Karen Maurer has always known where she belongs. From the time she took her first job supporting financial advisors at just 16 years old, she was hooked. “I quickly learned this was exactly what I wanted to do,” she recalls. That early certainty set the foundation for a decades-long career devoted to helping people make financial decisions that align with their lives, values, and goals.
After spending nine years at her first firm, Karen made a bold move. When she was overlooked for a position she had been promised, she left and started her own practice. For 25 years, she built and led her firm, shaping it around her belief that financial advising is not just about numbers—it’s about people. Recently, she transitioned to Krilogy as a partner, bringing her practice under the firm’s umbrella while maintaining her commitment to personal, tailored financial guidance.
What sets Karen apart is her ability to look beyond spreadsheets and portfolios and see the human side of money. With a vested interest and specialty in psychology, she has spent years studying how financial decisions intersect with emotions, relationships, and personal histories. “You can’t advise everybody the same,” she explains. “You have to be intuitive about their relationship with money—how they view it, what it represents to them—to truly help them plan for the future.”
Karen specializes in working with women of wealth who are weathering widowhood, navigating retirement, settling estates, or facing other major life transitions. These moments are often overwhelming—not just emotionally, but financially. Her role is to bring clarity, confidence, and structure during times when everything else feels uncertain. With over 25 years of experience, she guides her clients through the complex decisions that come with loss, change, and new responsibility, helping them feel informed, empowered, and supported every step of the way.
Her individualized approach allows her to meet clients where they are, providing reassurance and strategy in equal measure. “I love when clients come in feeling anxious about what’s happening in the market or something they’ve read in the news, and they leave saying, ‘Karen, we feel so much better after sitting down with you.’ That’s when I know I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”
Her passion for the psychology of finance has also inspired her to write a book exploring the ways men and women approach money differently—a project she hopes to complete in the near future.
Running her own firm for 25 years gave Karen the independence to craft a truly personalized approach to financial advising, but, as her client base grew, so did the demands of finding the necessary high-level expert partners for her clients. Her move to Krilogy was a strategic decision in that not only do they offer Portfolio Management but also have Tax Services, Legal Services, an Investment Committee and a Dynamic Trading Platform. The ability for Karen to build a team of expert partners for her clients all in-house is unique in the industry, and the time saved and expertise provided is valued by her clients.
Karen’s dedication to service extends far beyond financial planning. For nearly two decades, she has been deeply involved with the St. Louis Crisis Nursery, serving in multiple leadership roles, including Board President and Woman of the Year. “I’m passionate about caring for children, and I love that Crisis Nursery collaborates with other nonprofits to provide holistic care and prevent child abuse.”
At home, Karen and her husband are at the center of a bustling, blended family of eight children and ten grandchildren. With all of them still living in St. Louis, their home has become the natural hub for family gatherings, celebrations, and everyday moments of connection.
When she’s not working or spending time with family, Karen and her husband indulge their love of travel and scuba diving. “We’ve learned how to do luxury travel on a less-than-economy budget—it’s become a full-time hobby figuring out all the tricks,” she says with a laugh. Their favorite diving destination? Indonesia and the South Pacific, where they’ve explored some of the most breathtaking underwater landscapes in the world.
Karen’s career has been defined by adaptability, intuition, and an unwavering commitment to helping others. Whether she’s guiding a client through a major financial decision, supporting children in crisis, or leading professional women’s networks, she brings the same thoughtful and people-first approach to everything she does.
For those looking for a fresh perspective on navigating life’s inevitable changes, Karen recommends reading Life Is in the Transitions by Bruce Feiler.