October 2026
Justin Gibson & Jeriod Turner at the 2025 FCA Night of Champions
BFG Employee Spotlight: Justin Gibson & Jeriod Turner – Business Partners
Jeriod Turner walked past a fellow student in the HLGU library and suddenly he stopped short.
“Are you looking at stocks?” he asked.
Justin Gibson turned around in his seat with a smile and a nod. Together they looked at stock trades on Justin’s monitor—without an inkling they would one day spend many hours looking at stocks together as business partners at Benson Financial Group.
Justin and Jeriod now share ownership—along with Pat and Connie Benson—of Benson Financial Group. Before their paths connected at BFG, they sometimes crossed at HLGU. Although they didn’t have classes together, they both spent a lot of time in the computer lab where many commuters went between classes.
“Justin stood out to me because of his diligence with his financial accounts. It was just unusual to see a student checking and successfully managing his Roth IRA from the college business lab,” Jeriod said. “So, we talked a lot and just sort of got to know each other between classes.”
Both men were pursuing their degrees in business administration. Jeriod, who graduated in 2007, had married Leah in 2005, and was returning to his second semester at HLGU after a one-year deployment in Iraq.
Justin, who graduated in 2008, was working two part-time jobs at Hannibal National Bank and as a cashier at County Market, where he met his wife, Brooke.
Justin knew of Pat and Connie through church and connected with Connie when she went through his lines at both jobs. Due to Justin’s friendly disposition, she intentionally sought out his service.
One day, while scanning Connie’s groceries, Justin worked up the nerve to ask about an internship with Pat. This sparked many conversations, and a few years later, Justin joined BFG advisor Steve Hill, in a partnership with Pat and Connie.
January 4, 2010, Justin and Steve started as financial advisors and Connie as an administrative assistant, and the business officially became Benson Financial Group.
“Justin was young and just coming out of college, but we instantly saw a future leader and brought him in as a partner,” Pat said. “We knew what we had in him in his talent and integrity. And that has certainly proved true.”
Meanwhile Jeriod pursued a nine-year career in the banking industry.
Jeriod and Pat had become acquainted in a Bible study and stayed after many times to talk. Pat saw Jeriod’s interest in entrepreneurship along with his financial knowledge and leadership skills.
“It was clear to me that Jeriod should join us as a partner. I saw who he was, and how he could fit into the long-term vision I had for this organization,” Pat said. “I shared this with Justin and Steve, and we agreed he was the perfect fit.”
Although it had been years since Justin and Jeriod talked about stocks in college, they continued running into each other at various events around town.
“We would always catch up with each other, and I think we knew each other pretty well,” Justin said. “One afternoon, Pat came in and asked me if I knew Jeriod Turner, and what I thought about him joining the firm. Of course, I thought it was a great idea!”
Jeriod recently celebrated his 10th anniversary at BFG. Although it could be an intimidating move to join a firm with an intention for partnership, Jeriod said the welcome he received from everyone at Benson Financial Group was warm and genuine.
“Justin is just very humble, and does not have an ego whatsoever,” Jeriod said. “He could have seen me coming in as a competitive thing, but I honestly don’t think it ever entered his mind.”
After Connie and Steve retired in the last several years, and with Pat reducing his hours, Jeriod and Justin’s partnership is now a key role. And with more than 20 team members, a 5,000-square-foot addition in Hannibal and a new building for the Quincy office to soon break ground, they have learned to manage growth while maintaining the culture.
Jeriod and Justin agree that Pat, as the founder and owner of Benson Financial Group, has prepared them for their roles in leadership.
“Pat is unique as a business owner and has always been willing to take our ideas and try them out,” Jeriod said. “Instead of giving us marching orders, he has allowed us to help shape the business, which has grown our own leadership skills and strengthened our partnership.”
Pat said this kind of creative freedom for all the business partners has been important to him from the start.
“If you're not equal partners then a lot of negative things can happen. We have worked hard to create that kind of partnership,” Pat said. “I don't know how we could have matched two individuals up any better than these two.”
With Justin being more relational and Jeriod being more task-oriented, their strengths bring balance to their joint leadership. They also said that they are very similar in sometimes uncanny ways.
“We can be sitting on totally different ends of a table at a restaurant but if I holler to ask Jeriod what he got, it’s almost always the exact same thing as me,” Justin said. “We have truly become great friends.”
Pat said watching this partnership and friendship grow over the last ten years has been such a blessing, and one he knows didn’t come together by luck of the draw.
“I give God all the glory for this,” he said. “Connie and I just couldn’t be more pleased by those who will one day lead me out of the business.”
When Pat does retire one day, Jeriod and Justin want to lead by the example he has given them.
“Our goal is to carry that torch and keep a Christ-centered culture at the heart of what we do,” Justin said. “We also want to grow at whatever pace we need to keep giving our clients great service.”
They are also grateful for the team that they’ve built now and look to prepare the future leaders of BFG—just as Pat did for them.
“We have added on so many great people, and we are in the best place we have ever been to serve our clients,” Jeriod said. “When Pat retires and later when Justin and I look toward our own retirement, we just feel great about those who will continue to lead.”
/ The Power of an HSA Plan
What if one account could give you three tax advantages and potentially become an important part of your retirement strategy?
When people hear the name “Health Savings Account” or “HSA” for short, they usually think about paying medical bills. But an HSA could do more. When used strategically, it could be a helpful tool to help save for retirement and manage future healthcare costs.
What is an HSA?
A Health Savings Account is a tax-advantaged account available to people enrolled in an eligible high-deductible health plan.
An HSA comes with three potential tax advantages. First, contributions may be tax-deductible. Second, your money could be invested, and the growth might be tax-free. Third, withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are tax-free.
Your HSA Might Matter in Retirement
Why should you pay attention to an HSA when planning for retirement?
One serious consideration is that healthcare could be one of the biggest expenses you may face.
An HSA gives you a way to prepare for those costs while potentially allowing the money put aside in the account to grow tax-free over time.
Unlike some other types of retirement accounts, HSA balances continue from each year to the following years. You don't have to spend the money. It stays in your HSA account until you use it.
If your financial situation allows, you may leave those funds invested and they could potentially grow.
An HSA Strategy to Consider
Here's one strategy worth knowing about. If you could comfortably afford to pay current medical expenses out of pocket, you may leave your HSA funds invested.
Keep your medical receipts. You may be able to reimburse yourself from the HSA years later for qualified medical expenses you paid out of pocket.
Of course, this strategy only makes sense if you have enough cash flow and savings to comfortably cover your current healthcare costs.
What Happens After You Turn 65?
Your HSA may become even more flexible after age 65.
You may withdraw money for qualified medical expenses tax-free.
If you use HSA funds for non-medical expenses, you won't face the additional 20% penalty for non-qualified withdrawals before age 65. You would generally pay ordinary income tax on non-qualified withdrawals instead.
How Does an HSA Compare to a 401(k) or IRA?
You might wonder, “If I'm already contributing to my 401(k) or IRA, why add an HSA?”
The answer is the potential tax treatment. A 401(k) or IRA may provide tax benefits when you contribute and potentially tax-deferred growth, but withdrawals are generally taxable.
An HSA may potentially provide deductible contributions, possible tax-free growth, and could allow tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses.
That's why some people call it a “stealth retirement account.”
It's designed for healthcare, but it could play a much bigger role in your retirement plan.
Who Should Consider an HSA?
An HSA is worth considering for these reasons:
- You have an eligible high-deductible health plan.
- You are already fully funding your traditional retirement accounts.
- You have the cash flow to pay some medical expenses out of pocket.
- You want another tax-advantaged way to help prepare for retirement healthcare costs.
An HSA isn't just for healthcare. It could be a beneficial retirement tool. The key is understanding how it could fit with your 401(k), IRA, investments, and overall retirement income strategy.
If you're approaching retirement and want to know whether an HSA could play a role in your plans, talk to our team for retirement planning support. We're here to help you look at the big picture and consider the choices available to you
/Turn the Page with Connie
by Connie Benson
Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung
The title of this book caught my eye—I immediately related! I felt like an overstuffed washing machine, with an overloaded calendar taking my life completely off-balance.
That’s why I couldn’t put this book down. Instead of using a time management perspective I love how Kevin DeYoung addresses the problem of busyness. Using Biblical principles, he gets to the root of the issue so we can not only have balance in our lives but also rest for our souls.
My two favorite quotes from the book share just some of Kevin DeYoung’s wisdom in Crazy Busy.
“We won’t say no to more craziness until we can say yes to more Jesus. We will keep choosing dinner rolls over the bread of life. We will choose the fanfare of the world over the feet of Jesus. We will choose busyness over blessing.”
“It’s not wrong to be tired. It’s not wrong to feel overwhelmed. It’s not wrong to go through seasons of complete chaos. What is wrong—and heartbreakingly foolish and wonderfully avoidable—is to live with more craziness than we want because we have less Jesus than we need.”
Crazy Busy will help you find the balance between doing everything and nothing all through the lens of grace.
With the holiday season around the corner, it’s a great time to stop for a minute and evaluate our busy lives. Stop by and grab a copy or give us a call, and we will be happy to mail you a copy. Enjoy!
October Celebrations at Benson Financial Group
Work Anniversaries:
Beth Franklin, 15 years (2011)
Birthdays:
Jason Nichols
Ben Strother
Angela Steinkamp
Save the Date!
On November 13 we will host an open house and ribbon cutting with the Hannibal Chamber of Commerce to celebrate our new addition in Hannibal. We will celebrate with refreshments and tours of our new addition. We are grateful for your patience during this time of transition, and we can’t wait to welcome you into our new space!
/Upcoming Holidays & Closings
