Tell me about yourself and/or your upbringing.
Born and raised in Easthampton, MA, I still reside there today with my wife Courtney and our two dogs, Dexter and Rocco. As a lifelong resident of Easthampton and a 2004 graduate from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, my ties to the community run deep.
What is your career?
I am a financial advisor with Edward Jones Investments. I spend most of my time helping people plan and invest for retirement, which is our most common client goal.
What's the difference between a financial planner and financial advisor?
A financial advisor might be able to give you a good stock or mutual fund for a certain situation. Financial planning is much more detailed, accounting for assets, liabilities, inflation, growth, financial goals, life expectancy, investment objectives and tolerance for risk. At Edward Jones we use a holistic approach, allowing our clients to put their entire financial picture into one plan, without necessarily holding all of their assets with us.
What services does an Edward Jones Financial Advisor provide?
We've found that our clients' top financial goals are 1) saving for retirement, 2) living in retirement, 3) planning for the unexpected, 4) college savings, 5) estate planning.
What do you enjoy most about your career?
The most enjoyable part of my job is watching people achieve their most important financial goals, namely living the lifestyle they've chosen in retirement. It takes a lot of hard work and planning to get there, so to see someone get to live out their dream is by far the most rewarding part of my job.
What differentiates you from other financial advisors?
I like to talk to people on a level that they can understand, empowering them to partner with us as we plan for life's most important financial goals. A good analogy might be when my car breaks down. I don't have the ability or skills to fix it, so I pay the mechanic. Although I don’t understand everything they do, I've got a mechanic that I trust who explains to me what went wrong, what they did to fix it, and if there's anything I can do to prevent a similar breakdown in the future.
What do you like to do in the local area/what other small businesses do you support?
We are blessed to live in an area rich with small business, dining, art studios and the like. Courtney and I take every opportunity to pick up some steaks from the local butcheria or a pint of ice cream from Mt. Toms!
40 Maple Street, Florence
413-584-8889
"We are blessed to live in an area rich with small business, dining, art studios and the like. Courtney and I take every opportunity to pick up some steaks from the local butcheria or a pint of ice cream from Mt. Toms!"