Stephen Taft

Introduction ⭐️Serving Mid-/Late-Career Professionals, Growing & Multigenerational Families, and Multicultural Families. ⭐️Founder & Financial Planner - Neat Financial Planning LLC ⭐️CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™® Professional ⭐️IRS Enrolled Agent ⭐️UCLA MBA; Professionally trained at Deloitte & Goldman Sachs ⭐️ Fiduciary & Fee-Only I founded Neat Financial Planning in 2023 with a mission to make effective and affordable financial planning more accessible. My goal is to help you regain control of your time and resources, allowing you to focus on what matters most in your life. My career began at Deloitte as a public accountant, followed by various roles in accounting and corporate finance at Fortune 500 companies. During those years, I worked extensively with large Excel spreadsheets, analyzing financial models and statements for both public and private companies. While honing my financial analytical skills, I always aspired to make a more personal impact. Before founding Neat Financial Planning, I served as a Wealth Manager at Goldman Sachs, advising high-net-worth families and nonprofit organizations. I currently reside in Falls Church, Virginia, with my wonderful husband, son, and daughter, who are my greatest sources of joy. In my free time, I enjoy reading, practicing yoga, and exploring new restaurants. We've also made it a tradition to visit China, Kentucky, and Michigan to create fond and lasting memories with our extended families.

I started my career in the tax arena and quickly found my passion in financial planning. In 2019, I started Birch Street Financial Advisors to provide proactive tax-focused financial advice. I help pre-retirees (5-7 years), retirees and widowers align their human and financial resources with their values, solve complex financial problems and minimize taxes to achieve financial security. My role is to be your thinking and accountability partner; empowering you to create, modify and implement financial strategies that give you the comfort to sleep at night. Since launching my firm, I have been featured in numerous publications including InvestmentNews, Money, and U.S. News & World Report to provide insight on tax law changes, Roth IRA conversion strategies, charitable giving and gift & estate planning. I speak on charitable giving strategies to help clients achieve their philanthropic endeavors in a tax optimized way. I have my CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™; and CPA/PFS designations which support my commitment to maintaining a high standard of professionalism in my practice. I am the proud graduate of the University of VA McIntire School of Commerce with both a Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Accounting with a Specialization in Taxation. Our financial lives have many moving parts - retirement, cash flow, income tax, investment and estate planning. Each part is a different piece of a complex financial puzzle. I help client's piece the puzzle together and hone in on what's important to them about money and how they can use it to meet their goals. In my spare time, I decompress with Crossfit workouts with my husband, play never ending catch with my rescue dog Macie and experiment with native gardening.

I started Pacesetter Planning back in 2016 to help couples use their money to create the lives they love - together. I work best with two types of couples: 1) Engaged and newlywed couples looking to prepare for their future by setting themselves up for financial success and minimizing the risk of money conflict in their new marriage. 2) Couples who fight about money or struggle to make financially-related decisions as a team. I am a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Certified Financial Therapist™. I care about the "why" behind your money just as much as "what" you do with it. More importantly, I want you and your spouse to feel confident and empowered by the way you manage money as a team such that your finances become an asset to your relationship, rather than a liability. (See what I did there?) Numerous studies have shown that financial conflict is pervasive in American marriages and is one of the leading indicators of divorce. There's no denying that the way you manage money with your spouse can be detrimental to your marriage. But I believe that the opposite is equally true - if you improve the way you manage your finances with your spouse, your marriage will get stronger. I'm here to show you how to make this a reality. If you’re interested in learning more, you can book a free introductory call at pacesetterplanning.com/contact

Patrick founded Ortman Financial Planning in 2016, a financial planning and investment management firm located in North Bethesda, MD. He holds the Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) designation and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance at the Catholic University of America. Patrick has a strong focus on his clients’ overall financial wellbeing and recognizes that money is only a tool to help achieve the vision each person has for their life. He focuses on providing a very deep level of service balanced with simplicity to provide each client with greater peace of mind around their finances. Patrick and his wife, Kate, have four boys ranging from elementary school through high school. He coaches various youth sports teams and is an active volunteer at his children’s schools. Patrick is active in the financial planning community and is a member of XY Planning Network and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA).

When you choose to work with Discovery Wealth Planning, you work directly with the firm’s founder, Chris Urban. He offers Hourly, Retirement-Focused Personal Financial Planning with an emphasis on Cash Flow Planning, Investment Advice, Tax Strategies, and Insurance Guidance Ideal for Ages 55+. Chris has the CFP®, RICP® and TPCP® certifications. Chris employs a life-centered approach to helping clients achieve their financial goals. He takes time to understand each client’s current situation, goals, values and purpose before proposing strategies to grow and protect their wealth. His specialties include retirement income, tax and investment planning. Chris has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to founding Discovery Wealth Planning, Chris served as a wealth advisor at an investment advisory firm in Northern Virginia. He previously held various roles in the capital markets and investor services divisions at a large institutional firm, working in both Boston and Los Angeles. Chris is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® practitioner, a Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®) and a Tax Planning Certified Professional (TPCP®). Chris has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts, and a Master of Business Administration from Boston University. Chris lives in Vienna, Virginia, with his wife Lauren and daughters Avery and Sienna. In his free time, he enjoys running, biking, playing golf and pickleball, and watching college football and golf on TV.

I founded GuidePoint because I believe that fee-only financial planning is the road map to an amazing place – financial freedom. Financial freedom gives you the power to plan for endless possibilities. It is the power to retire early, send your kids to any college, or spend more of your precious time with the ones that matter most. For me, this all begins by working in a transparent, fee-only manner. This means every day we are working for you and your best interests. Together we will explore valuable planning opportunities, uncover financial blind spots, and achieve an even greater tomorrow. As a planner, one of my favorite quotes is, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago - the second best time is now." If you have never worked with a fee-only planner before, I am excited to share our distinct approach with you. I offer a free 30-minute call where you can ask me any financial questions you may have.