About Next Step Financial

General Bio

The short version of how I got here, and why.

I began in this business back in the 1990s. I was working with a large regional bank and they offered me the opportunity to become licensed to sell investment products. From there, I became a full-time financial advisor, and then a CFP® (Certified Financial Planner™), and then an IAR. That stands for Investment Advisor Representative, which means I’m a fiduciary. To use the CFP® marks, I have agreed to always put my clients’ needs first, before my own. I agree to always do the right thing.

Back when I was a broker, that could create an internal conflict. I was paid on commission, which meant I had to sell my clients something. My assistant back in those days would laugh at me because I refused to learn the commission schedule. Each product we sold carried a different commission and I didn’t want to know what they were. I was born to be a fee-only investment advisor. My clients and I sit on the same side of the table (figuratively, not actually during the pandemic). Since I charge a percent of assets I manage or a per hour fee for financial planning, we both gain when clients’ accounts go up in value, and I suffer the losses alongside my clients when the values decline. In my opinion, it is truly the best way to be a financial advisor. I hope you agree.

Compliance Documents

EQUITA PART 3

  • Client transition planning, investment solutions, and portfolio management resources through East Bay Financial Services
  • Portfolio implementation support, including rebalancing oversight and trade execution, through our partnership with Advisor Logistics

Investment advisory services offered through Equita Financial Network, Inc. an Investment Adviser with the State of Alabama, the State of California, the State of Minnesota, the State of Missouri, the State of Pennsylvania and the State of Tennessee. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Equita Financial Network also markets investment advisory services under the name, Next Step Financial. The presence of this website on the Internet shall not be directly or indirectly interpreted as a solicitation of investment advisory services to persons of another jurisdiction unless otherwise permitted by statute. Follow-up or individualized responses to consumers in a particular state in the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation shall not be made without our first complying with jurisdiction requirements or pursuant to an applicable state exemption.

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Securities investing involves risks, including the potential for loss of principal. There is no guarantee that any investment plan or strategy will be successful.

Certifications