Lawrence is a university town with a creative, entrepreneurial streak, and that mix shapes the money questions people bring to Lucy. Whether you work at a campus, run your own shop off Mass Street, or are starting to think about life after work, Lucy serves clients in Lawrence and is a short drive away in Basehor.
Whitehead Financial, run by independent broker Lucy Whitehead out of nearby Basehor, helps Lawrence residents with retirement planning, 401(k) rollovers and health insurance for the self-employed. Lucy has been helping people since 1995, and there's no charge for her services and no management fees.
Lawrence sits in northeast Kansas between Kansas City and Topeka, in Douglas County, and it's home to the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University (City of Lawrence, About the City). About 96,367 people lived in the city as of July 2025, and roughly 12.7% of residents are 65 or older (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts). That younger profile means many of Lucy's Lawrence conversations start well before retirement, when there's still time to compare options calmly instead of in a rush.
Lawrence is also a highly educated community: 55.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts). Plenty of people here change jobs between a university, a startup and a consulting gig over a career, and each move can leave an old workplace retirement account behind. Lucy helps you see what you have, where it sits, and what your choices are for bringing it together.
Douglas County counted 9,350 nonemployer establishments in 2024, which are mostly self-employed people and one-person businesses (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts). For those folks, health coverage doesn't come from a boss. Lucy walks Lawrence freelancers, makers and independent contractors through their individual health insurance options in plain English, so choosing a plan feels less like guesswork and more like a clear, informed decision.
Areas we serve in Lawrence: Downtown / Massachusetts Street, East Lawrence, Oread.
Retirement planning in Lawrence often looks different than in other Kansas cities. With a campus-driven economy and a younger population, many people here are planning ten or twenty years out, not ten months.
Learn more →
Lawrence has a mobile workforce: people move between the university, local startups, healthcare and their own businesses. Each change can leave a retirement account sitting with a former employer.
Learn more →
From artists and musicians to tech founders and contractors, Lawrence has plenty of people who work for themselves. Finding health coverage on your own can be confusing, and Lucy is there to make it simpler.
Learn more →Lucy's office is in Basehor, Kansas. She serves clients in Lawrence and can meet by phone or video, or set up a time that works for you.
There's no charge for Lucy's services and no management fees. She's happy to explain exactly how she's compensated in your first conversation, so there are no surprises.
Not at all. Many Lawrence residents reach out mid-career, after a job change or when they start a business. An early conversation simply gives you more time to understand your choices.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Lawrence city, Kansas · U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Douglas County, Kansas · City of Lawrence, KS: About the City · City of Lawrence: Land Use Master Plan specific plans handout · KPERS (Kansas Public Employees Retirement System) · IRS: Rollovers of retirement plan and IRA distributions · HealthCare.gov: Health coverage for the self-employed
