Compardo, Wienstroer & Janes | Moneta
This quarter brought growth in a few exciting directions. We opened our first office outside the United States in London, extending the planning work we already do for families whose lives, assets, and family members span borders. At home, we welcomed four new colleagues across our St. Louis, Kansas City, and Chicago teams, bringing new experience and perspective to how we serve our clients every day.
This quarter, we’re also sharing an update on our new Kansas City building, a look at recent media highlights, and market perspective from our Global Wealth team.
We hope you enjoy catching up on what’s been happening across our team!
Moneta opens its London office
This quarter, Moneta opened its first office outside the United States in London. Led by our Global Wealth team, the new office reflects the increasingly international nature of the families we serve. More families have property, business interests or citizenship across borders, creating planning considerations that extend well beyond a single country. Having a team on the ground in London allows us to work more closely with the other advisors involved in a family’s financial life and bring that perspective directly into the planning process.
Read the full announcement, A New Chapter in Global Wealth Management, and look for CWJ’s Managing Director – Global Wealth, Aoifinn Devitt’s, commentary from London in the Global Wealth section of our newsletter.
Diane Compardo named to two Barron’s Top 100 lists: Women Financial Advisors and Independent Financial Advisors
Congratulations to Moneta Partner Diane Compardo, CPA, CFP®, PFS, AWMA® on being named to Barron’s 2026 Top 100 Women Financial Advisors, ranking #23 in the nation. Her 10th time named to this list. Diane was also included on Barron’s Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors list for the 7th time.
Diane’s recognition reflects the same commitment to clients that defines Moneta’s approach every day. We’re proud to see her work honored on this national stage.
2026 Barron’s Top 100 Women Advisors ranking released July 2026 is based on data such as size, regulatory record, quality of practice and philanthropic work provided to Barron’s for time period ending March 31st 2026. 2026 Barron’s Top 100 Independent Advisors ranking, released in September 2026, is based on data such as size, regulatory record, quality of practice, and philanthropic work provided to Barron’s for the time period ending June, 30th 2026. No payment was made for inclusion in this ranking. For information relating to this and prior years’ rankings, visit https://www.barrons.com/advisor/report/top-financial-advisors/women Rankings, ratings, or lists, and/or recognition by unaffiliated rating services and/or publications are not indicative of performance and should not be construed as a guarantee of future investment success or as a client endorsement of Moneta.
Celebrating milestones & achievements
Brinn completed the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification this quarter.
Colleagues marking a service anniversary with the firm this quarter.
Four babies joined the CWJ family this quarter. Congratulations to all of our growing families!
Client Service Manager Lauren Cherry married this quarter and now goes by Lauren Accurso. Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Welcoming new colleagues
Beth holds both a JD and a CPA and has spent decades in wealth management after an early career practicing law. She joined Moneta, drawn to the independent, fiduciary model and the firm’s trust company capabilities — long in demand among the network of estate planning and family law attorneys she has built in Chicago. She describes herself as her clients’ family office, and she is especially focused on helping women reach financial literacy and independence.
Anna brings a unique combination of legal, tax, and wealth-planning experience to her work with families. She began her career as a Trust Advisor before practicing law, where she advised families and family offices on estate and trust administration, gift tax planning, and wealth transfer. Most recently, she spent three years at ArchBridge, helping families navigate the intersection of investment, tax, and estate planning.
Matt brings a strong foundation in financial planning and a passion for helping high-net-worth families navigate complex financial decisions. Before joining the team, he worked as a Financial Planning Associate at Stepp and Rothwell, where he prepared comprehensive financial plans for high-net-worth families. Matt enjoys work that combines problem-solving with the opportunity to build meaningful, lasting relationships with clients.
A recent graduate of Southern Illinois University, Lilly brings a unique mix of finance and marketing experience, along with a strong interest in investments. While at SIU, she was an analyst with the Saluki Student Investment Fund and served in leadership roles within her sorority, including president. Lilly is excited to begin her career in wealth management and contribute to the thoughtful, client-focused experience our team provides.
Construction update
A New Home in Kansas City
We’re looking forward to welcoming clients into our new space (right next to the 1900 building!) later this year and creating an environment that feels as thoughtful and welcoming as the experience we strive to provide to clients in every interaction.
We’ll share more as the space comes together. For now, here’s a look at the progress!
Where we showed up this quarter
Hoyleton Golf Tournament
A group from our team spent the day on the course at this year’s Hoyleton Golf Tournament, which supports Hoyleton Youth and Family Services. Good weather, good company, and a cause worth a few lost golf balls.
SIU Women’s Weekend
Lilly Rudolph, a recent Southern Illinois University graduate, attended this year’s SIU Women’s Weekend — an event Diane Compardo and Moneta sponsor each year. It brings together students and alumnae to talk about careers, mentorship, and the paths that open up after graduation.
Our team in the press
Two of our broadcast appearances this quarter.
The A-List is voted on by St. Louis Magazine readers. Cynthia works with families across generations on planning and investment decisions.
2026 St. Louis Magazine A-List Award in the Financial Advisor category dated August 12, 2026. This recognition was based on nominations and voting conducted between March and June 2026, as tabulated by St. Louis Magazine. The rating reflects only the nomination and voting period described and does not evaluate client experience, investment performance, or advisory outcomes. No payment was made by the recipient or Moneta to participate in or receive this award.
Quarterly market commentary
The summer in Europe was hot and fraught with political change and geopolitical concerns. The UK saw its 7th Prime Minister in a decade, Andy Burnham, take the helm in late July, although markets took the change in their stride, having anticipated the transition. The conflict in the Middle East weighed on markets, causing inflation to nudge higher (3.2% in the Eurozone and 3.1% in the UK) and the ECB to raise rates in September, although the Bank of England has kept UK rates steady. Market performance has been solid and is around 8% year to date in the UK and Europe.
Currency Corner
The political turmoil in Europe was challenging for local currencies, although in September the dollar reached a three-month low against the Euro. The dollar has recovered some ground since then, and year to date both the Euro and the GBP are lower relative to it (by around 3% and 1%, respectively). The recent hike in US rates by 25 bps as well as the ongoing focus on the US as the epicentre of the AI trade is shoring up support for the US currency.
Taxes and Trends
As most of the changes enacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will apply to the 2026 tax year, it is worth remembering which provisions have changed for US taxpayers but will still have no special treatment for UK tax purposes. One example of this is the US federal tax break for those who invest in certain small domestic businesses. Investors who hold Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) for long enough can exclude some, or all, of their gain on sale from US federal income tax. The rules applying to this changed materially with the OBBBA, whereby newly acquired stock has a tiering system to calculate exclusions. If a client is a UK resident taxpayer there is no corresponding relief for QSBS in the UK, and a disposal of stock can attract a full UK CGT bill – although it is possible that an element of relief could be obtained under FIG regime or BADR.
Global Musings
With geopolitics firmly in focus and tariffs re-emerging as a US government tactic (particularly focused on Canada and Europe), global markets have risen in prominence in recent months. Certain trends have been universal – such as the sell-off in long-dated government bonds across the US and Europe, while AI integration continues to lift all markets and boost economic growth. A renewed focus on the importance of sovereignty, with respect to AI and cybersecurity in particular, has boosted support for European local ventures in this area, and the concentration in US markets and the strong tech orientation has led investors to seek to add breadth to portfolios.
As the year draws to a close we are watching in particular elections in France and Germany, where far right political figures have been gaining traction, to see if this acts as a destabilizing force. As the winter approaches fuel prices and availability will also come into more focus and this could have significant implications for inflation and interest rates as well as consumer sentiment.
From our blog
Drawing on her own family’s experience, Cynthia explains how organizing accounts, documents and final wishes in advance gives a surviving spouse clarity during a difficult transition.
Most ultra-high-net-worth families already hold several trusts. The question is whether those structures work together or quietly against each other.
A seven-figure balance can feel like a finish line. What turns those assets into income is a coordinated withdrawal, tax and estate plan.
A business sale, an inheritance or a retirement transition rarely has a single-discipline answer. Why the team around your plan matters as much as the plan.
A guide for multigenerational families. Governance, preparing the next generation, giving and succession — the questions that come up again and again.
The financial mechanics of an exit get all the attention. The identity shift and the relationship changes that follow rarely make it onto the agenda.
