Richard C. Moldenhauer

Richard C. Moldenhauer, CLU^®, ChFC^®, CEP, is a Chartered Financial Consultant and a Certified Estate Planner. Rich entered the financial industry as a management trainee in 1971, and in 1974, Moldenhauer & Associates was born as a financial planning firm when the industry was just evolving. The firm grew into one of the largest financial firms in upstate New York.

This growth included eight offices between Jamestown and Watertown, including Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. In 2000, Rich decided that his real love was working with clients on a more personal basis. As a result, Moldenhauer & Associates was reconstructed as a firm focusing on client service and satisfaction.

Rich is recognized and respected in the financial industry. He has spoken to audiences in more than 30 states and several countries on topics ranging from leadership and management to selective benefit plans and estate planning. He has taught continuing education for attorneys, accountants, and financial planners, and he has been a prolific writer on a variety of financial subjects. Also, he has had articles published in newspapers, magazines, and on the internet.

Rich is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, the American College, and the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the University of Buffalo. He is a member of the NAIFA, the Society of Financial Service Professionals, the Western New York Estate Analysts, and the Association of Registered Financial Planners. In 2015, he was inducted into the Ameritas Hall of Fame*.

After college, Rich attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He served in Vietnam as a forward observer and a unit commander.

His avocations include fly-fishing, fitness training, public speaking, as well as writing. You can see some of his writings in our monthly newsletter, which is available online and, if desired, in hard copy without cost to clients and friends of the firm alike. Rich has fished in many of the best fly-fishing venues in the country, but he has a special fondness for the waterways of Western New York, where he learned to fish almost 40 years ago.

Since his recovery from transplant surgery, he and his favorite person and wife, Kathy, have become residents of South Carolina. Those who know him and Kathy the best, know that their devotion to each other has been enhanced by the challenges of the past several years. The doctors say that Rich’s recovery has been almost miraculous. While not wanting to overstate what has occurred in their lives, their family has grown stronger and closer in the process.

With two sons in Charleston and two in Western New York, along with eleven grandchildren, Rich and Kathy’s lives are extremely full.

While many of Rich’s peers are slowing down and retiring, he is finding new challenges and opportunities. He believes that Moldenhauer & Associates continues to grow into one of the most exceptional financial firms in the industry and is more enthusiastic about the future than ever.

*The Ameritas Hall of Fame recognizes Rich's contributions and leadership in the community, industry, and the Ameritas company.