Faruk Jaffer, CIO
My first exposure with Wall Street firms was with an internship both at Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, where I gained experience in financial software and research. Next, I worked directly with professional fund managers at a mutual fund company called London Pacific Advisors. The experience and training taught me to evaluate companies and market trends through software tools and subjective methods. In 2002, I started a career with Edward Jones, becoming a registered representative through the NASD after obtaining my Series 7 and Series 63 licenses. This qualified me to assist individual investors and small business owners in setting up and managing retirement plans. Later I worked at Assante Asset Management, where my duties involved assisting financial advisors with rebalancing portfolios and offering strategies to minimize taxes and maximize returns.
After supporting financial advisors with their clients, I realized my passion was to help clients directly. This led me to obtaining my Series 65 license. Currently, my clients come from various walks of life; they include working professionals, former CFOs as well as corporations such as Intuit. I recently completed classes through the American College on income tax, insurance, retirement planning, investments and estate planning. My commitment to education allows me to do a better job for my clients. My commitment to my clients has led to the development of many strategic partners.
When I’m not in the office, you can find me road-biking, practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and traveling around the world. Besides participating in Financial Planning Association, I enjoy serving my community through the American Red Cross, Aga Khan Foundation and CharityFocus.
