I’m the Financial Planner I Wish I Had at 25
Back then, I needed someone who could explain why my 401(k) choices mattered, whether I should prioritize paying down debt or investing, and how the heck a backdoor Roth works. Instead, I got generic advice online that didn’t account for my actual situation — or worse, no direct guidance at all.
How I Got Here
I didn’t take the traditional path into financial planning. Before any of this, I was a music educator — specifically, I taught percussion in marching band and indoor drumline, competing in MCBA, MAPA, DCI, and WGI circuits. My world was about the pursuit of excellence through visual and rhythmic accuracy, which involved finding ways to break down complex choreography and rhythmic phrases in a way that actually made sense to people.
That's a world I've been involved in for over half of my life, and it has shaped how I approach much of the things in it, including financial planning. After an unexpected career shift — from music educator to administrative role to licensed planner — I discovered that most people aren’t necessarily “bad with money.” They’re just never taught how it actually works. And that realization led me to a bigger question: why is financial planning so inaccessible to the people who need it most?
What kept me in this business was recognizing a fundamental gap: the financial industry serves wealthy retirees exceptionally well, but largely ignores high-earning professionals in their accumulation years. Most advisors either talk over their clients' heads with jargon, or they default to cookie-cutter solutions that ignore your specific situation. I wanted to build something different — to be the advisor who actually explains things clearly, who remembers what it's like to not know this stuff. The advisor I wish I had not only at 25, but beyond.
Now I focus on helping Millennials and Gen Z professionals build tax-smart wealth systems that actually make sense for where they are today and where they’re going. I focus on tax-efficient strategies because the biggest leak in most financial plans isn’t market risk — it’s unnecessary taxes. We’ll plan for your career, your life, your specific goals. But you'll leave every conversation actually understanding your money — not just trusting that I do.
My Approach
Education First
I explain the “why” behind every decision. You’ll leave our conversations understanding what we’re doing, and why we’re doing it.
Tax-Aware Everything
I don’t look at your investments in isolation. Every strategy is evaluated through a tax lens — because what you keep matters more than what you earn.
No Templates
Your plan is built around your actual life — your career trajectory, your goals, your timeline. Not a model portfolio someone else designed.
Ongoing, Not One-Time
Financial planning isn’t a one-and-done deliverable. Your plan evolves as your life does, with regular check-ins and proactive adjustments.
Credentials & Background
- Investment Advisor Representative, Sigma Planning Corporation
- Series 65 - Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination
- Licensed for Life, Health, and Accident Insurance
I’ve been in financial services since 2018, working with professionals navigating complex compensation structures, equity comp, and tax optimization from the start of their careers, all the way through their peak earning years.
I live in Royal Oak with my wife Michelle and our two kids, Monroe and Cassian. We spend summers camping up north, and winters wishing we were someplace warmer. I also serve on the board for Redline Percussion — the indoor percussion group where I marched quads back in ’15-’16. My time there helped me learn that excellence is built through systems and trust in the process, not through shortcuts.
Let’s See If We’re a Good Fit
Book a discovery call and we’ll talk through your situation together.