Geoffrey Giffuni

As a member of the financial independence community, I understand the value of quality fee only advice catering to the complex and "nontraditional" route we are taking to life. I have built a "lifestyle" practice, where I can serve clients, maintain my balanced lifestyle with two girls, pursue my hobbies and travel. I primarily work with clients on an ongoing retainer basis, charged with a monthly billing arrangement. For legacy (separated) clients or family of clients, I offer hourly based planning. I also prepare tax returns and manage assets, both of which I charge a separate fee for. After graduating from University of Maryland, College Park, I worked in public accounting doing tax preparation and consulting for high net worth individuals, estates and trusts. I changed careers into financial planning in 2013, working mainly with clients pursuing a traditional retirement path, including attorneys, physicians, executives and families with wealth. After working for a large planning firm in the DC area, I launched my firm in 2018. I am a CFP® and CPA. Given my background, I specialize in tax planning, retirement planning and frugality!

My name is Matthew, your advisor at Cadence Planning. I entered the professional world as a teacher. For over six years, I spent time with students, developed after-school robotics programs, and relished the opportunity to educate and empower the people around me. That is why, I believe it is important for clients to understand, I entered the financial world as a teacher as well. The passion for teaching never left me. I had witnessed, first hand, the impact education has on someone's self-confidence, security, and semblance of joy. And I carry this approach with me into my advising. In 2006 I decided to leave teaching altogether to work full-time as a tax accountant. I took and passed each section of the EA exam between 2009 and 2010, receiving my EA designation in March 2011. I've been given the opportunity to present to my peers at conferences and in 2012 was honored to be a recipient of the “Outstanding Young Professionals Award” from the Maryland Society of Accountants. In 2021, I completed the Financial Planning Program at the Boston Institute of Finance at Bryant University and subsequently passed the CFP exam and earned my CFP Marks. It's been a hard but rewarding journey and has left me feeling empowered to help clients. That is why I love what I do.

Helen De Bearn is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She focuses on providing financial guidance tailored to individual client needs, including areas such as divorce transition planning, family wealth management strategies, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, small business strategies, women and wealth, tax minimization, and retirement income. Helen holds the professional designation of Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) and completed her high school education at George Washington High School. Outside of her professional work, she is involved with the organization Women Giving Back. Her personal interests include cooking, dancing, gardening, horseback riding, and music.

Bernard Klein is a Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, where he currently assists clients in developing personalized financial plans to help them achieve their goals. He leverages Fidelity's resources and takes the time to understand each client's unique situation in order to provide tailored strategies and ongoing support. Bernard has been with Fidelity Investments since 2021, initially working as an Investment Consultant before transitioning to his current role. Prior to joining Fidelity, he worked as a Financial Advisor at Edward Jones from 2018 to 2020. He holds a California Insurance License.