Prairie Oak Advisors was founded on a simple belief: real financial guidance is built on relationships that last decades, not transactions that last a meeting.
Some of the best things in life aren't planned.
In 2010, Katrina and I met while working together at a financial advisory firm. We were colleagues first, but somewhere along the way, our professional relationship became an office romance—and, fortunately, it worked out. We were married in 2012.
Our careers took us in different directions after that. We worked at different firms, built our own experience, and continued doing what we both loved: helping people make important decisions about their money and their future.
But through all those years, there was always a shared idea in the back of our minds.
Someday, we wanted to build something together.
We wanted a place that felt different from a traditional financial advisory firm. A place that felt like home—a place where our clients knew they would be listened to, where we could always put their interests first, and where we had the technology, resources, and support to provide the very best advice we could.
Most of all, we wanted to build a firm around a simple belief:
Your financial life should be about your life—not just your finances.
That opportunity finally came when we joined Savvy and founded Prairie Oak Advisors. After years of working toward the same dream from different paths, we finally had the chance to sit on the same side of the desk and build something of our own.
And we couldn't think of a better name for it.
The prairie has always represented something meaningful to us. It is wide open, full of possibility, and allows you to see a long way down the road. The oak, on the other hand, is deeply rooted. It grows slowly and steadily, stands strong through changing seasons, and provides shelter for generations.
That combination feels a lot like what we believe good financial advice should be.
A strong foundation. A clear view of what lies ahead. The flexibility to adapt when life changes. And the patience to grow something that can last for generations.
Our goal has never been to tell our clients what their financial lives should look like. It is to listen—to understand what matters most to them—and then help them build a plan that gives them the confidence and freedom to pursue it.
For some, that may mean creating the freedom to retire. For others, it may mean caring for family, building a legacy, giving generously, or simply having the confidence to know they are on the right path.
Whatever your goals may be, we believe you deserve a financial advisor who knows your story, understands where you want to go, and is willing to walk alongside you for the journey.
That is the home we wanted to create.
That is Prairie Oak Advisors.
For more than 18 years, Gary has helped individuals, families, and business owners bring clarity to their financial lives — connecting the dots between where they are and where they want to go. What drew him to this work wasn't a fascination with markets; it was watching people gain real confidence once they finally had a plan in place.
Gary believes good advice starts with listening. Before any recommendation, he wants to understand what actually matters to a client — their goals, their worries, their family — and build a plan from there that's honest, objective, and built to hold up over time. He has a particular focus on retirement transitions, farm and family business succession, and helping families preserve what they've built across generations.
Gary and his wife, Katrina, founded Prairie Oak Advisors to build the kind of advisory relationship they believe clients deserve — personal, independent, and centered entirely on the client's interests, not a product line.
Outside the office, Gary plays music, stays involved in his community, and spends time with his big, lively family. He and Katrina live in Lee's Summit, Missouri, with seven children, five grandchildren, and two dogs, Toby and Rosie.
Katrina Jones helps clients feel more confident in their financial lives by listening first and building thoughtful strategies around what matters most to them. She works with clients at many stages, from those building a strong financial foundation to experienced investors preparing for retirement. Through financial planning and a holistic approach, Katrina helps clients stay focused on their goals, navigate life's changes, and make informed decisions with greater confidence.
We answer to our clients, not to a parent company's product lineup or sales targets.
We measure success in decades-long partnerships, not one-time transactions.
Every plan we build considers not just your life, but the generations that follow it.