Finding a financial professional you can trust is key to achieving a successful retirement.
Certified Financial Fiduciaries® (CFF) are sworn to uphold the highest moral, ethical and fiduciary standards of service when providing advice to potential or existing clients. By choosing to work with a Certified Financial Fiduciary® you can be confident that your best interests will always come first!
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.
Since 2002, leadership, civics and public service: My mission is to empower clients through education, awareness, and sense of urgency in committing to financial wellness.
AAA Bank FDIC / AAA Life Insurance Company / AAA Auto Club Trust
- 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
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.
Mike, happily married to his wife Kris, has four children and takes pride and joy in his four beautiful granddaughters. He enjoys spending time in the mountains, traveling abroad, and playing the occasional round of golf. Mike also has a passion for music, wine, and reading. If you need it, he is sure to have a great recommendation for the best local restaurants.
Mike is the founder and Managing Partner. A native Charlottean, he began his career in 1976. As Managing Partner, he has built a cohesive team of dedicated professionals capable of helping you achieve a diverse range of financial goals.
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.
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.
Jason Bergquist has worked in the financial services since the year 2000. Building a business, teaching and educating families has become his passion. Jason tried his hand with one of the big financial companies and while working with the Merrill Lynch he realized he missed the lifestyle of going out and meeting with families one on one and helping those that really need the help. Showing people that there are better ways out there and giving someone options to help them accomplish their goals is the most satisfying part of what we do. Being independent truly gives me access to the best products on the market to help people realize they can dream of a better life, especially in retirement. Helping change lives and being able to bring joy and hope back into people’s lives is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. (see testimonials) Sitting down with people and taking all of their puzzle pieces and putting them together to create a beautiful masterpiece and showing them it is possible and they can dream again is such an amazing feeling. I have met so many amazing people in this business and some have become such good friends. I enjoy sitting down with them regularly, at least annually and getting updates on their lives and working with them to accomplish their next goals in life.
Jason lives in Riverton, UT with his wife Stacey and their 5 kids.
James "Beau:" Henderson, CFF, RICP®,CLTC®,NSSA®,CPRC
Beau Henderson is a retirement planning specialist, a USA Today and Wall Street Journal best-selling author, and the founder and visionary of RichLife Advisors. He has helped more than 3,000 clients to not only improve their relationship with money, but to live their unique definition of a fulfilled, meaningful retirement with purpose. Through his innovative RichLife Retirement Success Strategy™, Beau and his team at RichLife Advisors help families across the United States approaching retirement to properly address the six components a successful retirement:
Maximizing income (including Social Security)
Optimizing assets for long-term growth
Paying less in taxes
Planning for healthcare
Protecting the people and things that they care about the most and
Addressing non-financial considerations to ultimately living their unique definition of a RichLife in retirement
Beau has a passion for financial education—both in serving as a go-to educational resource and continuing his professional development. He has a degree in psychology from the University of Georgia as well as the designations of Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®), Certification for Long-Term Care (CLTC®), National Social Security Advisor (NSSA®), Certified Financial Fiduciary, Certified Professional Retirement Coach (CPRC), Certified Bucket Plan Advisor, Master Certified Success Coach and Certified Master Behavioral Analyst. He is also an active member of Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group℠—an organization dedicated to the ongoing education and mastery of the latest retirement tax laws. Through a strict commitment to ongoing training as well as access to America’s IRA Experts, Beau stays current on the latest strategies to help clients keep as much of their hard-earned savings from unnecessary taxes as possible.
Beau’s passion for helping others organize their finances comes from a deeply personal experience—the loss of his father to lung cancer at the age of 49. He felt helpless as he watched his mother, who had been married to his father since she was 18, struggle with financial decisions and helped her piece her life together. Through his family’s heartbreaking experience, he found a silver lining when he realized that he could make a profound difference in someone’s life by helping them navigate important financial decisions. His interest in psychology, coupled with his newfound interest in financial matters, led him to a career he loves. Now, more than 20 years later, he has never stopped learning and growing through his work and helping others create a Retirement by Design.
Beau is an avid local business advocate, podcast enthusiast and studio owner of North Georgia Business Radio X. He was recognized as Junior Achievement’s Business Partnership of the Year in 2016 for his efforts and commitment to increasing financial literacy in the community. In his free time, Beau loves to spend time with his family, including toddler, Gwendolyn, and time in the mountains of Murphy, NC.
Fun Facts:
Prior to his career in finance, Beau was a personal banker and an intake specialist at a mental health hospital
He played defensive end for UGA’s football team
His favorite vacation spot is the outer banks of North Carolina
James "Beau:" Henderson, CFF, RICP®,CLTC®,NSSA®,CPRC
Marco Scalco is a tax and financial advisor who believes in helping clients with comprehensive financial services with an emphasis on tax planning and preparation, individual retirement, investments and insurance.
He combines personal attention with a focus on strategic, tax-efficient financial planning and over 10 years of experience in the tax and financial services industry to help his clients achieve financial prosperity. The ability to be a full service provider of financial needs allows Marco to create seamless and convenient experiences for his clients.
Marco has been engaged in a continuous quest for knowledge and professional development. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2003 and since then has furthered his education by obtaining the following certifications:
·Enrolled Agent – U.S. Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
·Registered Financial Consultant
·CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional
·Certified Financial Fiduciary®
·Passed the FINRA Series 7/ General Securities Examination
·Passed the FINRA Series 66/ Uniform Combined State Law Examination
·Life, Accident and Health Agent – California Insurance License # 0E5149
·Fire & Casualty Broker-Agent – California Insurance License # 0E5149
Marco is an active member of the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) and the Financial Planning Association (FPA). In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling and outdoor activities. Marco and his wife Erin reside in Huntington Beach, California. They have two children.
Kay Carreon, is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, Bachelor’s Degree in HRM & Certificate in Management Development for Entrepreneurs in UCLA.
CEO and Financial Consultant of REACH Consulting Services.
Kay's intensive experience in Sales in Marketing for over 23 years and transitioned to Financial Consulting.
Kay experienced a Life event that changed her life and led to Financial Literacy Advocacy. She became an independent financial consultant in 2010 where she independently started her own wealth management team in San Diego and now a National Broker.
She specializes in financial consulting, wealth management and support estate planning; executive planning, and corporate executive compensation programs; she also establishes foundations and manages family offices. Working with attorneys and CPAs, she coordinates a team approach to assure her first and foremost concern, the client’s overall financial well being.
Kay and her family reside at beautiful San Diego, where she enjoys cooking/baking, gardening, and spending time with her two daughters, Karyn and Kamryn.
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