Mike Walters has been the CEO of USA Financial since 2003. Prior to that time, he was president, vice-president and financial advisor with USA Financial. Mike is a noted industry author and speaker, and he has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the financial services industry.
He has authored articles and/or been interviewed/quoted in many publications including, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! Finance, MarketWatch, Worth, Advisor Perspectives, RIA Biz, Advisor Today Magazine, Registered Rep Magazine, Agent's Sales Journal, Annuity Super Producer Online, Brokers News Magazine, Insurance IQ Online, Insurance Marketing Magazine, InsuranceNewsNet, Life Insurance Selling Magazine, Long Term Care Forum, Los Angeles Times, ProducersWeb, Senior Market Advisor Magazine, Variable Product Specialist Magazine, and BelieversRadio.com.
Mike pioneered Portformulas' money-management relationship with the National Christian Foundation for Donor Advised Funds. He also developed Asset-Cycle® Portfolio System, Portformulas® Formulaic Trending Money Management, RAM® Score Economic/Market Trending Calculation, and Mapper Score™ for Market Indexes. as well as a number of other recognized financial industry tools.
He is the co-host of a nationally syndicated radio show, USA Financial Radio. In addition to that, Mike has served on advisory boards at some of the industry's largest companies. He has been interviewed hundreds of times through a number of different mediums to provide industry insight into topics that affect financial advisors and consumers.
Brent Enders has been the President of USA Financial since 2003. Prior to taking his current position, Brent served as Vice-President, Marketing Director and Marketing Representative with the firm. He is the co-host of the nationally syndicated radio show, USA Financial Radio. Brent was instrumental in the development of the Asset-Cycle® Portfolio System. He has penned numerous financial reports on topics ranging from investment management to long term care planning.
Brent is a sought-after, in-demand speaker at industry conventions and events, and is routinely asked to provide insight on a variety of topics facing financial advisors and consumers. Brent has been acknowledged in the Ed Slott book Stay Rich for Life! Growing & Protecting Your Money in Turbulent Times. He was the co-developer of First Trust Portfolios’ Momentum Growth Portfolio Unit Investment Trusts, a Growth Leader with Trust Company of America, and was acknowledged as a Leading Office of Supervisory Jurisdiction for Investors Capital and LifeUSA Securities. Brent was also an award recipient for Allianz Life, Aviva USA, American Equity, Fidelity & Guarantee, First Penn-Pacific, LifeUSA Insurance, Lincoln Financial, Monumental Life, National Western, and Old Mutual.
Andrea started working for USA Financial directly out of law school in 2004. Initially, she reviewed advertising exclusively, but quickly began taking on more compliance tasks. In 2006, Andrea was named USA Financial Securities' chief compliance officer.
As an undergraduate — first at Texas A&M University and then Michigan State University — Andrea studied broadcast journalism. She worked for Fox Sports Detroit during college and after graduation, turned down an on-air reporter position for a Lansing news station to pursue her legal education at Michigan State University College of Law. During law school, Andrea focused on business and securities law, competing in securities-related moot court competitions in front of some of the country's most renowned judges. She also worked as a law clerk for the Michigan Senate Majority Policy Office and the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation.
Andrea focuses on creating effective compliance procedures that are relatable. She is responsible for supervising all aspects of USA Financial's compliance structure, including but not limited to, transaction suitability, regulatory examinations and inquiries, advertising and correspondence, conflict resolution, and general compliance troubleshooting. Andrea prides herself on developing relationships with USA Financial's advisers and clients, and breaking down antiquated compliance stereotypes. She also enjoys being part of a team and cultivating USA Financial's team-centric environment.
Andrea was an All-American swimmer who attended both Texas A&M University and Michigan State University on full-ride scholarships. She swam butterfly and sprint freestyle and was named to the Big Ten All-Stars team. Outside of work, Andrea enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and working out.
Mark Mersman is the Chief Marketing Officer at USA Financial. He joined the firm in 2004, and has had numerous roles within the company before landing in his current position. Mark entered the world of finance by launching his own firm at the age of 22, a planning firm committed to helping educators further understand their pensions and retirement planning and investment options.
Mark is one of the co-hosts of the nationally syndicated USA Financial Radio Show. In addition to helping clients and advisors to plan first and invest second, Mark is responsible for the creation and development of the firm's marketing initiatives. He has written numerous educational seminars on a wide ranging list of financial topics, and serves as a business building consultant to financial advisors across the country.
Mark has been published in numerous industry publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, and Financial Advisor magazine, in addition to being featured as a guest blogger for the National Christian Foundation. He also served on an advisory board to one of the largest insurance companies in the world.
Mark graduated from Michigan State University, and is a die-hard sports fan. When he's not in the office, Mark stays active playing basketball, softball, and golf. He and his wife enjoy spending time on the lake and being outdoors with their two dogs.
Will Bachert joined the USA Financial team in 2002, after working in the accounting department of a large regional health insurance company. He became the firm's Chief Financial Officer in 2006.
As CFO, Will oversees all of the accounting, finance, and tax functions for USA Financial. He serves as the Financial and Operations Principal (FINOP) of USA Financial Securities. As FINOP, Will plays a vital role by being responsible for the firm's compliance with applicable net capital, record keeping and other financial and operational rules. His responsibilities include preparation, review, and approval of financial reports submitted to any securities industry regulatory body. He is also the supervisor of all employees who have an accounting or finance role within the firm.
Will graduated with a B.B.A. in Finance from Grand Valley State University. When he's away from the office, he enjoys spending time with his family.
Greg Lockwood is the chief technology officer and chief information security officer and oversees the internal technical staff and external consultants whose job is to deliver software, hardware, network, telecom and other technical services that support those connected to USA Financial. Since joining the firm in 2007, he's played a vital role in the continued success of USA Financial by implementing processes and systems to address the needs of its staff, advisors, and clients. His understanding of technology and communications has improved the efficiencies of the internal staff, as well as the advisors and clients who are affected daily by the technology systems employed by the firm.
Greg is focused on providing technology solutions that are intuitive for everyone. As he sees it, his role is to improve the lives of others who rely on technology by taking something complex and making it easy. For several years, he has led the creation of a complete straight-through-processing (STP) solution, which was released in 2017 and continues to evolve to handle additional product lines and complex scenarios. The STP system streamlines the submission of account opening and account maintenance forms into an entirely electronic process, which includes e-signature. This solution combines industry leading components with custom components built by USA Financial.
He has a B.S. in communications from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When he's not building new systems and processes to make the lives of others easier, Greg enjoys spending time with his family. He also performs around Grand Rapids in various bands as a guitarist/vocalist.
Steve Liverance is the Chief Human Capital Officer and joined USA Financial in the fall of 2016. His role will capitalize on his previous career experience to lead efforts in improving internal human resource functions and performance management at USA, coaching and development and ensuring company policies are compliant. This will also be leveraged to ensure best practices with our advisors' practices.
Earlier in Steve's career, he worked for several years at PricewaterhouseCoopers in a market human resource leadership function aligned with its audit practice and was in leadership roles in advisory and internal firm services. He was also the director of recruiting and a regional recruiting director at EDS Information Technology Services.
Steve graduated from Central Michigan University with a bachelor's degree in communications and business administration. He is a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP®) through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and a Senior Professional in Human Resources® (SPHR®) certified by HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®). Outside of the office, Steve enjoys spending time with his wife and their three children. He also actively seeks out opportunities to go biking and swimming.
Matt started working for USA Financial in 2007. Prior to joining the company, Matt worked for an agricultural law firm, helping farmers structure their corporations to maximize their government subsidies. Matt started out as a USA Financial compliance employee, but his talents in the operations arena were obvious early on and he was named USA Financial Securities' chief operations officer.
Under Matt’s leadership, USA Financial's operations departments expanded and developed proprietary and cutting-edge technology solutions that are second-to-none. Matt oversees all trading operations and new business processing. In addition to leading the operations department, Matt is USA Financial's due diligence officer — he reviews product requests to ensure quality and consistency with USA Financial's standards.
Matt enjoys creating business opportunities for USA Financial and our financial advisers. His education and experience make him a well-rounded, adaptable corporate steward. Matt attended the University of Kentucky where he majored in business and marketing. From there, he attended Michigan State University College of Law, where he focused on business law. Matt hails from a family of salesmen, so he can relate to our financial advisers on a personal level and he understands the unique challenges they face.
In his free time, Matt enjoys spending time with his family and watching sports. His favorite sport is college basketball and he is a proud member of the Big Blue Nation. When he's not watching Kentucky basketball, he enjoys cheering for the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Red Wings, and Green Bay Packers.