Carie Gratz, MBA, is a financial advisor an insurance specialist with Davis Wealth Management Group since 2008. She is a professional who helps individuals manage their finances by providing advice on money issues such as investments, insurance, estate planning, tax planning, retirement and 401k rollovers. Her responsibilities include investment research and analysis, portfolio management design and asset allocation, as well as performance evaluation. She currently holds FINRA series 7 and 66 industry licenses; and Life, Health and Variable Insurance licenses. Carie is native to Martin County and graduated from Florida State University where she earned a B.S. in Finance in 2002. Carie also received her Master of Business Administration from South University in 2012.

Gary Knode, CFF

Safe Harbor Financial

134 E. Richardson Ave.

Summerville, SC  29485.   

843-737-2457

www.safeharborfinancialSC.com

A veteran of the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps, Russian Linguist, and North Central University Alum, Gary is the founder and president of Safe Harbor Financial.

Safe Harbor Financial is a Charleston area-based firm that specializes in financial planning and wealth management for pre-retirees, retirees, seniors, and small businesses.  Gary’s vision is to become your financial professional for life.  He works hard to earn your trust and will continue to work diligently to maintain that trust for years to come. 

His continued goal is to fully educate clients about their options so they can make knowledgeable and informed decisions when structuring a financial strategy that reflects their priorities. Through his guidance, Gary’s clients are able to increase their wealth and avoid exposure to unwanted risk.

Gary enjoys working in the community to help people with their retirement planning and questions they may have about securing their retirement future.  To facilitate this, he sponsors complimentary educational luncheons where he educates the local community on various financial topics. 

Planning services include:

1. Helping clients rollover 401 (K) savings, ESOP and pension plans to personal Individual Retirement Accounts.

2. Developing life time income strategies with a goal of creating a guaranteed, risk free and secure retirement.

3. Pre-Retirement financial planning through the use of goals based planning and cash flow analysis.

4. Planning services are provided to any client, regardless of account size, or complexity.

In his spare time, Gary enjoys volunteering at his church, riding his motorcycle, playing outdoor sports such as golf and softball.  He is the proud father of 2.  His son is presently serving in the U.S. Army and his daughter attends university.  He enjoys spending time with his wife of 26 years, Heidi, going to the beach, cruises, and enjoying all that life has to offer. 

Kevin M. Smith, CLU, ChFC

KMS Wealth Management, Inc.

kevin@kmswm.com

407-923-8724 (mobile)

EXPERIENCE:

KMS Wealth Management:

Independent Financial Advisor specializing in managed money processes and retirement security for individuals and businesses. Long Term Care resource expert and past speaker at the FICPA state meeting on financial planning.

OMNI Resource Group:

Financial consultant specializing in business and professional consulting. Often including strategies for buy-sell funding for the purpose of assisting the senior partners transition their practice interests to the next generation of associates:  retirement plan benchmarking and design to help plans meet the new fiduciary and compliance standards required by the DOL: and;  income distribution and wealth accumulation strategies.  Also, founder of Operation Veterans Aid, an organization dedicated to assisting veterans and their families in the awareness and completion of the application for the Aid and Attendance Pension through the VA.

Thrailkill, Broussard & Smith, P.A., Vice President

Responsible for individual financial planning and education for public and private clients. The firm

educated and developed clients through a seminar system from 1995-2002. Named "Best New Group"

in 1997 by Successful Money Management Seminars, Inc., the nation's largest producer of financial

education materials. (April 1995-January 2003)

New England Mutual Life Insurance Company

In 1983, responsible for individual and group sales of insurance and investment products and

Involved in the sale and service of one the first 401(k) plans in the U.S. As sales manager in 1985,

responsibilities included recruiting, training, joint work, and managing a team of up to twelve

producers. Won New England's Agency Builder Award four consecutive years. The management

award recognized outstanding performance in new agent recruiting, agent retention, average agent

production, and total unit production growth. During the four years, agent retention was greater than

50%. Returned to personal production in 1990. (February 1983 - March 1995)

Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company

Began insurance career with Mass Mutual in November of 1980 in Winter Park, FL and was the

number four producer during the two and one half years with the agency.

EDUCATION:

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, 1980, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

LICENSURE: Life, Health, Variable Annuity, Series 65

ACHIEVEMENTS/RECOGNITIONS:

Multiple Qualifier of MDRT and Court of the Table Qualifier.

Speaker at various industry, service, and charitable

organizations including Florida Special Olympics on financial and estate planning issues for families

with special needs children and the Florida Methodist Pastors' Conferences assisting those in the

ministry with financial and retirement issues, The FICPA annual meeting on Financial Planning on the topic of Long Term Care.  Past Chair of Peggy and Phillip Crosby YMCA, Board Member of Warriors on the Green an organization dedicated to the rehab of wounded veterans through the activity of golf,  Board Member of Lydia House.

PERSONAL:

Married to Beth since 1982 and the father of two children; Bennett, a recent graduate and two-time golf and Academic All-American at Dallas Baptist University and Ellen a junior at UCF.  Kevin has been a member of the business community in Central Florida since 1980.

I started my career climbing the corporate ladder for a large retail company while in high school @ Col. Zadok Magruder HS in Rockville, Maryland. I worked in retail management while attending the University of Maryland- College Park & Montgomery College - Rockville; ultimately becoming the corporate inventory manager for the DC Metro region while earning a B.A. in Criminal Justice. 

A change in company ownership forced a career change, where our family's financial advisor at the time mentioned that I had experience dealing with corporate retail $$$and was great working and listening to customer wants/needs, so why not give it a shot helping retail clients with theirs?

I have been in the industry now since 2000 (Olde Discount, H&R Block Financial Advisors, and Ameriprise Financial Services), and still enjoy helping clients with their investments!  My current home is Waterford Wealth Management LLC. and am a registered rep with H Beck Inc, a fantastic independent broker dealer!

I hold a Series 6, 63, 65, 7 & Securities licensed in Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.

My office is in Rockville, Maryland where I have lived since 1974.  

How can I help you achieve your goals/dreams?

http://www.waterfordwealthmanagement.com/

Robert Shestack is the Chairman and CEO and Hall of Fame member of the Voluntary Benefits Association (“VBA”), the first national non-profit [501(c)(3)] trade association focused on Voluntary Benefits for employer groups and affinity groups. The VBA’s goal is to promote the education, implementation, product development, compliance, technology and enrollment of Voluntary Benefits in the workplace. In addition, Mr. Shestack is the Chief Strategy of Paylogix, the nation’s largest Insured, Bonded and Licensed Third Party Administrator focusing on Voluntary Benefits. Paylogix represents over 25 Fortune 1000 companies as manages close to $1 billion in annual voluntary benefits premium.

Mr. Shestack was the former EVP and National Practice Leader for The AmWINS Group, the largest insurance wholesaler in the United States, placing over $12 billion in annual premium. In his role he was responsible for all carrier relations, enrollment & implementation activity and communications, as well as the execution of the 5-year strategic business plan. Prior to joining AmWINS, Mr. Shestack was Managing Director and National Sales Leader of Corporate Benefits at Marsh & McLennan. Mr. Shestack’s experience working with voluntary benefits includes product development, insurer relations, strategic innovation, communication & enrollment strategies.

Mr. Shestack has been responsible for managing and developing high level sales talent and establishing client and partner relationships in the employer benefits arena. A 30+ year industry veteran, Mr. Shestack holds a Workplace Benefits Consultant certification, a Certified Voluntary Benefits Specialist designation as well as a degree in Actuarial Science & Rick Management. Also, he is certified in Health & Welfare and Cafeteria Plan Fundamentals through the American Academy of Actuaries. He is a Risk Management Capstone Course student advisor at Temple University’s Fox School of Business, his alma mater, where he and his wife have a $10,000 scholarship program for the Fox School of Business at Temple University.

In addition to his responsibilities at the VBA, Rob was also inducted into the Workplace Benefits Hall of Fame in July 2010, joining an elite group of voluntary benefit industry leaders. An accomplished author published in over 100 articles and white papers as well as an accomplished speaker, he wrote a chapter on critical illness in the 2008 book “Workplace Marketing — A Promise to Deliver” and is working on his next 2 books.

Mr. Shestack was featured as the cover story for Benefits Selling magazine in 2007 and he received the inaugural Voluntary Benefits Adviser of the Year award in 2011. The award recognizes outstanding service to group benefit plan sponsors by brokers and advisers, as well as overall contributions to the profession. In April 2013, he was honored with the prestigious H. Wayne Snider Distinguished Alumni Award from Temple University’s Fox School of Business recognizing Rob as someone who has distinguished himself or herself for at least 20 years in the field of Insurance, Risk Management and Actuarial Science.

Recently, Rob received the 2017 South Jersey community service volunteer of the year award recognizing his unselfish efforts and dedication in making his community a safe place to live and raise a family. Dedicated to his community, Rob is a 7-time elected official (Fire Commissioner) in his township representing over 60 career personnel and an annual budget exceeding $11 million.

Tony Pruitt has over 25 years of wealth

management and financial planning experience

and is the Founder and Senior Wealth Advisor at

Pruitt Wealth. Over the years, Tony has

developed a process that puts all the pieces of

the financial puzzle together as life unfolds and

needs evolve. By staying true to an enlightened

philosophy centered on helping clients work

towards financial independence, Tony uses a

personalized planning strategy that is designed

to help steer his clients towards a work-optional

lifestyle. Along the way, ultimately, he wants to

help his clients slow life down, restore liberation

and order and ensure they are enjoying the fruits

of their work ethic and sense of purpose.

Previously he served as Senior Vice President

and Investment Officer within Private Wealth

Management for Wells Fargo Advisors, and Vice

President within Private Wealth Management

with Deutsche Bank. Tony holds the

professional designation of AAMS and is a

member of the Financial Planning Association.

Glen Oaks

Financial Security Management Agency Inc.

972 Youngstown-Kingsville RD SE

PO Box 830

Vienna, OH 44473

PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY

Glen Oaks began his career in the insurance and financial services field in 1981. From the beginning, he sought top quality training in all aspects of life and health insurance and related topics. He obtained his fellow designation from the Life Underwriters Training Counsel (LUTC). He is a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA).

Today, he continues to attend workshops and educational classes related to his field.

Glen founded Financial Security Management Agency Inc. in 1986 as an independent agency. The goal of the agency is to provide peace of mind through safe money options and financial security by using the right strategies and products.

In 2013, Glen co-authored the book titled, The Secret to Lifetime Financial Security, which quickly became an Amazon Best Seller.

In 2015, Glen became certified as a National Social Security Advisor which denotes advanced education, knowledge and training in the Social Security program. In 2019, he became a Certified Financial Fiduciary, the only designation that focuses solely on training financial professionals to be true fiduciaries.

Glen enjoys teaching people how money works in their lives. He aspires to be known as someone who can help people get from where they are to where they want to be financially. Many times, this comes about by capturing money they are transferring away from themselves and growing it in tax-favored accounts for their future. He believes people can achieve their financial goals without taking unnecessary risks. He uses his training and tools to help people get on the right track.

PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY

            Glen has been married for over 40 years to his wife, Marcia. They have two children and seven grandchildren. When Glen isn’t helping people become more financially secure, he enjoys playing golf, and ice hockey. He is a member of Fowler Community Church and serves as an elder there.