Elwood & Goetz Wealth Advisory Group today announced Ben Jacobs (CFP®, EA, AIF®) and Aysha Ballis (CFP®) as the independent financial planning firm’s newest partners. With offices in Athens, Atlanta, and Charleston, Elwood & Goetz is a fee-only financial planning firm serving more than 470 households and managing more than $525 million in assets. 

“As our firm has experienced tremendous growth over the past seven years, Ben and Aysha have played an integral role in developing our advisory team and helping our clients achieve their lifelong financial goals,” Elwood & Goetz founding partner and CEO Lindsay Elwood said.

“We believe Ben and Aysha are two of the very best financial planners in the country. Their skilled service and deep commitment as trusted advisors are matched only by their integrity and character as people,” Elwood said. “We couldn’t be prouder of them or more confident in the future of our firm.”

Jacobs and Ballis are the fourth and fifth partners at Elwood & Goetz, joining founding partners Lindsay Elwood and Joseph Goetz, and the firm’s chief planning strategist, Alden Shmerling, who was named partner in 2016.

Elwood & Goetz is wholly independent and employee-owned.

Ben Jacobs joined Elwood & Goetz in 2014 after graduating from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in consumer economics and master’s degree in financial planning. In his role as partner and managing director, Jacobs oversees an ensemble team of financial advisors in Elwood & Goetz’s Athens, Georgia, office. He also manages the firm’s 401(k) practice, which provides investment management services for businesses with employer-sponsored 401(k) retirement plans.

While studying at UGA, Jacobs worked as a financial counselor for the university’s ASPIRE Clinic, which provides pro bono financial advice to the Athens community. He also served as site coordinator for UGA’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, providing free tax preparation and filing services for residents.

Jacobs currently serves as president of the UGA Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) Alumni Association and is a part-time instructor for UGA’s Financial Planning Department. He is a past chair of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) Genesis Committee.

Jacobs resides in Athens, Georgia, with his husband and their three dogs.

Aysha Ballis joined Elwood & Goetz in 2016 after graduating from the University of Georgia with her bachelor’s degree in consumer economics and master’s degree in financial planning. Ballis established the advisory firm’s Charleston, South Carolina, office in 2018, and now manages an ensemble team of financial planners as partner and managing director.

While studying at UGA, Ballis served as one of the site coordinators for the university’s Volunteer Tax Income Assistance Program and as a financial counselor at UGA’s ASPIRE Clinic. She has also served as a volunteer for The Ark, helping to teach financial literacy seminars for teen parents and providing financial education to the community.

Ballis currently serves on a committee for the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and as chair of the UGA Financial Planning Alumni Advisory Board.

Ballis resides in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband and their two dogs.