An unexpected series of personal events inspired Greg Giardino to pursue a career in financial planning. As he tells it, his unique personal experience equipped him with a passion for protecting and educating others to help them in the same way that financial planning safeguarded his family:

“My family experienced the unexpected tragedy of losing my father due to injuries sustained in a car accident. It was a devastating loss – he was our sole breadwinner, and he passed away early at 54, leaving behind his wife and three children. Our family was very fortunate; my father revisited and followed through on his insurance and estate planning a year and a half before his passing. As a result of his smart planning, my father left our family with peace of mind from a financial perspective, so it took away at least one stressor during this time of loss – worrying about finances. Planning was the best investment my father had ever made. The skillful planning preserved all of the hard work that he endured to provide for our family. Hearing a story like mine is rare because many successful families don’t receive proactive and professional advice. I have made it my mission to use my experience to educate and inspire my clients to act on their best intentions to protect their biggest asset – their family.”

In addition to planning and protecting families, Greg also discovered a common problem amongst the educators he counseled while working with professors and physicians.   Many reported receiving only rudimentary retirement advice, and nearly all the academics did not have a financial plan to navigate life changes. Greg realized that these same issues were also prevalent among those approaching retirement, including successful professionals and business owners. This experience inspired Greg to fulfill the need for advanced retirement planning advice for high-net-worth families.

Greg has a “client first” mentality, so his decision to join Atlas was easy. His philosophy of always acting as a fiduciary aligns with the firm since it exclusively operates under a fee-only approach. The fee-only form of compensation only accepts fees paid directly by the client. Unlike most financial advisors who work under a fee-based (fee and commission) model, the fee-only approach prohibits third-party commissions and their conflicts of interest.

With over a decade of experience in the wealth management industry, Greg’s academic credentials include the prestigious certification as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. As a CFP® professional, he must abide by the CFP board’s standard of professional conduct and put his client’s interests first.

Greg also holds the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® certification, which he earned through the Investments & Wealth Institute™ and taught in conjunction with the Yale School of Management. The Certified Private Wealth Advisor® certification is an advanced credential for advisors who work with high-net-worth clients, focusing on the life cycle of wealth: accumulation, preservation, and distribution. He is a member of the NJ Chapter of the Financial Planning Association, IWI, and NAPFA. His insights appear in various media publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and CNBC.

Greg and his wife, Melissa, reside in Bergen County, NJ. They enjoy traveling – from Australia to the Jersey Shore, hiking, and attending their favorite college sporting events.