Retirement Planning/Expert Profile

Expertise

I can answer questions regarding asset allocation, investment selection, investment managers, hedge funds, investment expenses, most common tax shelters, retirement accounts.

Experience in the area

I have worked with MetLife Financial Services, Ameriprise Financial, and Merrill Lynch. I also manage millions in client assets, though I am not actively searching for more clients, and I do not accept commisions for financial products.

Organizations

Financial Management Association

Education/Credentials

I am in the process of attaining my Ph.D. in Finance with a support area of econometrics, and have a bachelors degree in Finance with a concentration in Real Estate from Florida State University.

Education
Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
Ph.D. in Finance, pending

Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
B.S. in Real Estate and Political Science, Spring 2002

Related Industry Experience
Merrill Lynch, Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch, with $3,000,000 in assets on the books, $2,000,000 of which was fee based, where clients followed specific portfolio recommendations based on optimized portfolios tailored to risk tolerance and goals, 2006-2007

Independent, Financial Planner, continuing to work with select clients, 2005-2006

American Express Financial Advisors (Now Ameriprise Financial), Financial Advisor, Selling Financial Planning Relationships, 2004-2005

MetLife, Financial Services Representative, Selling Life Insurance and Annuities, 2003

Guernsey and Associates, Boutique Financial Planning Firm Internship, Selling Life Insurance and Fee-based Financial Plans, Fall 2002

Honors and Awards
College of Business Ph.D. Fellowship/Assistantship
College Teaching Fellowship Award
Full Undergraduate Academic Scholarship at FSU
National Merit Scholar Award

What do you like about this subject?

I like helping people discover the right investments for themselves to ensure that they do not run out of money when they retire.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

How to passively manage money to achieve the lowest volatility with the highest return.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

Buying funds like S&P500 index funds may mean buying more of overpriced companies and less of underpriced companies. The reason for this is that those indexes are capitalization weighted, or in laymans' terms, you buy more of companies that have higher total market values.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

People with a lot of money and little time really do need to work with an individual qualified to handle their money. While there are many do-it-yourself manuals out there, they offer conflicting information and advice, which is usually one-size-fits all, and does not address the individual circumstances that face a person.