Samuel Strasser

Hi, I’m Matt. My job as a financial planner is to make your life simpler. To help you efficiently and effectively narrow down your options, so you can make the right decisions. And be confident in those decisions for the long-term. Financial planning and investment management are often muddied by unnecessary complexity (usually in an effort to sell you something). It doesn’t need to be this way. I began my career in the financial services industry in 2003 as an analyst with the due diligence law firm Snyder Kearney, LLC (Columbia, MD). At Snyder Kearney, I reviewed public and private securities offerings and evaluated national securities sponsoring companies, focusing on real estate investments and non-traditional investment products. It was there that I realized that I wanted to know more about the practice of law and a lot more about the pretty co-worker in the cubicle next to me, Sylvie. I earned my law degree in 2007 from the University of Baltimore School of Law and married Sylvie in 2008; further proof that education and personal relationships are the investments that produce the best returns. After law school, I practiced law with the firm David Albert & Associates, LLC (Bethesda, MD), focusing in estate planning and administration, guardianship administration, taxation of estates and trusts, and business formations. There, I recognized that helping clients through complicated and often stressful issues was intellectually stimulating and emotionally fulfilling. In 2010, I opened Patuxent Financial Partners, LLC, registered as an Investment Adviser with the State of Maryland in 2017. Here, I leverage my legal background to provide clients with value-added insight in the overlapping areas of estate and financial planning. More importantly, as a personal financial planner and small business owner, I can build lasting relationships with clients and their families; these connections make my work fulfilling, because client success becomes intertwined with my own. I am a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and hold the FINRA Series 65 securities registration. Raised in Columbia, Maryland, I graduated from McDaniel College with a bachelor's degree in English. Outside of the office, I enjoy running, reading, and hiking with my wife, son, and our mutt hound, Kodi.

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).

Lamar Watson, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, founded Dream Financial Planning to serve the needs of young professionals and minorities who typically don’t have access to fee-only and fiduciary financial planning. Prior to founding Dream, Lamar worked at a wealth management firm in Reston, VA, for over a decade. At his most recent firm, he served as the lead research analyst on a team of advisors that managed approximately $2 Billion in assets. He also served as a Vice President and Financial Advisor in the Private Wealth Management division. In this role, he worked with hundreds of clients across the country to help them meet their financial goals. Lamar’s proprietary process, the DREAM Financial Planning Process™, is the culmination of 15+ years of industry insight and experience. Less than 30% of all CFPs nationwide are in their 20s and 30s. I use The DREAM Financial Planning Process ™ to help my clients save, grow, and protect their wealth. We operate as a virtual firm and offer evening and weekend meetings for our client’s convenience. Ask about our unique pricing structure that starts at $100 per month for young professionals. We don’t have asset minimums for our clients. Less than 3.5% of all the 80,000 Certified Financial Planners (CFPs) in the United States are black or Latino, according to a new survey from the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning. Put another way; there are just 2,700 black or Latino CFPs in America; 1,200 blacks and 1,500 Latinos. Born in D.C. and a lifelong resident of Virginia, Lamar is a die-hard fan of many Washington D.C. area sports teams, most notably the Washington Redskins. His love for the Redskins all began when his grandfather started taking him to games when he was just eight-years-old. Previously, Lamar served as a volunteer basketball coach for the Chantilly Youth Association and Frederick County Parks and Recreation. In his free time, Lamar enjoys working out, biking on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, and traveling. Feel free to contact me to schedule a complimentary 30-minute phone call to see if Dream Financial Planning is a good fit for you and your family.