I've always had an interest in saving and investing. My mother still tells stories about how my parents never had to go to the ATM because they knew they could always borrow $20 from me and I'd pay them back later. When I turned 16, my father took me to Charles Schwab to open an investment account. He saw my enthusiasm for saving and wanted to teach me how to invest—and honestly, our family was going through some difficult financial times, so he also wanted to make sure I learned to be responsible with money.
I read through several prospectuses and picked a mutual fund. Thankfully, it went up in value as I added to it. That early success kept me interested, and I ended up studying finance at Santa Clara University. While I was there, I interned for a major brokerage firm in San Jose and started investing in stocks. I had a strong interest in computers, so I bought stock in this new company that had an idea to sell computers through the mail. Yes, I purchased Dell Computer during the early days. I made a huge profit, and I was hooked on learning more about the market.
I started my career as a financial advisor in July 1998 with what was then known as American Express Financial Advisors. My early years went smoothly because of the booming stock market, but then everything crashed in 2000, and I got a strong lesson in humility.
My parents put their faith in me early and invested in me. I helped them retire in 2002, and it felt amazing to create a plan and actually see it work. To this day, my favorite thing to do is help someone make the transition from working to receiving income from their investments. The truth is, most of my clients never really "retire"—they simply do something else they enjoy, like part-time work, consulting, a side business, volunteering, or community service. I give people the confidence to step away from the day-to-day grind and do what they actually want to do.
I received my CFP® designation in 2001 and became a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor in 2003. I truly enjoy seeing financial plans come to fruition. Being able to tell people they don't have to worry about earning a paycheck anymore is extremely rewarding.
I currently live in Prescott, Arizona, with my wife, Adrienne. We have an amazing family of two teenagers, two adult children, and four grandchildren. We love doing anything outdoors and playing games inside when the weather isn't cooperating.
I offer securities and investment advisory services through Genéos Wealth Management, Inc.,a member of FINRA/SIPC.