Growing up, my parents didn't have a lot of money. I watched my father work many jobs and struggle to save money. When I was in college, my father had to cash in his IRAs to help me pay tuition and at one point I didn't know if I would be able to finish college. Unfortunately, he didn't have the benefit of working with a financial advisor. When I graduated college, I didn't want to be in the same position as my father; working for someone my whole life and not having enough money to live the life I wanted. I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur and help other families make smart decisions with their money so they wouldn't have to struggle financially as we did. In 1989 I started my career in the financial services industry.
I'm often asked if I am a fiduciary. Growing up, my parents were highly ethical and taught me to always do the right thing. I believe that I'm always doing the right thing for my clients, not because I'm supposed to, but because it's the right thing to do. I've been a fiduciary long before this word was used in the financial industry. That's one reason I chose to work with LPL Financial. They don't sell any proprietary products. LPL gives me the freedom and independence to work with my clients and make the appropriate recommendations of what is best for them and not what is best for LPL.
In the last 10+ years, I have become passionate about health and wellness. In 2010, my younger brother, 41 at the time, was diagnosed with cancer. This eye-opening experience caused me to make serious changes to my overall health. I was 44 and although not in terrible shape, knew that I needed to make changes. I gradually learned how to improve my health through proper diet and exercise. I worked hard to lose weight and can truly say that right now, I'm in the best shape of my life. This has become a life passion of mine and I ended up writing a book called "A Comprehensive Guide to Health and Wealth Management for a worry-free retirement!".
In going through this process, I learned that there are three things essential to the success of achieving your goals:
- It's never easy to make meaningful changes without a specific plan in place to accomplish your goals.
- You cannot wait to take action. Changes don't happen overnight (as much as we would like them to). It takes time, and the best time to start is now, not tomorrow.
- You need to be extremely disciplined. Being disciplined isn't easy. Initially, I made these changes on my own, but the more I learned, the more I realized that there is a lot I didn't know. I needed help, so I hired a Naturopathic Doctor to be my health guide.
Those three principles (have a plan, take action and stay disciplined) are directly correlated to anything you want to be successful in, including your finances.
Here's what this means to my current and future clients:
- It's very important that all my clients go through a deliberate planning process to figure out where they are now and where they want to go.
- It's very important to take action and implement a plan. A plan without action is just a dream.
- To stay disciplined and increase your probability of success, it is important to work with a wealth advisor who can guide you and who truly cares about you and your well-being. I believe that I am that person.
Background:
James has been in the financial service industry since 1989. His years of investment experience have enabled him to guide his clients and simplify their financial lives by providing sound personalized strategies and advice. He utilizes his extensive experience to form comprehensive personalized wealth management strategies to help clients pursue their financial goals.
His experience also tells him that there isn't a single blueprint that works for everyone. Ultimately, the success of a client's plan depends on how accurately it reflects their goals and objectives. By taking a comprehensive assessment of a client's current situation, he helps them prioritize their goals and develop a workable strategy with clear action steps and timetables.
James holds a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation from the American College. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Monmouth University. He is a member of the Financial Services Institute whose mission is to ensure that all individuals have access to competent and affordable financial services.
Before moving to Florida, James was a recipient of the prestigious New Jersey Five Star Wealth Manager Award* for 10 consecutive years (2013-2022).
In his free time, James enjoys playing tennis and pickleball, and reading about health and nutrition. He resides in Stuart, FL with his wife, Gail.
*Award based on 10 objective criteria associated with providing quality services to clients, such as credentials, experience and assets under management, among other factors. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers.