Kristopher Schnell,

HOME OFFICE
320 High Tide Dr., Suite 101
Saint Augustine, FL 32080-2324

Kris Schnell brings a philosophy of humility and intellectual honesty to his role as President of Cogent Independent Advisors. Inspired by Dr. Feynman’s famous insight, Kris believes true wisdom lies not in memorizing facts but in recognizing one’s own limitations — and knowing when to engage the right resources and experts to drive successful outcomes for his clients.

Kris’ career in financial services began after a personal experience revealed what can happen when a family's interests are not prioritized. Drawing on the problem-solving and analytical skills he developed in the civil engineering industry, Kris transitioned into finance with a deep commitment to honesty, transparency, and technical excellence.

Prior to founding Cogent Independent Advisors in 2012, Kris served as a Financial Advisor at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch and as a Financial Planner at MetLife Securities. At Cogent, he established a firm rooted in the principles of a fee-only, fiduciary model — ensuring clients' best interests come first, free from the conflicts of interest often imposed by Wall Street firms and insurance companies. The firm’s name and mission reflect these values:

• Cogent — Powerfully persuasive and evidence-based financial guidance.
• Independent — Free from affiliations with any investment product manufacturers.
• Advisors — True fiduciaries providing professional, client-focused advice.

The firm's logo, an elephant with its trunk turned inward, symbolizes Cogent’s philosophy: strength, intelligence, and the wisdom to always look inward and prioritize integrity and good fortune.

Kris has earned the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor^SM (CRPC®) designation from the College for Financial Planning and holds the Series 7 and Series 66 licenses.

He lives in Saint Augustine, Florida with his wife and two dogs and enjoys time with their two grown children.