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Daniel Kopp, CFP®, MQFP®
Specializations: Gold Star Widows, Dual Military Couples, & FIRE

Hello, I’m Daniel – husband to Anna, widower to Sarah, Air Force veteran, business owner, writer, speaker, financial planner, and Christ-follower. I’m the founder of Wise Stewardship Financial Planning where we offer fee-only, fiduciary financial planning and investment advice with a special focus on young widows and widowers as well as servicemembers and their families.

I’ve always been interested in money since I was a little kid, including out-bidding my siblings for chores-for-hire, to providing loans to my siblings and friends when they had spent all their money and diligently saving my allowance for future goals. Over time this evolved into reading the stock pages in the newspaper as a young teenager and then choosing to major in economics in college. After completing Air Force ROTC at Purdue University, I commissioned as an officer into the Air Force in 2009 but continued my personal interest into personal finances, investing, and all things money-related.

In addition to being a CFP® practitioner, I’ve spent thousands of hours studying financial planning topics and am currently going deeper in the work of Financial Therapy with a Masters at Kansas State University. I also had the opportunity to be a volunteer financial counselor during many of the years when I was on active duty in addition to helping and educating family and friends over the years. Thanks to countless help along the way, I learned more about the financial services industry and found my way to fee-only, fiduciary financial planning. It was through these experiences that sparked my passion and helped me realize what I wanted to do whenever I decided to leave the military!

As an officer on active duty for almost 9 years, along with a brother, sister, and brother-in-law in the military, I experienced firsthand the benefits and challenges that military life can have on all aspects of life especially finances. Frequent changes like TDY’s, deployments, and PCS’s add unique potential opportunities and obstacles to meeting goals and dreams. Add in the often disparate and sometimes confusing military pay, benefits, scattered military benefits and discounts, and countless people offering advice or services, and there is often a lack of clarity on how best to optimize all of these to best meet goals.

I also know that grief is hard. But sometimes, determining what’s next is even harder.

I know because I’ve walked that road before. Like you, I know what loss is like and how it affects your financial life. It is my honor to compassionately guide my clients with financial planning and advice as a trusted companion in your ongoing grief journey.

Schedule a Free Consultation

Daniel Kopp, MA, MS, CFP®, MQFP®
Wise Stewardship Financial Planning, LLC
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202
857-209-8437
www.wisestewardshipfp.com

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Sam Lewis, CFP®
Specializations: Guard & Reserve Members, Dual Status FERS Employees, Young Families

Greetings, I’m Sam, the founder of SJL Financial. Although I’ve spent my entire life in Delaware, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to explore the world through my travels. My journey began when I joined the military during high school, and today, almost 25 years later, I still proudly serve. Over the years, I’ve held diverse roles ranging from farmhand, drafter, and land surveyor to personal trainer, air cargo craftsman, recruiter, and senior enlisted leader. However, my true passion lies in financial planning.

Money management wasn’t always my strong suit, but meeting the love of my life inspired me to do better. The spark was ignited when, during a family trip to Disney World in 2013, I came across a copy of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine at an airport gift shop. This eye-opening experience made me realize how much I didn’t know about the financial considerations that would shape our future.
Determined to learn and grow, I immersed myself in every available resource. In 2018, I was honored to receive a full Veteran’s Scholarship to the American College of Financial Services through the Penn Mutual Center for Veterans Affairs. The rigorous coursework for the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) curriculum followed, culminating in earning both the ChFC and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designations in 2022.

During my exploration of financial planning concepts, I recognized a gap in the industry’s ability to meet the unique needs of military families. I wanted to become a resource that could leverage the specific pay and benefits of military service to overcome obstacles and achieve goals.

Today, my mission is to serve you. I am committed to helping you understand your financial situation, setting clear goals for your future, and providing a well-marked path to success. Money is not only about numbers but also about emotions. It drives our dreams and supports our lifestyles, yet it can also create worries that keep us awake at night.
A financial plan is more than just investments, insurance, or products. It should be a collaborative effort, taking into account your partner and important relationships in your life. It encourages important but sometimes difficult conversations, being honest about the limits of your resources while remaining reasonable about assumptions regarding the unknown. It blends mathematical concepts with behavioral challenges, fostering accountability, confidence, and hope.

Currently, only 33% of people have a written financial plan, according to Schwab. I’m determined to change that statistic, as I believe everyone deserves a financial plan. Even if you’re on a path without a plan right now, having a written financial plan can make that path intentional.
When you’re ready to put your path on a plan, I’m here to help! My enthusiasm lies in transforming people’s lives through personalized financial planning. Let’s assess where you stand and discuss the life you aspire to build—because together, we can plan for that!

Schedule a Free Consultation

Sam Lewis, CFP®, ChFC®

SJL Financial, LLC
Wilmington, DE 19803
302-827-7526
www.wecanplanforthat.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®, MQFP®
Specializations: Educators, Military Transition to Federal/State Government, & Tax Planning/Preparation

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®, MQFP®
Ahead Full Wealth Management, LLC
North Kingstown, RI 02852
401-584-0313
www.aheadfullwealth.com

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

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

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Dan Huffman, ChFC®, MQFP®
Specializations: Real Estate Investing, FIRE, Veteran Entrepeneurs

Hello! I’m Dan, and I founded Cornerstone Financial Planning, LLC to help people live out their ideal life today through strategic financial planning and real estate investing. Life is too short to live with tension between our time, money, and values. The more clarity I’ve gotten on my values, the more I realized that I needed to redesign my life. I strive to live intentionally and focused on these most important areas in my life, which are my faith, my family, and making the biggest impact that I can in the world around me. My mission is to help you discover your ideal life, and then to create and carry out your personalized financial plan to make it happen!
Ideal Clients

My primary areas of expertise and that I enjoy working in the most are early retirement planning (in-line with the Financial Independence Retire Early – FIRE – community) and real estate investing. I add the most value to young(ish!) people in their 20s-50s who are looking to build wealth and replace their active income with rental income, freeing them up to take command of their time, energy, and life. However, I’ve also gotten a lot of fulfillment helping some Clients who were a little late to begin accelerating their retirement investments in preparation of a more traditional retirement timeline.

Financial Planning & Coaching for Real Estate Investors (and beginners!)
I incorporate real estate investment coaching into my ongoing financial planning process for those clients who want to pursue time and financial freedom through real estate investing but aren’t sure where to start, are afraid of making expensive mistakes, or who recognize that they simply don’t know what they don’t know about beginning to invest in real estate. My aim is to be that coach that actually knows you, your life goals, and your financial situation and has a fiduciary responsibility to you rather than some random person on the internet selling you and everyone else they can get to click their link a course with nothing but videos without any one-on-one coaching that’s in-line with your financial plan. My ongoing Clients who are real estate investors receive significant access to me for financial planning and real estate coaching so that they can make investment decisions in a timely manner with the utmost confidence. This is what I wish I had when I was starting out! The only problem with me back then? I was too cheap to pay for it and I couldn’t find anything as robust as what I wanted. But since then, I’ve come to learn the truth of Robert Kiyosaki’s quote “Experience is expensive, education is cheap”. And of course, my coaching includes the financial analyses and strategic tax planning that general coaching programs don’t include, because they can’t!

Financial Planning for FIRE
While real estate investing is a passion and one of the greatest ways that I’ve found to make an impact that extends beyond my immediately community, I’m also passionate about the FIRE community and financial education. For those of you interested in more of a beginner-level financial plan for early retirement, I offer those as one-time plans or as ongoing engagements to help plan out your desired retirement, or recreational employment as I prefer to call it! I really enjoy planning out for different phases of life and helping you envision what each might look like and how we can tax plan around those times when you may have less active income.

About Dan

My wife, son, and I live in Colorado Springs, CO. I began my professional career as an athletic trainer out of college, working at a couple different DI universities. After getting burned out, I switched to physical therapy and was accepted into the Army-Baylor Doctor of Physical Therapy (PT) Program, which was the #5 ranked program in the USA at the time. So, in 2010, I direct commissioned, and I never looked back. I spent 11 years on active duty serving as a PT and deploying twice to Afghanistan. Our last duty station was at Landstuhl, Germany, and we absolutely loved it with all the Christmas markets and how easily we could travel! We have been to 37 countries and counting! But while I loved my time serving our nation’s servicemembers, over time I became more passionate about teaching them personal finance education rather than cracking backs and stabbing people with needles (the official term is “dry needling”) and I also had a couple of key experiences that weren’t so good where I didn’t feel that the military had my best interest in mind. So, in 2021, I ETS’d and switched to the Reserve component where I plan on completing my Army career and to take a sabbatical from working full time to go through the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) educational program, which I completed and passed the exam in July 2022 before finally launching my firm in early 2023. I’m now grateful to be part of a group of advisors such as MFAA and I look forward to serving you if I’m the best fit! If not, I’ll gladly refer you to someone that I think may be better for your situation.

Schedule a Free Consultation

Dan Huffman, ChFC®, MQFP®
Cornerstone Financial Planning, LLC
Colorado Springs, CO 80924
719-286-0403
www.cornerstonefiplanning.com