Matt is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) charter holder and Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). Matt spent the beginning of his career as the co-head of HY trading at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and before joining Bernardo Wealth Planning was the head of equity capital markets at Fortress Investment Group.
After spending nearly a decade as an institutional trader Matt move into financial planning where he enjoys working with and getting to know clients. Matt currently serves as the Chief Investment Officer and financial advisor at Bernardo Wealth Planning. Matt grew up in the Philadelphia area and he and his wife, Becca, reside in Berwyn, PA.
We aim to work as a team at Bernardo Wealth Planning and have specialists within each area of financial planning who all hold a CFP designation. We begin the relationship by having an introduction call to discuss the client's goals and give an overview of the firm and our process to see if we would be a good fit. Next, we would schedule an inventory meeting with our director of Financial Planning to review the client's current financial situation and talk more specifically about the client's goals.
Once we have gathered the client's financial information and discussed goals, we would spend approximately 2 weeks preparing a financial plan to present to the client which can be done in person or virtually, whichever the client prefers. The financial plan covers all areas of traditional financial planning such as investments, retirement, taxes, estate planning, insurance, cash flow planning, etc. Upon presenting the financial plan and providing recommendations we would ask if the client would like to engage the firm for investment management services of their accounts.
General Information |
| Firm Start Year: | 2016 | |
| No. of Employees: | 20-49 | |
| Name of Custodial Firm: | Charles Schwab |
| Number of Years with Current Firm: | 2 |
| Work Experience: | Matt started his career in 2013 on the wealth management sales and trading desk at Morgan Stanley with a focus on HY debt. He would work with financial advisors to review client portfolios and make recommendations within the fixed income portion of their portfolio. Matt worked as the head trader at Radcliffe, a local hedge fund in Philadelphia, and acted as head of equity capital markets for Fortress Investment Group in New York City. |
| Work with the following types of clients: | Investment Clubs, Businesses, Individual Investors, Non-Profit Organizations |
| Advisory Services Provided: | Investment Advice & Management, Estate Planning & Trusts, Financial Planning, Portfolio Management, Retirement Planning, 401K Rollovers, Wealth Management, Money Management, Financial Planning for Individuals, Financial Planning for Businesses, Tax Advice and Services, Education Funding and Planning |
Services |
| Investment Types: | Annuities, Insurance, Commodities, Mortgages & Real Estate, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Stocks, Bonds, Options & Futures, Mutual Funds, Alternative Investments |
| Can meet clients in the following ways: | Your Office, Email, Phone, Our Office, Your Home, Video Conference |
Firm Information |
| Assets Managed by Firm: | $625,000,000 |
| Assets Managed by Advisor: | $160,000,000 |
Compensation and Fees |
| Fee Structure: | Fee-Based |
| Minimum Portfolio Size for New Managed Accounts: | $500,000 |
| Compensation Methods: | Based on Assets |
| Fee % Based on Assets: | Varies |
Education |
| B. A. - Double Major in Mathematics & Economics | College of the Holy Cross - Worcester, MA 8/2009-05/2013 |
Financial Services |
| Financial Planning for Individuals
Every client receives a financial plan. Following our initial meeting to establish your financial goals, your financial data is gathered and analyzed to determine your financial situation. A financial plan is then developed with recommendations on how best to meet your goals. Financial planning services are included in the management fee. |
| Retirement Planning
We take all prospective clients through a complimentary financial plan that highlights financially how retirement will likely look. We build a base plan and then discuss all of the "What If" scenarios that a client may be thinking through such as full retirement, semi-retirement, etc. |
| Insurance Planning
Throughout the financial planning process we will give recommendations and observations if there is a need for additional insurance. We prefer term life insurance for most plans but will look at disability, umbrella, and all other types of insurance given what the plan calls for. We will make an introduction to an insurance expert if you wish to proceed. |
| Annuities
We believe annuities can be useful in select circumstances but general do not advocate for annuities as part of a financial plan as I believe there are other investment options available to provide similar outcomes with lower fees. |
| Estate Planning & Trusts
Throughout the financial planning process we will give recommendations and observations if there is a need for estate planning. We can make an introduction to our network of estate attorneys or work with your current estate attorney to implement the recommendations. |
| Tax Advice and Services
All investment decisions are made with taxes in mind. Whether it's deciding to do a Roth conversion or invest in municipal vs. taxable bonds we take your effective tax rate into account. |
| Investment Advice & Management
The purpose of a client's investment portfolio must take into account the client's financial goals, risk tolerance, cash flow needs and tax considerations. Acting as fiduciaries we will provide our suggested asset allocation and investments that are typically ETF based with addition of alternative investments based on the financial plan. |
| Wealth Management
Every client's financial goals are unique and we design and build portfolios that reflect those specific financial goals while focusing client service. We offer a complimentary financial plan that will be our map throughout the relationship and will dictate which investment we believe are best for a given situation. |
Disclosures |
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WiserAdvisor provides referrals to financial professionals. WiserAdvisor is not a current client of advisor or advisory services. Financial professionals pay cash compensation for these referrals, which creates the incentive for WiserAdvisor to make these referrals, resulting in a conflict of interest. |
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Additional Detailed Disclosures |
Registered Investment Advisor:
Yes
Acknowledged fiduciary:
Yes
Compliance Disclosures in Last 5 years:
I have a clean record
Criminal Disclosures in Last 5 years:
I have a clean record
| Mon. | 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM |
| Tue. | 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM |
| Wed. | 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM |
| Thu. | 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM |
| Fri. | 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM |
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