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About Us

Some of my earliest childhood memories are of my father sitting on our family room couch studying the latest stock market charts for his clients while my sisters and I played. Inspired by my dad’s passion for the market, I followed his footsteps into the world of finance. I began working at Dad’s firm as an investment adviser representative in the early 90s and now have more than 30 years of experience helping hundreds of clients achieve their retirement goals.

One of the most rewarding parts of this job for me is getting to know my clients, discovering what their goals are and working with them to create a plan to help achieve financial success. It’s truly gratifying to help people build their nest eggs step by step and then assist with the maintenance of their changing investment needs through their golden years.

Growing up in St. Louis, I stayed local and received a Bachelor of Finance from Saint Louis University. My wife, Katey, is a marketing consultant and we live in Kirkwood, Missouri with our two sons. In my free time, I love to read — particularly about the history of the stock market — and collect baseball cards with my boys.

Joseph F. Darpel, III, CFP®

President & Founder,
Financial Advisor

CONTACT US

MISSOURI:


Columbia / Jefferson City

303 N. Stadium Blvd., 2nd Floor

Columbia, MO 65203
Tel: 573.415.1137

Joplin

218 S. Main Street, Floor 2, Suite A

Joplin, MO 64801

Tel: 417.201.9909

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Kansas City

Two Pershing Square
2300 Main Street, 9th Floor

Kansas City, MO 64108

Tel: 816.705.3310

 

Poplar Bluff / Cape Girardeau

1901 Sunset Drive
Poplar Bluff, MO 63901
Tel: 573.415.1137

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Springfield / Branson

405 N. Jefferson Ave.
Springfield, MO 65806
Tel: 417.201.9909

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St. Joseph

224 North 7th Street

St. Joseph, MO 64501

Tel: 816.705.3310

St. Louis

3636 S. Geyer Road, Suite 100

Sunset Hills, MO 63127

Tel: 314.970.2377

Request a Meeting:

Thank you for taking the first step. Expect to hear from the Smart Steps team within 24 hours.

© 2026 Smart Steps Wealth Management, LLC. All rights reserved.

Disclosures
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The firm is a registered investment adviser with the state of Missouri, and may only transact business with residents of those states, or residents of other states where otherwise legally permitted subject to exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. Registration with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities authority does not imply a certain level of skill or training. This website is solely for informational purposes. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by Smart Steps Wealth Management, LLC unless a client service agreement is in place.

Investments are not FDIC insured and may lose value.

*What are the requirements to become a SmartVestor Pro? To join the SmartVestor program, the pros must work for investment advisors or broker-dealer firms that are not affiliated with Ramsey; have at least two years of experience as a registered investing professional; understand Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps and agree to our Code of Conduct; and participate in ongoing coaching with us to help maintain our high standards of customer service.

Smart Steps Wealth Management, LLC is not an affiliate of Ramsey Solutions. Ramsey Solutions is not affiliated with any SmartVestor Pros and neither Ramsey Solutions nor any of its representatives are authorized to provide investment advice on behalf of a SmartVestor Pro or to act for or bind a SmartVestor Pro. Each SmartVestor Pro has entered into an agreement with Ramsey Solutions under which the Pro pays Ramsey Solutions a combination of fees. The fees paid by the Pros to Ramsey Solutions are paid irrespective of whether you become a client of a Pro and are not passed along to you. However, the presence of these arrangements may affect a SmartVestor Pro’s willingness to negotiate below their standard investment advisory fees, and therefore may affect the overall fees paid by clients introduced by Ramsey Solutions through the SmartVestor program. Please ask your SmartVestor Pro for more information about their fees.
 

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