Advisor profile


My approach

Who I Am, What I Do, and Why I Do It

“Hey Mom, I’m starting a new job as a financial advisor!”

“I’m not surprised… you were the only kid in the house who saved his allowance.”

In that phone call back in 1994, as usual, my mother was right. Even though I had been working as a counselor and a professional skills trainer she told me “I always knew that you would end up in finance.” I had inherited both her frugality and her desire to help people, two traits that had served me well in life and that would also serve me well in my new career.

As a kid, saving my allowance was pretty straightforward – I dropped my lawn mowing earnings into a coffee can that I kept in my dresser. These days saving for the future is a lot more complicated than it was back when we were young. As adults, we need to make our money work hard and to preserve what we have. A coffee can in a sock drawer just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Investing, saving for retirement, insurance, funding a college education for your kids are all important things to deal with. Unfortunately, many of us find these financial tasks to be overwhelming or we don’t have the time. No one is good at everything! That’s where I come in.

I help my clients build a financial plan so that they can spend their valuable time on other things – rest and relaxation, time with family and friends – the stuff that makes life worth living. As a Certified Financial Planner™ professional with over 25 years’ experience I can help you too.

30
Years of Experience
This number may include years as a financial advisor, and/or experience as a registered representative.

Areas of focus

  • Sustainable and Responsible Investing
  • Investment Management
  • Retirement Planning Strategies

Qualifications

  • CFP® CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
  • Series 7 licensed
  • Series 63 licensed
  • Disability, Life, Accident and Health, Long-Term Care Insurance licensed
  • Variable Life and Variable Annuities licensed

Education

  • Master of Arts, St. Bernard's Institute, Rochester NY, 1989, Trustees' Full Tuition Scholarship 1989
  • Bachelor of Arts, SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo NY, 1984

Community participation

  • Founding Member/Board Member, Rochester NY Chapter of Conscious Capitalism, an organization that sees business as a force that can generate both profits and positive societal transformation throughout the world
  • Volunteer, AutismUp - "Cooking with Friends," a class that teaches cooking skills to young adults with learning disabilities
  • Parent Committee Chairperson, Boy Scout Troop 19, Rochester NY (2014 - 2016)
  • Member, Philanthropic Chefs, a group of SUNY Geneseo faculty, students and alumni who serve food to raise money for local causes
  • American Red Cross - 5 Gallon Donor

Interests

  • The best part of my life is spending time with my wife Patti and our sons, Christian and Jeremy. We especially enjoy our family vacations, sharing dinner on warm nights out on our deck, and being together around a campfire or our fire pit.
  • Patti and I both love to cook and host dinner parties with good food and good friends. My specialties include low and slow smoked BBQ, wood fired pizza, and paella, all prepared on my Weber charcoal grill.
  • I also enjoy jam sessions in which I play my Fender bass and electric keyboard and also poker nights with my friends.