Rikki Ridgeway has been in the professional financial services industry for 10 years. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Economics from University of California Santa Barbara. She currently lives in Newport Beach, Ca and works for Pacific Capital Wealth Management. She is also certified in Health & Fitness as more of hobby, and is passionate about helping her clients achieve both their personal and professional goals in life.

With 10 years of experience in the Financial Services industry, Dan currently holds a Series 7 and Series 63 Licenses along with a Life, Accident & Health Insurance License. Dan has built his practice relying on the teachings of financial guru Dave Ramsey. He believes that navigating through the information that is constantly given to you through TV, Radio and Internet can be a daunting task. Dan's experience is that by managing your emotions and not making the wrong decision at the wrong time you have a greater chance of success.

Dan focuses on treating people with integrity and always making sure that he thinks of his clients' needs first. By using questioning strategies and having the heart of a teacher, Dan has a keen knack for helping people get answers to their questions so that they can make sure they are making the right decisions. If you are having questions about financial planning then Dan is your man. He will help you determine your goals and what is the best way for you to meet those goals.

Molly began her career in the investment and retirement planning industry in 1996 as a financial advisor for RBC Dain.  As part of an advisor team servicing retail clients, they helped individuals and families create and monitor their personal financial plans to meet their long-term goals. 

 After taking a break to focus on raising her four children, she joined Dave’s team in 2013.  As Octagon’s Client Relationship Manager, she works closely with clients to better ensure their investment portfolios and overall financial plans remain aligned with their long-term goals.

 She is a Certified Financial Fiduciary and holds FINRA Series 7 and 66 licenses.  She takes her responsibility to be a fiduciary very seriously and appreciates the trust their clients have in them.

 A native Minnesotan who grew up in Bloomington, she is a graduate of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.  She and her husband are raising their four children in Eden Prairie where she enjoys attending her children’s activities, traveling, reading, and volunteering in the community especially the local non-profit thrift store, PROP SHOP that supports local families in need.

Greg is an Investment Professional with over 21 years of experience in the investment industry as well as a tax specialist holding a B.S. & M.B.A serving clients in Austin and San Antonio, Texas. As a Certified Financial Fiduciary (CFF), Greg specializes in using a holistic approach to investment and retirement planning to help one attain their life-long goals. Please explore the web site at RiversideSecurities.com for a quick overview on his approach to helping make this attainable and understandable. Securities and investment advisory services offered through NEXT Financial Group, Inc. (“NEXT”), Member FINRA/SIPC. Entities named herein are not an affiliate of NEXT. To view other important client information, visit NextFinancial.com. Any posts on this site may not reflect the views or opinions of NEXT. 

Gary is a Managing Director at JT Stratford.  He has over 18 years of experience in the field of personal finance and investments, and is a Registered Financial Consultant® (RFC) and AIF®. The AIF® designation signifies knowledge of fiduciary responsibility and the ability to implement policies and procedures that meet a defined standard of care.

Gary was awarded the Five Star Wealth Manager award by Five Star Professional. Five Star Award candidates are evaluated against 10 objective eligibility and evaluation criteria such as client retention rates, client assets administered, firm review and a favorable regulatory and complaint history.  

Gary entered the financial services industry in 2000.  He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology with a minor in Business Administration from Thiel College in 1993.  He used sports as one of his passions to get into and excel in college.  He was one of very few who earned a letter in both Football and Track all four years, and was selected at 1st team All-Conference and nationally ranked as a punter his freshman year.  

After college, he enlisted in the US Army as a Military Police Officer, and held the rank of Staff Sergeant/E-6.  During his military service, he was assigned to the personal staff of the FORSCOM Commanding General (4-star) for 4 ½ of his 6-year enlistment where he served as driver and personal security to the General.  

Gary specializes in comprehensive financial planning and wealth management by working with individuals to design personalized retirement planning, tax-advantaged investment strategies, and insurance planning.  In helping people transition from corporate life to retirement, Gary likes working on the same side of the table as his clients to earn their business each and every day.  He considers his clients to be his 2nd family and has the passion to provide guidance and service to them while establishing a lifelong relationship over many years and generations to come.  

In addition to his Financial Practice, Gary has always had a passion to work with youth through sports.  He enjoys coaching youth football and baseball to provide the boys a positive role model and mentor through the game and he hopes for the same for the youth he now mentors.  He believes that this gave him an opportunity to go to college and further his education.  Gary is very active in his church, Chamber of Commerce and Community.  

Gary holds the following securities licenses: Series 7, 63 and 65.  He holds the following insurance licenses: Life, Accident, Sickness and Variable Products. 

Brian Amato began his financial planning career in 1999 working for Morgan Stanley and joined Lee Rosenberg’s firm a year later. He immediately saw the vast difference between how a big brokerage firm handled clients vs. the caring, hands-on services a small firm could offer. He never looked back.

"The first thing I really appreciated was the wide variety of investment products I could choose from," Brian said. "I was able to choose what best fit the client’s needs instead of being restricted to proprietary offerings. Nothing is more important than working in the client’s best interests and that is the hallmark of what we do at American Investment Planners."

"The other major benefit for clients is that here you’re not just an account number, you’re a part of the family. Over time we get to know you, how you think, what your priorities are and because we review your portfolio throughout the year, we can be proactive and make recommendations at just the right time. Believe me, that does not happen at a brokerage house. You’re lucky if you reach the same person twice."

For the past 17 years, Brian has developed close relationships with his clients because he understands that the critical first step is ongoing communication and learning as much as possible about their families, careers, health issues, retirement goals and passions. "I always inquire about children, special needs, anything that will impact their financial goals and mostly their financial security. My job is to help them safeguard their growing portfolios and to build their trust."
 
In light of the volatile market, prudent investment strategies have never been more critical. Interestingly, Brian’s conservative approach has been the same throughout his career. "I started working with clients in 2000 when the market swings were also this unpredictable and discovered that their priorities were diversity, income and minimal risks. Today these same goals are the centerpiece of my plans. In fact, with the tremendous increase in product offerings now, my clients’ incomes are on the rise."

When asked what clients should understand about the financial planning process, Brian said that there are two key factors. "First, it takes a good three to six months to implement the right plan. Secondly, the plan is constantly evolving based on the market and the client’s changing needs. Maybe they decide they want to sell their home or take early retirement or are faced with a serious health issue. We’ll review their portfolio to see what moves we can make to insure a secure future."

In his free time, Brian is an avid boater and is a U.S. Coast Guard certified captain. For years he has been involved with the Last Hope Animal Rescue and is also a generous contributor.  Brian lives in Fort Salonga with his wife Melissa, their daughter Ava and their son Carter.

To speak to Brian Amato about your financial goals, email him at brian@americaninvestmentplanners.com or call him at 516-932-5130.

Since 2002, our insurance and financial agency has earned the trust of over 1000 clients. By acting responsibly and being accountable to our clients, Angels Financial LLC continues to humbly serve clients and communities. 

- Committed to lifelong learning, continuing education to stay current on products and regulation

- Committed to excellence through relevance, significance, and balance.  

- Committed to effective change management through periodic portfolio review   

- Committed to the financial success and well-being of my clients and their beneficiaries

 Planning services: Life Insurance, Annuities, Medicare, and Long-Term Care. 

Ideal clients: Individuals, families, and organizations wishing to act responsibly, who seek a lifelong financial consultant. 

John began his investment career in 2000 as a planner with Transamerica. John has his Series 65 license as well as his Life and Health licenses. He is incredibly passionate about educating individuals and families on finances. For John, it is so rewarding to help his clients reach their financial goals and aspirations, plan for their future retirements, and help them prepare for difficult financial times. John is known for giving his clients the greatest of care and views each one of them as dear friends. John's writings have been published in many news outlets including Forbes, MSN Money, Yahoo! Finance, U.S. News & World Report, Investopedia and more. John lives in Riverton, Utah with his wife and 6 children. He is an avid sports fan and spends his free time cheering on his children at their various sporting events.  

Jeff has been a leading professional in the financial services industry since 2004.  Jeff has his Series 65, Life, Health, and P&C licenses.  Jeff has had various experiences and training with multiple firms including Transamerica and Farmers Insurance Agency. Jeff is currently a partner at Lift Financial in South Jordan, UT where he is dedicated to helping his clients achieve their financial goals, and his loyal commitment to them is paramount. His 'no nonsense' approach to helping his clients achieve their goals probably stems in some part from his experience as a law enforcement officer prior to entering into a career in financial services. Jeff Busch has been published in U.S. News and Yahoo! Finance.  Jeff lives in Riverton, Utah with his wife and four children.

With over a decade of experience I have been fortunate to have helped thousands of people from coast to coast become educated on the most relevant retirement planning strategies. My experience has enabled me to make regular ongoing national/local television appearances on all major networks and to be a nationally syndicated published author and contributor.  I make it my priority to deliver beyond my client's expectations by helping them strategize the best solutions based on their needs. My clients have peace of mind, knowing that their families and businesses will be financially sound in the event life throws a catastrophic curve ball. My dedication and passion has enabled me to build a nationally recognized business and for me to be apart of the most pristine association of financial professionals, the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT). An international organization consisting of the top percent of licensed financial professionals in the United States. As a part of my ever growing financial education I serve as a local Board member for the Society of Financial Services Professionals (FSP). With more than 80 years of history, FSP members are licensed professionals who must have or are actively pursuing a professional credential (designation). My current designations include: CFF-Certified Financial Fiduciary® LACP-Life and Annuity Certified Professional and the NSSA (National Social Security Advisor). Certificate Holder

When I was 14 years old my mother became permanently disabled. She was side swiped by a driver who ran a stop sign. This accident accelerated her degenerative disc disease. Shortly after she was unable to work and we lost our home and had to move 4 hours away to my grandparents house. This was during the DotCom bubble, which led her to lose most of her savings and retirement assets in the stock market crash. The only source of income we had to rely upon was her Social Security Disability Income check. It was not much but it did help us out dramatically.

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Before I established my career in the financial industry I had always wondered, how could a single life event, such as an auto accident, completely alter a family's entire financial world?

The short answer to this, we had no safety nets, no safe money strategies and very little insurance coverage. Why? The archaic financial planning models my family had in place were to put ALL your money into the markets and not to worry it will always grow and be there for you despite ups and downs. Well, financial planning has changed, in the past we did not have unlimited money printing and artificial bubbles.

Shortly after these times, I experienced three grandparents that lived through long term care situations. Not only was it financially draining on our family but it was incredibly emotional. None of my grandparents had any long term care insurance, the financial responsibilities were left to their savings and our family. 

My family had no professional financial experience, we came from mostly a blue collar background. During highschool and college I was working on my father's logging farm in Missouri and during the school year I was working construction and landscaping in California. After my personal family experiences, I decided to switch my college studies from Cultural Anthropology to finance. My journey in the financial services industry started when I was 22 years old.

Over the past decade I have been fortunate to have my mother work with me and together we have helped educate thousands of people on how to protect their hard earned money from life’s surprises.