Default: Equity Compensation Planning

Alan Nelson, CFP®, MBA, ChFC®, MQFP®
Specializations:Military Retirement / Transition, Veteran in Tech & Equity Compensation, Military Divorce

Alan Nelson, CFP

Hi, I’m Alan, Founder of Measured Money Maneuvers. My passion is to help military, veterans and military family members live their best and full rich lives. Coming from a modest background, I knew money was tight and it helped me quickly learn the value of a dollar. I got my first paper route at age 10 and was able to help support the family and earn my own things from a very young age. At eighteen, I was independent and living on my own, attending community college and working full-time to make ends meet, but was not sure what I wanted to do with my life, and knew I didn’t want to get shackled with a ton of student loan debt. That’s when I enlisted in the Navy with the goals to serve our country, learn valuable skills, hopefully figure out what I wanted to pursue in life, and get my college education paid for, or at least get the GI Bill to assist with college later. I was fortunate to earn a commissioning program and while I initially thought I’d transition out in 6-8 years, I went on to serve a career as a submarine officer. As a 25-year mustang officer, I understand and empathize with both the enlisted and officer communities.

As a young junior officer, I wanted to help my Sailors holistically – professionally, personally and of course, financially. Many young service members make poor early financial decisions that can take them years to recover from due to: 1) lack of financial literacy, 2) having their own paycheck for the first time in many cases and, 3) being the target of many unprincipled salespeople.

Initially, I would bring in outside personnel to “train” my departments on investing but realized 1) these outsiders were not very good 2) they didn’t really care about my people and 3) did not provide actionable steps for my team – it became apparent that I needed to know this subject material well enough to teach them myself. Through years of self-study and my own personal mistakes, I’d learned a great deal and started teaching my crew to help put them on the right path early, and hopefully avoid making the same mistakes I did.

I considered financial advising when I was transitioning to the private sector, but I didn’t like what I saw in too much of the industry. Too many high fee models serving only rich people to protect their assets, and still too many salespeople working on commission under a “suitability” standard vice being fiduciaries who must act in clients’ best interests.

I continue teaching personal finance and investing along with career transition assistance to transitioning military, military spouses, veterans and high-tech engineers as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional, but realized that I could truly help more people by launching my own fee-only, fiduciary registered investment advisor (RIA) firm, Measured Money Maneuvers LLC.

Schedule a Free Consultation

Alan Nelson, CFP®, MBA, ChFC®, MQFP®
Measured Money Manuevers LLC
Solana Beach, CA 92075
858-432-9440
www.MeasuredMoneyManeuvers.com

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Derek Merkler, CFP®
Specializations:Military to Corporate Transition, Young Veterans in Corporate World, Stock Options

Derek Merkler, CFP

Hi, I’m Derek. I spent 8 years as an Army aviator at stations like FT Rucker, FT Riley, and FT Hood along with a deployment to Afghanistan and culminating in 18 months as an Apache helicopter troop commander at FT Hood. Like other Veterans, I packed up and moved many times and spent too much time away from my family, especially as my wife was stationed separately from me for the first 5 years of our marriage. I left the Army after achieving my career goal of commanding a line company, one of the most fulfilling and challenging times in my life so far.

I launched my Trophy Point Financial Planning based on my own financial successes and failures and those of my peers, recognizing that most companies out there are selling financial products to earn commissions and hit sales targets while primarily working with people who are already wealthy.

My mission is to help Veterans and young professionals create financial structure in their lives and BUILD wealth. I figure out all the small yet important details…so you don’t have to.

I primarily work with Veterans in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who are looking to plan for their transition from the military to the corporate world.  That age range is the most complex in life… family, kids, home ownership, careers, and the resulting financial obligations all while trying to figure out that long-term goal of financial independence and/or retirement.  Adding in everything tied to leaving the military and starting a corporate career means that these Veterans can make big mistakes… and seize great opportunities.

Outside of financial planning, I have a bit of a need for speed.  I like stuff that goes fast… cars, motorcycles, bicycles, airplanes, and horses. I follow Formula 1 and endurance car racing… and may have typed this bio while watching the 24 Hours of Le Mans at 3 AM. I’ll watch MotoGP, World Superbike, and the Tour de France when they are on TV.

I also help my family raise thoroughbred racehorses near Lexington, KY. So, when I’m not working on financial plans, I’m trying to not get kicked by a mare or her foal! Every year in April and October, I host friends and clients for a behind the scenes tour of Kentucky horse racing during Keeneland’s opening weekend.  Our goal is to someday breed a horse that runs in the Kentucky Derby or Breeder’s Cup. We’ve come close already but missed out when that horse was injured.

I always want to leave someone with useful takeaways after they meet with me regardless of their decision to become a client. Below this bio is a link to my calendar.  When you schedule the 45-minute intro call, we will see if it makes sense to work together and I will leave you with my thoughts on your top 1-3 financial priorities given your stated goals.

Schedule a Free Consultation

Derek Merkler, CFP®
Trophy Point Financial Planning, LLC
Stamping Ground, KY 40379
864-432-5575
www.trophypointfp.com

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Liz Plot, CFP®, ChFC®, AFC®, EA
Specializations: Military Transition to Tech, Tax Preparation/Tax Planning, Student Loan Planning

Liz Plot, CFP, ChFC, AFC, EA

Hi, I’m Liz and I’m a fee only financial planner and the founder of Primas Financial Planning. I’m a military spouse, first-generation Mexican American, and the mother of two young ladies aspiring to be ninjas. I started Primas Financial Planning to help individuals make financial decisions they feel good about and be confident that those choices will prepare them for the future. I help military clients that are going through a transition: buying a home, navigating equity compensation, getting out of the military, negotiating a new job, and anyone needing help organizing their financial plan and looking for an accountability partner.

My path to becoming a financial planner started as a financial counselor in beautiful Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. I started working with military families experiencing financial emergencies and even though I had studied Finance in college, the financial counseling and planning profession was all new to me. You should know, Liz Plot loves school. So, it came as no surprise to anyone that knew me that I would spend the next 15 years working, learning, and racking up acronyms like they were going out of style. Yes, it took a little longer to get some of those certifications (I’m looking at you CFP® designation) but that comes with the territory when you’re bouncing from coast to coast, and your better half is constantly being sent on adventures to the other side of the world.

I’ve lived in 9 states and 4 countries (believe it or not, not all of that is the military’s doing), and I’ll be joining you virtually from Maryland, but I work with clients all over the United States. I’m grateful for my experience and the ability to have lived in so many different places. This has given me the opportunity to help clients navigate various financial situations and has reinforced what I believe: Everyone deserves to have access to good, unbiased financial advice.

What does a planning relationship with Primas Financial Planning look like? We’ll review all parts of your financial plan together over the course of a year (taxes, insurance, estate planning, cash flow (budgets, my favorite), credit, debt, college planning, saving for retirement, and investments) with more attention given to urgent issues that need to be addressed early on. Like my fellow MFAA members, I’m a fiduciary, which means I’ll always put your interests first.

When I’m not listening to financial planning podcasts and delighting my husband and daughters with tax lectures, you can find me hiking, kickboxing, trying not kill the plants in my garden and volunteering in my community. I’m looking forward to swapping PCS horror stories. Let’s meet!

Schedule a Free Consultation

Liz Plot, CFP®, ChFC®, AFC®, EA
Primas Financial Planning, LLC
Baltimore, MD 21211
443-842-6933

www.primasfp.com

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Mike Hunsberger, ChFC®, CFP®, CCFC, MQFP
Specializations: Approaching Military Transition, Tax Planning, College Planning for Families with Jr/Sr High School Students, One-time and Project-based planning

Financial decisions are complex and interconnected.  Military life can add additional challenges. But, it also comes with benefits from reduced taxes, medical care, and a great pension for those who serve until they are retirement eligible.

So whether your concerns center on preparing for military retirement or transition, maximizing the use of the GI Bill, protecting your loved ones, or investing for the future, all can impact your financial freedom.

At Next Mission Financial Planning, we believe true
Financial Freedom = Options.  Our process is designed to help you set and achieve your Freedom By Date while balancing that with living your best life.

We work best with folks that are interested in learning and actively partnering through our planning only option or with those who are busy and just want to have someone do it for them through our planning + investment management option.

Let’s talk about how I might be able to help you achieve your goals.

A little about me:  I loved my 25-years in the Air Force but wanted to do something different when I retired. I’ve always enjoyed financial planning for myself as well as for friends and family.  Part of my learning curve was purchasing insurance and very high-fee mutual funds sold by a company that focuses on military personnel and who I believed had my best interest in mind. This is part of the reason I want to help military families… I don’t want them to make the same mistakes. I desire to educate you about your options, provide advice that is always in your best interest without having to sell specific products.

I’ll be excited to talk with you to see if we would be a fit and work together to achieve your Next Mission.

Service Offerings
– Planning Only
– Planning with Asset Management
– One-time or Project-based Plans
– Single Fee for all services

Visit our Website or Schedule an Introductory Call

Mike Hunsberger, ChFC®, CFP®, CCFC, MQFP
Next Mission Financial Planning, LLC
Saint Charles, MO 63301
314-328-0086
www.NextMissionFinancialPlanning.com

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Greg Young, CFP®, EA, ChFC®
Specializations: Educators, Military Transition to Federal/State Government, & Tax Planning/Preparation

Greg Young, CFP

When I started this journey, I didn’t even know financial advisors existed, let alone what they did or what financial planning was! I did know that I like money and I like solving complexities.

I went to Bryant University, a business school, and following graduation, I enlisted as a “nuke” in the world’s finest Navy. I served in the engineering department aboard the USS Pittsburgh and as one of her ship’s scuba divers. I read all the investing books I could find and listened to colleagues talk about stocks and rental properties, but I didn’t discover this industry until I got out. Enter my plot twist. Despite my passion for sports, fitness, and my various physical collateral duties onboard, I was diagnosed with cancer… twice. I was medically retired a year later, which was tough because I was (perhaps still am) a huge “dig it.”

I discovered the financial services industry while studying for my investment licenses and interviewing for advisor positions, keeping engineer positions as a backup. This allowed me to cut my teeth at a big-name, mid-western insurance and investment company. After some time, I realized that I was outgrowing my office both in education and vision. I broke away and formed Ahead Full Wealth Management to serve the communities that matter most to me and to serve them better than I ever could in my previous practice. Unlike most engineers, I use my powers actually to make your life and planning easier and more enjoyable! The best part is that I’ve been able to welcome Joe Brown, Ph.D., to my team and give him a launch ramp following his Coast Guard retirement to continue to serve as well!

Together we have a unique team that can add considerable value to families in the Military, Federal or State Governments, and Education. We’ve both served, we both have long-time marriages to teachers, and we’ve both taught at the college level. I am an adjunct at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, sharing knowledge and practical experience in management and finance topics.

I hold a Master’s in Advanced Financial Planning with a concentration in taxation from Golden Gate University. I’m a Certified Financial PlannerⓇ, Enrolled Agent, and Chartered Financial ConsultantⓇ. These designations mean that I have passed rigorous education requirements and abide by strict ethical standards of conduct. Additionally, being an enrolled agent means that I can prepare taxes and provide advice crucial to a successful financial plan.

If you’re interested, we’d love to meet you!

Schedule a Free Consultation

Greg Young, CFP®, EA, ChFC®
Ahead Full Wealth Management, LLC
North Kingstown, RI 02852
401-584-0313
www.aheadfullwealth.com

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Erik Baskin, CFP®
Specializations: Military Transition, Dual Military Couples, Small Business Owners

Erik Baskin, CFP

Hi, I’m Erik, Founder of Baskin Financial Planning, a fee-only financial planning firm located in Colorado Springs, Colorado focused on serving military families and business owners. In 2018, after graduating the U.S. Air Force Academy with an Economics degree, I began my professional career as a hospital administrator in the Air Force. As I was sitting in my apartment in Cheyenne, Wyoming after work every day, I quickly realized that this wasn’t going to be a career for me. It was a great first job, but wasn’t ultimately my calling and didn’t get me up out of bed every morning. I was captain of a Division I hockey team in college, and I still have that competitive drive that I need to harness into something. I knew that I needed to start a business, I just didn’t know what yet.

For the next 9 months, I binged business and entrepreneurship books and researched business ideas. I had a One Note with about 20 different ideas. I was teaching myself to code computer software, trade foreign exchange, and anything else that I could get my hands on.

One book in particular called the $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau said that you should find something that people naturally come to you for, something that you are passionate about, and something that people will pay for. This was my lightbulb moment. For me, that thing has always been investing and personal finance. I was always interested in the stock market, and many times found myself in conversations giving people finance pointers. I had also seen what the typical financial advisor did for family and friends, and was very frustrated with the lack of transparency, and lack of value for the fees that are paid.

From there on out, I was dead set on building a fee-only financial planning firm to help families align their money with their values. I began building the groundwork for Baskin Financial Planning in early 2019 while getting my MBA, studying for and passing the CFP exam, then finally launching the business in 2021 all while serving on active duty.

When I’m not busy nerding out with clients on financial planning and investing, I keep busy by spending time with my wife Shelley and my two Greyhound Annie, coaching hockey, working out, playing golf, hunting, going to country concerts, or reading a book outside on my favorite subject…personal finance.

 

Schedule a Free Consultation

Erik Baskin, CFP® 
Baskin Financial Planning, LLC
Colorado Springs, CO 80921
719-203-1463
www.baskinfp.com