Meet Our Experienced Wealth Managers

City skyline at sunset with a tall monument and colorful sky.

Meet the Team

The Monument Circle Group provides investment management services to a select group of clients.  Our focus lies in servicing successful individuals of significant net worth and their families to organize, simplify, and optimize their lives and finances.  We also provide specialized financial services for corporations, executives, fiduciaries and not-for-profit organizations.  

We utilize the vast and deep resources the entire team, as well as outside experts from different professions, to design a strategy unique to each client’s goals.  We strive to bring value to our clients by capitalizing on our decades of investment experience.  Not only will you receive the personalized investment attention that you deserve, but you will also get the backing of our services and our integrity.   

As part of our private client services, we take an innovative approach to investment planning, retirement-plan analysis, investment review and screening, and portfolio-management services.  

Steven R. Smith <br> Senior Wealth Advisor/ Managing Partner

Steven R. Smith
Senior Wealth Advisor/ Managing Partner

Learn More

Steven R. Smith, Senior Wealth Advisor/Managing Partner

Steve is a founding Partner and Senior Wealth Advisor with The Monument Circle Group with over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. In 2011 and 2012, he was recognized in Barron’s as a Top 1000 Advisors in the nation and Top 15 Advisors in Indiana*.

In 2009 Steve joined Wachovia Securities with knowledge of the pending merger with Wells Fargo & Company.  He established himself as a PIM Portfolio Manager, and in 2011 was named Premier Advisor, a distinction held by a select group of Financial Advisors within Wells Fargo Advisors as measured by three or more of the following: length of service with the firm, completion of educational components, business production and professionalism.  He has also obtained the title of Managing Director-Investment Officer.

In 2006 Steve joined Citigroup Smith Barney to implement their broker-directed portfolio management platform for affluent clients affected by mergers and acquisitions.  As Advisor and First Vice President-Investments, he established the only Citi Family Office in Indiana.

In 1993, Steve joined PaineWebber (later acquired by UBS Financial Services, Inc.) as Vice-President-Investments in the Private Client Group to service the region’s banks, insurance companies, not-for-profit entities, and individuals of significant net worth.  He became a Registered Principal, Assistant Manager, and attended UBS Financial Services, Inc.’s Wealth Preservation Planning Institute.  Steve also met and teamed with Johnelle Michael Smith, who remains his colleague today.

Following Graduation, Steve was employed by the investment-banking boutique, Daseke & Co., Inc. of Westport, Connecticut.  At Daseke, he was a senior analyst and Director of Client Relations responsible for developing senior Fortune 500-executives’ portfolio asset allocation and tax planning strategies.

Steve graduated from DePauw University’s academic honorary, Management Fellows Program (1985), with a concentration in Economics and Computational Mathematics.  The Management Fellows Program is one of five highly selective Honors and Fellows Programs at DePauw.  It was established in 1980 to build leaders through academic and real-life experience, all within a distinguished liberal arts environment.

Steve lives in Zionsville, Indiana with his wife and has 3 children.

*   The rankings are based on data provided by over 4,000 advisors.  Factors included in the rankings were assets under management, revenue produced for the firm, quality of the practice, and other factors.  Institut9ional assets are given less weight in the scoring.  Investment performance isn’t an explicit component.

**  2018 -  The Five Star Wealth Manager award, administered by Crescendo Business Services, LLC (dba Five Star Professional), is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria – required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a registered investment adviser or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by Five Star Professional, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or Five Star Professional’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through Five Star Professional’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria – considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. Award does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. Once awarded, wealth managers may purchase additional profile ad space or promotional products. The Five Star award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their client’s assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by Five Star Professional or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by Five Star Professional in the future. There were 1,588 Indianapolis wealth managers were considered for the award; 9% of candidates were named Five Star Wealth Managers.

*   2012 – 1,375 Indianapolis wealth managers were considered for the award; 29% of candidates were named Five Star Wealth Managers.

*   2013 – 1,624 Indianapolis wealth managers were considered for the award; 26% of candidates were named Five Star Wealth Managers.

*   2014 – 2,009 Indianapolis wealth managers were considered for the award; 18% of candidates were named Five Star Wealth Managers.

*   2015 – 1,743 Indianapolis wealth managers were considered for the award; 20% of candidates were named Five Star Wealth Managers.

*   2016 – 1,083 Indianapolis wealth managers were considered for the award; 31% of candidates were named Five Star Wealth Managers.

*   2017 – 1,164 Indianapolis wealth managers were considered for the award; 16% of candidates were named Five Star Wealth Managers.

Johnelle M. Smith<br>Senior Wealth Advisor/ Partner

Johnelle M. Smith
Senior Wealth Advisor/ Partner

Learn More

Johnelle M. Smith, Senior Wealth Advisor/Partner

As a founding Partner of and Senior Wealth Advisor with The Monument Circle Group Johnnie has cultivated her knowledge and experience in the financial industry since the early 2000’s.  She was honored as a “Five Star Wealth Manager” for seven consecutive years, from 2012 through 2018 for her dedication to client satisfaction and service.  **

Johnnie moved to the Indianapolis area to pursue a Bachelor of Human Resource Management degree at Indiana University Purdue University of Indianapolis after successful completion of her Associates Degree in General Studies at Indiana University of South Bend.

In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family. However, her true passion lies in her desire to help women, impoverished children, and neglected animals.  She is a supporter of numerous organizations, but two that are closest to her heart:  Dress for Success, a non-for-profit organization providing interview suits, confidence boosts, and career development to low-income women. World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.  Neglected animals also pull heavily at Johnnie’s heart strings.  She and Steve have rescued several dogs and helped build a shelter for hundreds more.

 

**  2018 - The Five Star Wealth Manager award, administered by Crescendo Business Services, LLC (dba Five Star Professional), is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria – required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a registered investment adviser or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by Five Star Professional, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or Five Star Professional’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through Five Star Professional’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria – considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. Award does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. Once awarded, wealth managers may purchase additional profile ad space or promotional products. The Five Star award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their client’s assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by Five Star Professional or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by Five Star Professional in the future. There were 1,588 Indianapolis wealth managers were considered for the award; 9% of candidates were named Five Star Wealth Managers.

<span class="disclaimer">*   <em>2012 – 1,375 Indianapolis wealth managers were considered for the award; 29% of candidates were named Five Star Wealth Managers.</em></span>

<span class="disclaimer">*   <em>2013 – 1,624 Indianapolis wealth managers were considered for the award; 26% of candidates were named Five Star Wealth Managers.</em></span>

<span class="disclaimer">*   <em>2014 – 2,009 Indianapolis wealth managers were considered for the award; 18% of candidates were named Five Star Wealth Managers.</em></span>

<span class="disclaimer">*   <em>2015 – 1,743 Indianapolis wealth managers were considered for the award; 20% of candidates were named Five Star Wealth Managers.</em></span>

<span class="disclaimer">*   <em>2016 – 1,083 Indianapolis wealth managers were considered for the award; 31% of candidates were named Five Star Wealth Managers.</em></span>

<span class="disclaimer">*   <em>2017 – 1,164 Indianapolis wealth managers were considered for the award; 16% of candidates were named Five Star Wealth Managers.</em></span>

<span class="disclaimer">*   <em>CAR 0419-03697</em></span>

Ty Needler<br>Wealth Advisor/ Partner

Ty Needler
Wealth Advisor/ Partner

Learn More

Ty Needler, Partner and Wealth Advisor

Ty is a partner and wealth advisor with the Monument Circle Group. Ty focuses his time on building lasting relationships with clients of the firm through ongoing communication and advising on a diverse set of investment management and financial planning concepts. The Monument Circle Group’s team approach ensures that each client’s needs are the top priority. Ty enjoys partnering with clients to navigate complex issues that arise in their lives and finances. 

Ty lives in Westfield with his amazing wife, Taylour, and their three wonderful girls, Ellie, Addie and Sadie. He graduated from Taylor University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. Outside of the office he spends most of his time attending his daughters’ various activities and supporting his favorite sports teams.

Kyle Marburger<br>Wealth Advisor

Kyle Marburger
Wealth Advisor

Learn More

Kyle Marburger, Wealth Advisor

Kyle is a Wealth Advisor with The Monument Circle Group, where he works on the operational and service side of the business. With nine years of experience in the financial industry, he works behind the scenes to make sure clients receive efficient, accurate, and dependable service.

Originally from Peru, Indiana, Kyle studied Finance at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he also played on the baseball team.

Kyle and his wife, Kortney, live in Westfield with their two sons, Hudson and Micah. Together, they enjoy traveling and discovering new restaurants.

Eve Smith<br>Client Service Coordinator

Eve Smith
Client Service Coordinator

Learn More

Eve Smith, Client Service Coordinator

As a Client Services Coordinator, Eve provides customer service to clients to assist in their administrative needs.

Eve graduated from Purdue in May of 2023 with a B.S. in Actuarial Science and Applied Statistics with minors in Business Economics and Management. In her time at Purdue, Eve received several honors including but not limited to the Outstanding Junior in Actuarial Science award, the Swiss Re Actuarial Science Award, and selection as an actuarial teaching assistant by the Director of the Purdue Actuarial Science Program. Eve has passed actuarial certification exams in Financial Math, Probability, and Investments and Financial Markets. Also, while at Purdue, she served as the Vice President – Finance of Kappa Delta Sorority for 2 terms. Eve has previous experience working with The Monument Circle Group through 2 summer internships. In her summers not spent with TMCG, Eve held internships with Willis Towers Watson, a retirement actuarial consulting firm in Chicago, and Milliman, a healthcare actuarial consulting firm in Indianapolis. Eve worked full-time at Milliman for a brief stent following college graduation before returning to The Monument Circle Group.

Eve currently lives in downtown Indianapolis. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, exploring new restaurants, and going to sporting events (especially when it involves cheering on the Boilermakers).

Beth Sturgeon<br>Operations Manager

Beth Sturgeon
Operations Manager

Learn More

Beth Sturgeon, Operations Manager

As Vice President of Operations, Beth works to help design and implement automation and process improvement initiatives to streamline financial workflows. As well as monitoring and assessing integration, scalability and efficiency.  She also assists in ensuring we are in compliance with regulatory standards.   

Beth started her career as a Client Service Associate in 1999 at Paine Webber (later acquired by UBS Financial Services) and was recruited to work with a team at Smith Barney (merged with Morgan Stanley) in 2002 as Senior Client Service Associate.  In 2017, she co-founded Intelligent Design Advisors, LLC, in Brownsburg, IN where she is currently also, Vice President of Operations.

Beth earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a focus in Merchandising and Marketing at Ball State University in Muncie, IN.  She lives in Brownsburg with her husband.  She enjoys spending time with their four daughters and two grandchildren.