I began my career in the financial services industry more than 15 years ago, during my college years, as an intern at LPL Financial, one of the nation’s largest independent broker-dealers and registered investment advisory (RIA) firms. I graduated from the University of New Orleans with a bachelor’s degree in finance, and I quickly passed the Series 7 exam (LPL Financial) and the Series 66 exam (NewEdge Advisors). Since 2007, I have had the privilege of building my entire career with LPL, maintaining an uninterrupted and rewarding journey from the very beginning.

As a young advisor in my 20s, I understood that the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations aligned with the two foundations of my clients’ needs. The most effective way for me to speak with confidence on the complex subjects these designations cover was to deepen my expertise. So, I earned my CFP® designation in 2013 and became a CFA Charterholder in 2017.

My parents worked with an independent financial advisor, and they actually invited me to sit in and listen as they planned their retirement. That drove my initial interest, and in fact, I even ended up working with that advisor until after I graduated.

Over time, I came to recognize that many hardworking individuals and retirees often faced challenges accessing the quality financial guidance they deserved. Many of their financial planning questions went unanswered, and they were frequently sold high-fee, commissioned investment products without a clear strategy tailored to their needs. These individuals had saved and planned for decades, built a strong financial foundation, and earned the right to clear, transparent, and effective financial strategies.

With proper planning, and with the use of Monte Carlo simulations, I constructed portfolios to help these workers achieve their goal of living off their portfolio while still growing their nest egg. I did that by utilizing a mix of low-cost index exchange-traded funds (ETFs), actively managed mutual funds, and individual stocks.*

Now, I continue to seek out clients who require the same level of dedication and quality of service. I listen to each client’s unique story and goals. I give each client full transparency into my process and fees.

In addition to my work with clients, I’m also a member of the CFA Society of Louisiana. I’m also a frequent industry mentor for Nicholls State University’s CFA Challenge, and I’m occasionally a guest speaker at university finance club events.

In my free time, I enjoy exploring new places and being outdoors with my daughters, Nina and Clara, and my wife Duygu, a finance professor.