As a boy, my parents gave me a piggy bank to save my pennies and nickels. When I was a little older, I got my first bank account and watched my money grow. As a young teen, I had a paper route to earn my own money. And by age 14, I was able to buy that tennis racket I'd had my eye on. What a great way to learn – earn, save, grow and reach a goal.

Of course, investing is a little more complex than that, especially with pressures all around us to buy this now or sell that quickly. Here's the problem with jumping on media or water cooler advice – it's not geared toward your life, your situation, your goals and your best interest.

If we work together, I'll start by listening carefully and ask questions to understand what matters most to you. That's the foundation for a good financial strategy – what you want, what opportunities you have, what you worry about, what challenges you face. Then I'll explore the world of investments and solutions to find the ones that get you to where you want to be. We'll want not only to build your wealth but also to protect it – no matter what roadblocks comes your way. And then, with a financial roadmap in place, you can make informed decisions about the headlines or the well-intentioned, neighborly advice.

I work side-by-side with clients, not across the desk. We'll have real dialogue and true collaboration. I'll provide options and explanations so that you feel good about what we are doing. As your life and your goals change, we'll make adjustments along with them and stay on track to reach your goals.

Outside of work, I play and coach hockey and play a little golf. I have a wonderful wife, Diane. We enjoy quality time with our grown kids. We're animal lovers and currently have a cat of our own. And somehow, when our friends go on vacation, we become a pet depot.

If you have questions or want to see if we might be a good fit, let's grab a cup of coffee. No pressure, no paperwork, just comfortably talking.