About Drew
Dear friends,
Financial planning is more than plugging numbers into a spreadsheet or calculating risk. It is all about understanding. I build my career on understanding my clients, their family life, their financial goals, and delivering a living breathing plan that will provide guidance for years to come.
Below, I am sharing with you a little information about me, my professional background, and my family dynamic. I look forward to learning more about you too.
Empathetic, Passionate and Authentic
These are the qualities I strive to bring to the families I serve every single day. I firmly believe our backgrounds and life experiences shape who we are, and in my case enhance my ability to help those who put their trust in me. My professional credentials and experiences create the qualifications needed to perform in my field, but they do not build the drive for empathy, passion, and genuineness. For example, I am prouder that I did not miss one of my boy’s games while working on my master’s degree and holding down a full-time job than I am about the degree itself. It is all about dedication to both family and clients.
I am proud that I grew up in a small town in upstate New York, the oldest of five children of entrepreneurial parents. My father was a self-employed accountant who was beloved by his clients and treated them more like extended family. He set the bar high when it comes to service, integrity, and fair dealings in business. I grew up in his accounting office, so it’s no surprise that I opened my first checking account when I was in fifth grade. I was in my ‘tween’ years the first time I was trusted to walk to the bank with a near million-dollar deposit. I was doing tax returns by pencil and paper when I was in my early teens. Being empowered to take on these responsibilities at such a young age afforded me a sense of trustworthiness and set me on my path to help others with their finances. These were great lessons for a young man, coming from a father I still strive to emulate.
Some are afraid to take a risk, choosing instead to take the simpler route. I, however, do not think adversity builds character; I think it reveals your true character. In October 2008, in the depths of the Great Financial Crisis, I resigned from my ideal financial planning job at Cornerstone and started my own firm. Now, in the heart of a pandemic and global depression, I made the decision to go back to what made me happiest and to build and control the entire financial planning process for my clients. Perhaps thought a fool, but I think it exhibits confidence in my ability to truly help and relate to people on a deeper level at a time when so many people desperately need it.
I recently received the best compliment I could ever ask for from a woman I’ve worked with for several years. She said “Drew, during these years we’ve worked together I’ve always felt like my money was your money.” That comment reassured me that I am fulfilling my intended path, as I treat every recommendation I make in that light. If I wouldn’t do it myself or for a family member, I will not recommend it to someone else.
My oldest son was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes when he was four, so I understand what it’s like having a child with special needs. I have a young family myself, so I feel the anxiety of wondering if they would be financially ok if something happened to me. Like anyone with children, I too am faced with the challenge to save enough for my boys to attend the college of their choice. I manage my own portfolio in the same way I manage my clients, so they can rest assured I have skin in the game too.
Building and updating a comprehensive financial plan for my family has helped me address those uncertainties I just mentioned, and I use the same proven process for the clients who place their trust in me. My meetings can be lengthy and detailed as I place no time limit on getting results. I enjoy meaningful conversations, so we could be sharing deep belly laughs one minute then shed a few tears the next. It’s all part of the process of getting your financial house in order.
Now that you know my backstory, I would love to hear yours! Please reach out, if for no other reason than to say hello and share what has shaped your path.
Who I am and What I believe:
- A Certified Financial Planner™ Professional
- I believe in a high touch, high service relationship.
- A fiduciary, a teacher, and a coach
- Independent with no proprietary products that I am incented to use
- I believe everyone is different, but we can learn from each other’s experiences
- Genuinely passionate. I love what I do!
Who I am Not and What I Will Not Do:
- I do not treat every client the same. Everyone has individual goals and unique circumstances.
- I am not a stockbroker
- I do not have sales quotas to meet
- I do not give advice based on rules of thumb
Your kitchen table or mine?
I want to understand your financial goals.