Talk to us Bio
Michael has over thirty years of financial, investment and tax planning experience. He began his career as a Certified Public Accountant with Grant Thornton, the fifth largest national accounting firm in the U.S. Subsequently, he was a CFO for a real estate company, a start-up venture and a family office.
After founding his own firm, Michael felt affluent individuals could benefit from more sophisticated tax planning. As such, he earned a Masters in Business Taxation from the University of Southern California. In 1992, long before many of his peers, he earned the professional designation, Certified Financial Planner®.
Years ago, Michael saw that affluent individuals were craving guidance around their broader intent for the use of their wealth. In 2002, he studied at the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara and became a Certified Professional Coach. This provided him with a structure for integrating coaching with financial disciplines.
Michael also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Computer Science from Northern Illinois University.
As a staunch believer that consumers deserve fee-only, non-commission based advice, Michael has allocated substantial personal time toward advocating this cause. He is the Chairman of the Capstone Study Group, a national think tank for preeminent fee-only financial planners. Michael also serves on the Board of the Personal Financial Planning Committee of the California Society of CPAs, and is a member of the National Association of Professional Financial Advisors (NAPFA). He has been the Chairman and President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Financial Planning Association (FPA), and has served the FPA on a national level through various committees. He is also a current member of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).
Michael is currently a member of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation’s Professional Advisory Council in Los Angeles; Chairman of the Planned Giving Committee of United Cerebral Palsy of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties; a member of Advisors in Philanthropy, and a member of Partnership for Philanthropic Planning. He also serves on the Board of the Spastic Children’s Endowment Foundation.
Michael is a contributing author of: The Complete Guide to Estate & Financial Planning in Turbulent Times, and Financial Intelligence. Since 2009, he has authored articles relating to the management of affluent wealth for Worth magazine. He was also recently a guest wealth advisor on the Fox Business Channel.
