At 6 years old, Michelle Kreis moved with her parents from Houston to Kaneʻohe. A graduate from Castle High School, she went on to study Management Information Systems and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
She said she worked in banking in college, then later dabbled in mortgage securities and real estate. It was there that she was first introduced to Northwestern Mutual – a Fortune 500 company known for its life insurance and financial planning services.
“When I first started with Northwestern Mutual in 2008, I was initially an assistant to a financial advisor. But because of the economic crisis that year, my job was cut, and I could either work with another advisor or do it myself. So, I decided to jump in and go for it!” Kreis told Aloha State Daily.
She moved back home to Hawai’i at the end of 2012 to be closer to family while raising her son, and shortly after, landed a job at Northwestern Mutual Hawai’i. Today, her workload involves meeting with clients from across the country.
“My goals this year are to get my son off to college, hire a new team member and continue to grow,” she said. “I believe everybody should have a plan.”
Kreis noted that building trust and relationships are key to how she approaches work. “I love the relationship side of things. From the start, I aim to establish that in conversations through education and understanding an individual’s concerns and goals.”
Here areas of expertise are “comprehensive” when looking at strategies for insurance and income at every age and life stage, she said.
Kreis shared her process of helping a client of 10 years get ready to retire and pass down his business. “It started with a basic business valuation, but as he got closer to retirement age, we got into the more detailed part of planning; making sure his assets were growing and that he had a secure income stream to rely on beyond collecting social security, which gave him that peace of mind.”
For Isle businesses, she added that he clients are focused on cash flow and debt management, while growing revenue. More long-term, prioritizing employee benefits and retention, as well as succession planning, are common.
“For small businesses and individuals, it’s important to connect with a financial advisor early on,” Kreis said. “No matter how big revenue is, I think establishing a lot of the planning pieces up front can prepare them for any unexpected costs or expenses.”
Another tip is, “to be mindful of the defensive, as well as the offensive side of planning,” she said, adding that beyond offensively growing a business, defensive strategies can include building an emergency fund, preparing for taxes and talking through steps to take if something happens to an owner or employee.
Northwestern Mutual Hawai’i became its own office last year, enabling it to expand its local footprint. Though the company is still in transition, the hope is to open more offices statewide, according to Kreis.
In the community, the company supports organizations such as Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer, Beads of Courage, Make-A-Wish Hawaiʻi, Special Olympics Hawaiʻi and more.
“Hawai’i is such a wonderful place with amazing people. What would make it a better place to live is instilling financial confidence that would allow people to handle the cost of living here and plan for their futures.”
“My mission is to support people and educate them on the financials side.”
Contact
Michelle Kreis, financial advisor, Northwestern Mutual Hawai’i
Address: 737 Bishop St., Ste. 1700, Honolulu
Instagram: @michellekreis.nm
Facebook: facebook.com/458538164344029
Website: michellekreis.nm.com
Northwestern Mutual Hawai'i office website: hawaii.nm.com
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
