I am a lucky man, both personally and professionally. In addition to a wonderful family, I have experienced two careers that I have thoroughly enjoyed and have learned valuable lessons from along the way. 

During my successful 27-year career as a foreign currency trader on Wall Street, I met and achieved many goals and targets. I felt accomplished at work. Yet, with a 3.5-hour commute added on to an 11-hour workday, I lost sight of what was really important, spending quality time with my family. I have four daughters, the oldest being twins. I missed most of their school years because I was rarely home.

That’s when I was presented with the opportunity for a second career as a financial planner. It was an easy decision: I could impact the lives of others in a meaningful way and spend more time with my two youngest daughters and wife, Nancy.

As a financial planner, the one question that weighed most on my clients’ minds was this: “How can I afford to send my children to college and still accomplish all the things that I want to?”

Having faced the same question myself, I empathized. As a financial professional, I learned the nuances of the financial aid process and realized how one small misstep can cost families thousands of dollars. So, I pursued expertise in this field and combined my comprehensive financial planning background with in-depth knowledge of college financial planning.

As you can see by my story, life is not linear and there will be surprises along the way, both good and bad.  It was a very tough decision to leave the riches of Wall Street behind, but this came with the realization of what was important to me.