Martin was born in Arlington, Virginia where he spent his entire childhood. Upon graduating high school, he headed two hours south to Charlottesville to attend the University of Virginia. It was there he met his future wife Alida. Martin and Alida decided to start their professional careers in the DC area after finishing up their four years at UVA. Martin was fortunate to begin his career working as an associate for a well-established planner and family friend in the Northern Virginia area. After just 8 months, Martin was motivated to branch out and start his own practice so that he could impact his community in a positive way. It didn't take long for him to realize that helping others carefully plan for their goals was indeed his calling.

In 2013, Martin and Alida made the exciting decision to move back to Charlottesville. Martin was able to relocate his practice after four great years serving the greater DC area. He continues to maintain strong relationships with his DC area clients as well as those all over the country. In 2019, Martin Couric partnered with Mark Krebs to create a comprehensive and generational planning firm, Couric Krebs Financial. Martin is the lead Wealth Management Advisor for the firm and meets with clients daily to help them establish goals and create financial plans. He holds his Series 7, 6, 63, 65, and 26 licenses. He carries a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation in addition to Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®), and Certified Long-Term Care (CLTC) designations. As of Jan 1st, 2024, Couric Krebs Financial will be renamed as Ivy Wealth Partners as Jacob Penny and Alex Howell are introduced as partners to the firm.

Martin and Alida have three children: Mac, Charlie and Allie. They are fortunate to have Wally, their beloved black lab, as another member of their family. They enjoy attending UVA sporting events and taking in the many sights of Charlottesville as a family. Martin likes to golf, exercise, and travel in his free time.

Jacob Penny joined Northwestern Mutual in October of 2016 in Richmond, VA. In 2021, he and his wife Katie moved to Charlottesville and both joined the Couric Krebs team. Jacob’s goal is to help individuals and businesses plan for today and the years to come.

In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family, friends, and his golden retriever, Stella. He also loves spending time outdoors, working on home projects, and cheering on the UVA Hoos. Jacob and Katie welcomed their daughter Olivia in 2023.

Certifications/Designations

• Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)

As a Northwestern Mutual Advisor, professionalism is defined not only by the measure of one's experience, education, and accreditation but by one's character and professional standard of practice in supporting clients as a trusted financial expert.

Through personal commitment, professional associations, accreditations, and continuing education, we have worked hard to establish a reputation as a respected professional and to earn the trust of our clients. Please take a moment to review our experiences and accomplishments.

Mark Krebs opened the Charlottesville office with Northwestern Mutual in 1970 and served as managing director for over 20 years. He has spent 5+ decades serving the community as a board member on numerous nonprofit organizations and schools, including Charlottesville public schools, The Miler School of Albemarle, CATEC, The Learning Center and The Public Broadcasting Station in Harrisonburg, VA.

He earned his CLU® designation in 1983.

Awards & Honors

• Northwestern Mutual Forum
• Top 5 Sr. Financial Representatives
• Million Dollar Round Table
• National Quality Award
• NAIFA Quality Award
• Northwestern Mutual's Community Service Award

Alex utilizes his background to help you protect your resources, maximize tax efficiency, and grow your wealth. Your goals are his main priority! He wants to understand what you want to accomplish before taking an educational approach to helping you map out how to pursue your personal, financial, and professional aspirations. Alex enjoys working with individuals coast-to-coast that believe in math and desire a vision for long-term planning.

Prior to joining the team, he ran is own practice and received a graduate degree in finance from the accredited Carroll School of Management, which was a top 5 program nationally. Alex also received his undergraduate degree in finance from Boston College while he was a starter on the football team. He currently resides in Charlottesville with his fiancé Hunter, their dog Finn, and their cat Pork Chop. In his free time, Alex enjoys spending time outdoors fly fishing, hiking, traveling, practicing photography, and coaching football players with his brother Jimmy Howell who played at UVA.

Contact Alex For:

• Scheduling Appointments
• Investment account details and reports
• Fee based plan inquiries
• Questions around investment strategies and analysis
• Questions regarding your financial plan

Susan joined Northwestern Mutual in February of 1998. She has her life, health and variable annuity insurance licenses as well as her Series 6 and 63 licenses.

Prior to working with Mark Krebs, Susan was a Vice President of Training and Development for Jefferson National Bank, now Wells Fargo Bank. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Susan is married to Steve and has a stepdaughter, Kristi. She has twin grandsons, Cole & Lane.

Contact Susan For:

• Scheduling appointments
• Answering questions during the application/underwriting process
• Information/service on inforce insurance contracts.
• Susan also provides additional support to the investment side of the business when needed

Sara joined Northwestern Mutual in July 2015. She holds life, health and variable annuity insurance licenses, as well as her Series 6 and 63 investment licenses.

Prior to working at Northwestern, Sara was an award-winning journalist and later shifted her focus to tax preparation and planning. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees from Northwestern University.

A native of Northern Virginia, Sara now lives with her husband, a teacher, and their four children on a small farm near Charlottesville.

Contact Sara For:

• Scheduling appointments
• Investment account details, reports and mutual fund trading
• Questions around investment strategies and analysis
• Questions related to investment paperwork and account status

Allison joined Northwestern Mutual in June 2018. A Charlottesville native, she graduated from Piedmont Virginia Community College with an Associate of Science in General Studies. As the Financial Representative Assistant, she can help with establishing new investment accounts, scheduling appointments and provides support on the insurance and investment side of the business.

In her free time, she enjoys touring the local vineyards, breweries and the beautiful views Charlottesville has to offer. She also enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends and family.

Allison married Justin in the beautiful Outer Banks and they recently welcomed a baby boy in December 2022.

Contact Allison For:

• Scheduling appointments
• Information/service on insurance contracts and investment accounts
• Marketing and website questions
• Establishing retirement & 529 accounts

Katie grew up in the Shenandoah Valley and graduated from Bridgewater College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 2016. She joined Northwestern Mutual in 2017 and joined the Couric Krebs team in February of 2021. Since then, she has contributed to all areas of the business, including insurance, investments, and marketing. Katie has her life, health, and Series 6/63 licenses.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her dog, Stella. She also loves to visit local wineries and breweries on the weekends. Katie and her husband, Jacob, welcomed their daughter Olivia in 2023.

Contact Katie For:

• Marketing and event inquiries
• Questions for retirement plan participants
• Information/service on insurance contracts and investment accounts