Meet Us
NorthStar's Team

We're a one-stop shop retirement advisory firm.

At NorthStar Financial & Retirement Planning, we believe the financial services industry holds a responsibility to provide sound and thorough guidance in retirement planning. That’s why we’ve put a team of experts in place to help you.

Our team’s mission is to educate and guide our clients on how to achieve peace of mind over their finances by utilizing efficient investment strategies and guaranteed and sustainable lifetime income methods while being as tax efficient as possible. 

Meet Our Team

President & CEO, Investment Advisor Representative, RICP® | CLTC®

George Fossing

CFP® Certified Financial Planner, Investment Advisor Representative, Certified National Social Security Advisor Certificate Holder

Zach Jenkins

Investment Advisor Representative, CPA, PFS,

Travis Smith

Chief Investment Officer

Jim Pritchard

Investment Advisor Representative

Kevin Keller

Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning Attorney

Wade Cupcheck

Financial Professional

Ian Cox

Medicare Specialist, CLU

Dow Barton

Official Office Greeter

Daisy Fossing

Our Strategic Partners

We work with a select group of strategic partners to help provide the most comprehensive view of your retirement. We believe each client should have the best team to support you in your individual needs, so we’ve curated a knowledgeable and experienced group of partners to help you meet your unique needs.

 

Investment and Portfolio Design Team from Delta Investment Management

Nicholas Atkeson

Investment and Portfolio Design Team from Delta Investment Management

Andrew Houghton

Investment and Portfolio Design Team from Delta Investment Management

Mike Kress

Guide to retirement

Contact us for your
Free 5-Step Retirement Guide.

Our 5-STEP RETIREMENT GUIDE will show you what information is needed to understand the risks associated with retirement so that you can make smart retirement planning decisions.

How can we help?

It can be difficult to decide where to go for financial advice. At NorthStar, we believe in the Golden Rule: treat others the way you would like to be treated. We understand that people can be apprehensive when asking for information and assistance.

Our promise to you is that we will be respectful of your time and there will be no pressure or obligation to do business with us. We want you to be comfortable from the minute we meet!

- George

George Fossing RICP® | CLTC®, President, CEO

CEO & President

George Fossing, RICP® | CLTC®

George Fossing has 25 years of experience in helping clients prepare for retirement. He enjoys guiding his clients to and through a successful retirement. George holds several certifications and licenses, his most recent being his Certification in Long-Term Care (CLTC®). As well as being an Investment Advisor Representative (Series 65), George holds the Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP) designation through the American College and has taught adult education classes at several higher education institutes about retirement strategies.

George has been married for over 30 years and has four children.

Investment Advisor Representative | Certified Financial Planner

Zach Jenkins

Zach has been in the financial services industry since 2013. He is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and an Investment Advisor Representative (Series 65), and has earned a National Social Security Advisors certification through NSSA (National Social Security Association). He has helped clients with the implementation of different insurance, tax-reduction, estate preservation, and income strategies. He enjoys working with individuals and small businesses, presenting them with solutions that provide security and clarity. He is a big believer in that there is more to gain by avoiding the losses than by potentially picking the winners. He graduated with a degree in business from USC Upstate in 2010 and is from the Greer/Greenville area.

Investment Advisor Representative, CPA, PFS

Travis Smith

Travis began his career in public accounting and has worked at both international and large regional firms.  He received his undergraduate degree in business administration with an accounting concentration at The Citadel in Charleston, SC and a Masters of Professional Accountancy with an emphasis in taxation from Clemson University in Clemson, SC.

Travis became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in 2006 and subsequently earned the Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) designation after passing a comprehensive financial planning exam administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  In addition, Travis serves clients as an Investment Advisor Representative (Series 65) and maintains his Life and Health insurance License.

Travis and his wife Molly are SC natives and, when not working, enjoy spending time with their daughter, Maeve. Travis’ other hobbies include fishing, cycling, and running.

Chief Investment Officer

Jim Pritchard

Jim Pritchard, Chief Investment Officer of NorthStar, has 40 years of experience in the financial industry. He studied economics at Columbia University, graduating in 1982. Jim worked with Northwestern Mutual and Penn Mutual as a college agent and was trained by the Wall Street firm of Smith Barney. He opened his own money management firm in 1986.

In 1990, he created one of the first model portfolios to utilize indexes, gaining considerable notoriety in the industry. He spoke often at institutional investment conferences, was quoted in industry publications, including Fortune Magazine, and wrote articles published by S&P, Dow Jones, and more. Over the past decade, Jim saw a need for an investment management program that seeks portfolios with low drawdown, low correlation, and a more consistent return stream than traditional portfolios offer. Jim’s expertise has resulted in the management of billions of dollars in assets.

Investment Advisor Representative

Kevin Keller

Kevin has been in the financial services industry for more than 30 years, primarily as a Regional Sales Director for nationally known insurance and investment firms. He interacted daily with retail investment advisors and agents throughout the Southeast, coaching them to greater success with their clients. Now it’s his turn to bring the knowledge he has gained and the skills he has used coaching advisors to his own clients at NorthStar Financial and Retirement Planning, serving as an Investment Advisor Representative (Series 65).

Kevin’s goal is to provide benefits and strategies of wealth accumulation to small-business owners and individuals. These strategies work during pre-retirement and accumulation planning into a successful retirement income phase for a stress-free retirement. Kevin and his wife, Alyson, have lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, for nearly 20 years. They have two children who have completed their high school and college educations in Carolina schools, and live nearby, in Charlotte, which makes their parents extremely happy! Kevin and Alyson met in college in New Orleans and began investing in real estate before graduating. When not coaching and planning, Kevin’s other passion is the outdoors. He enjoys managing his timber farm, KP Farms, in Chester County, South Carolina, where he raises loblolly pine trees for wood production. Kevin created a hunting and recreational club in 2006, so others could participate in the environment he loves.

Estate Planning Attorney

Wade Cupcheck

Wade Cupcheck is an attorney specializing in estate planning and probate. He has been a member of the South Carolina bar since 2016 and enjoys helping clients plan for the future by drafting wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and related documents tailored to fit their individual needs. Wade is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and the George Mason University School of Law.

Wade has been an editor of the George Mason Civil Rights Law Journal and has presented before the South Carolina Association of Probate Judges. He lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with his wife Betty Jeanne and their dog Whiskey. In his free time he hikes, camps, volunteers for Project Host, plays rugby with the Greenville Griffins, and loses to his wife in tennis.

Financial Professional

Ian Cox

Ian is a native of Sumter, SC, he has lived in Greenville for over five years after attending Clemson University where he earned a Bachelor’s in Business Management in 2018. He started a career in insurance with Banker’s Life handling life and long-term care cases. He moved on to work as a Portfolio Risk Analyst for a private lender in real estate. He has known the team for years and is excited to be on board to further help NorthStar clients to achieve their financial goals. He is currently learning the ropes but is happy to help with anything that arises.

He is newly married to his wife, Sasha. When he is not walking their 2 dogs Charlie and Cleo outside, he is enjoying a good book or struggling in chess. If you need to know where to eat in Downtown Greenville do not hesitate to ask him.

Chartered Life Underwriter

Dow Barton

Dow S. Barton has been working the field of retirement planning for 25 years on both the individual and corporate level. Dow also has experience in all phases of group benefits (health insurance, pharmacy benefits, ancillary products) as well as Medicare.

Dow was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He is a graduate of William Jennings Bryan College (B.Sc.) and a graduate of the Solomon L. Huebner School of The American College as a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU). Having lived in Greenville for the past 28 years, this city is home. Dow and his wife, Hilda, have four children (three Clemson and one USC Upstate grads) and three grandchildren – Lucy, Sam, and Georgia. In addition to family, Dow enjoys the mountains, hiking, F3, white water, and music.

Official Office Greeter

Daisy Fossing

Daisy is the official NorthStar Greeter. She has been an integral part of the NorthStar team since 2016. Even though she is paid only in dog treats, she has remained a steady and loyal employee. Her talents include wagging, smiling, and allowing guests to pet her. Her hobbies include swimming and going on long walks.

Investment and Portfolio Design Team from Delta Investment Management

Nicholas Atkeson

Mr. Atkeson is a principal of Delta Investment Management. Mr. Atkeson has over 21 years of industry experience. Prior to founding Delta Investment Management, Mr. Atkeson was a partner and portfolio manager of Delta Force Capital, a San Francisco based hedge fund and held senior positions at Banc of America Securities, ThinkEquity and Susquehanna International Group. Mr. Atkeson is co-author of “Win By Not Losing: A Disciplined Approach to Building and Protecting Your Wealth in the Stock Market by Managing Your Risk” published by McGraw Hill. Mr. Atkeson graduated from Haverford College with a BA in Economics and from Stanford University Graduate School of Business with an MBA.

Investment and Portfolio Design Team from Delta Investment Management

Andrew Houghton

Mr. Houghton is a principal of Delta Investment Management. Mr. Houghton has over 21 years of industry experience. Prior to founding Delta Investment Management, Mr. Houghton was a partner and portfolio manager of Delta Force Capital, and held senior positions at ThinkEquity, Banc of America Securities and Susquehanna International Group. Mr. Houghton is co-author of “Win By Not Losing: A Disciplined Approach to Building and Protecting Your Wealth in the Stock Market by Managing Your Risk“. Mr. Houghton has a BA in Economics from Boston University and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo, West Africa.

Investment and Portfolio Design Team from Delta Investment Management

Mike Kress

Mr. Kress is a portfolio manager at Delta Investment Management. Mr. Kress has 50 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Delta Investment Management, Mr. Kress worked at Sanctuary Wealth, ThinkEquity, Banc of America Investment Services, Credit Suisse First Boston and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. Mr. Kress has a Bachelor of Business degree from Ohio University.