman
An opinion is easy to come by. What’s harder to find is someone who sees the whole financial picture and can tell you plainly what it means for your life.
Tyler holds the CFA charter, uncommon at a boutique planning firm. Chartered Financial Analysts go through years of rigorous testing on investment strategy and portfolio management. But ask him what actually drives success, and it comes back to his background in social work, with his ability to effectively listen and help connect investment solutions to the financial plan.
His approach in every conversation begins with understanding. Before recommending a strategy or making a move, Tyler wants to know what a client is trying to accomplish, what tradeoffs they’re willing to make, and what opportunities their situation may create. He believes the best financial plans aren’t about predicting the future perfectly. They’re about building a framework that helps people make good decisions as life changes.
Outside the Office
When he’s not working with clients, Tyler enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends. His favorite activities are fly fishing and hiking, and the family is currently working their way through the Colorado Trail in segments.
Wealth Advisor
Laura Wedow
Thirty-one years in a classroom teaches you how to explain something complicated so that it actually lands.
Laura brought that into financial services when she made the switch a little over five years ago. What came with her: patience, clear communication, and a genuine want to help people understand something that felt out of reach.
She calls it giving someone a trajectory, showing them what their retirement actually looks like, for example, ten years out if nothing changes. It’s a small shift, but it changes the conversation. Less abstract. More like something you can actually see. Then the conversation continues, making changes where needed, keeping the plan evolving with the client.
Clients often tell her they just want to get their bearings. That’s what she provides: plain, direct answers until things feel less overwhelming.
Outside the Office
When he’s not working with clients, Tyler enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends. His favorite activities are fly fishing and hiking, and the family is currently working their way through the Colorado Trail in segments.
Outside the Office
Outside of work, Laura enjoys cycling, reading, gardening, travel, spending time with her family, and finding good food wherever she can.
For Laura, time with family, staying active, and enjoying life’s everyday experiences are important reminders of what good financial planning is ultimately meant to support.
client care & operations
Meet Nicole Della Russo
I’m passionate about serving others and creating exceptional client experiences through thoughtful communication, organization, and attention to detail. With more than 20 years of experience across client relations, management, sales, hospitality, and finance, I bring a service-focused approach to anticipating needs, solving problems, and making every interaction meaningful.
Originally from Brooklyn, NY, I’ve proudly called Middle Tennessee home since 2011—although my Brooklyn accent still makes an appearance from time to time! Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, spending time with my significant other and daughter, attending concerts and sporting events, discovering great food, reading, and staying active.
My personal and professional approach is guided by 1 Peter 4:10: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
Why a team approach?
More perspectives. Better conversations. Greater confidence
Financial planning involves real tradeoffs, and there’s rarely a single right answer. That’s why we use a team service model: two advisors behind every plan, with one point of contact for you.
Multiple Perspectives
More than one advisor engaged in your planning.
Collaborative Thinking
Ideas and strategies discussed as a team.
Personal Relationships
A team that knows you- not just your numbers.
curious how this plays out in the day to day?
A Seat at the table
Everyone deserves a seat at the table
Financial decisions affect everyone in a household, but the priorities and concerns of each person aren’t always the same. Too often, financial conversations center on one voice.
Couples are a clear example. One of you might be focused on retirement security, the other on what the next chapter actually looks like. Those aren’t competing priorities—they’re the same financial life, seen from two different angles.
Our goal is simple: everyone at the table gets heard, and every priority gets treated with respect.
Built with intention
Different situations. Deliberate plans
There’s no single right path to retirement, or to financial independence, or to a good financial life.
Your situation is your own, and so are the choices in front of you. Our job is to help you see them clearly and figure out what actually makes sense for you.
Ready to talk?
Start a conversation
You don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out.
Whether you’re approaching retirement, exploring a work-optional future, or building a financial foundation for your family, we’d welcome the opportunity to learn more about you and what you’re hoping to accomplish.