Who We Are

Laura McCue, CEO and President, is a licensed investment advisor representative, and provides investment management and financial guidance for her clients.  She has a thirty-seven year track record of successfully helping clients to focus on achieving their financial goals.  She believes strongly in the importance of values-based financial planning, an investment and planning concept that is not just about the numbers, and that an individual’s personal values and stated goals, as opposed to risk tolerance, should drive their financial decisions.

Laura encourages people to live the life they dream about by aligning their financial choices with their core values so that, in achieving their goals, they have a better quality of life.  She is passionate about her work in making a positive difference in the lives of her clients.  Laura uses Point and Figure technical charting strategies and relative strength analysis in her efforts to reduce risk and improve investment performance over the long term while making tactical moves in her client accounts over the shorter term.  Her focus remains on continued progress towards her clients’ personal long-term goals.

Recognizing the issues facing current retirees and baby boomers nearing or in retirement, Laura is a retirement income-planning specialist.  She identifies and communicates the key risks to having a lifetime income and designs personal income planning strategies using an investment model that seeks to provide continuing, inflation-adjusted income throughout retirement.

Returning to her hometown after college, Laura has lived and worked in Asheville in the financial services industry since 1986.  For the last twenty years, she has jointly owned and managed White Oak Financial Management Inc. with her sister, Priestley Ford.  During her career she has taught financial education classes at area schools and colleges, churches, businesses, and other organizations.  She is a member of the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement, Assistant NC State Director of the FAIRtax, and is past president of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and of the Friends of the WNC Nature Center.  She currently serves as Investment Chair of the French Broad River Garden Club, and as a board representative on Eagle Boards of Review for the Daniel Boone Council, BSA.  Laura lives in Arden with her husband of 41 years and their sweet Australian Shepherd, Lucy.  Their two sons and families live in North Carolina as well.

Priestley Ford is a partner in the firm with her sister Laura and serves as the operations manager. Her attention to detail and caring attitude ensure that the office runs smoothly and clients’ needs are met in a timely and thorough manner.

After graduating from Tulane University in 1983, Priestley worked for 20+ years in New Orleans, Charlotte, and Seattle as a litigation paralegal in various sub-specialties. In early 2003, Laura and Priestley formed White Oak Financial Management, Inc. and have enjoyed making every day fun, interesting and successful for their clients and themselves.

Priestley’s passion outside of White Oak is animal welfare in our community. She served on the Board of Asheville Humane Society for two terms and is a volunteer there. She also helps build fences for ChainFree Asheville, a group that builds fences for free for dogs living on chains.