President and Chief Investment Officer
Phone: 336.524.9010
Fax: 336.584.7080
Email: [email protected]
If you asked John what he planned for his future on his graduation night from High School, he would have told you he wanted to study Commercial Art. His studying took an unexpected turn when John elected a course called introductory to economics while enrolled at Rutgers University and it ignited a new passion. Economics and understanding the relationship between financial markets, statistics, politics and human behavior quickly became his focus of study and he shifted his artistic talents towards a lifelong hobby. John graduated from Rutgers University in 1986 as an economics major. He served as an intern with EF Hutton during his final semester and upon graduation started his career in the Financial Services Industry as an account executive with A.G. Edwards and Sons in 1986.
The Provident Savings Bank in Jersey City New Jersey recruited John in 1989 where he served as a Trust Officer and Financial Advisor. In the two years to follow, he was becoming disenchanted with the industries tolerance for unsuitable sales practices when a series of events occurred within weeks of each other in late 1991 that changed everything.
In the fall of 1991, John received a Letter of Commendation for preventing an elderly bank customer from experiencing significant financial hardship at the hands of an unethical representative of a major insurance company. The circumstances leading up to this event and the work required to uncover and prevent the transaction from happening became the standard of client care and service for the bank and remains an introductory training conversation for new employees. The following week, John met Dan Hansell, CFP®. Dan was a successful advisor and Certified Financial Planner in Burlington, NC who later became a mentor and a friend. With critical support from his employer and his wife Ann, John committed to study consultative selling and advanced financial planning strategies and renewed his commitment to the industry.
His hard work and persistence paid off. Each year from 1992 until 2001 John received the S.T.A.R.S. award which is reserved for the top level advisors and managers in a network of thousands. A series of lower and middle management promotions soon followed where John earned recognition for his management and motivational skills.
In 2001 John was appointed Vice President of the Wealth Management Division and quickly began to use his senior level position to redefine the affluent client experience. He became board certified as a financial planner practitioner™ and received his CFP designation in 2004. After a twenty year career with many significant achievements, John discussed his ambition to create an Independent Investment Advisory Firm with his mentor and friend Dan Hansell. In 2006, John and Dan Hansell combined talents with Jane Scott to form HBS Financial Advisors.
HBS and John Bellingham are active supporters of the local Community College, Hospice, United Way and Individual Missionary work. John has three children and two grandchildren and has been married to Ann Lynn Bellingham since 1988.
