Karen Altfest
Ph.D., CFP®
Altfest Personal Wealth Management
Principal Advisor and Executive Vice President
Karen Altfest
Ph.D., CFP®
Altfest Personal Wealth Management
Principal Advisor and Executive Vice President
As a fee-only financial planner, my focus is to offer unbiased financial advice to help you achieve your life goals. - Karen Altfest, Ph.D., CFP®
Wealth Management and Fee Only Financial Planner Located in New York, NY and Serving Clients Nationwide

Karen Altfest is a New York, NY fee-only financial planner. Altfest Personal Wealth Management provides integrated financial planning and investment management to help women, medical and dental professionals and business owners organize, grow and protect their assets through life’s transitions. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, Karen Altfest is never paid a commission of any kind, and has a legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.
Karen Caplan Altfest, Ph.D., CFP®, is a Principal Advisor at Altfest Personal Wealth Management. She helps many of the firm’s clients on a variety of investment and financial planning issues, and specializes in helping women clients and widows. Karen’s Financially Savvy Woman® programs, including the Women’s Financial $pa®, are popular with clients. Her focus is to educate and empower women.
Karen is frequently a speaker on the subject of women and money, and conducts educational seminars for recent widows and people looking to retire. In 2017, Karen’s article, “Life After Loss: 6 Smart Steps for Coping with Widowhood,” was published by the American Association of Individual Investors Journal.
Karen was also featured in “Say What? A Dying Man Says ‘Don’t Worry’ About His Wife” on WSJ.com in 2016.
Karen is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, holds BA and MA degrees from Hunter College, and holds the CFP® designation. Karen received her Ph.D. in history from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY).
She was the Co-Director of the Financial Planning and Investments Program at The New School in New York City and the Coordinator of the Financial Planning program, a professional program for financial planners, which she originated at Pace University in White Plains, N.Y.
Karen Altfest is a Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors

The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors - highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
NAPFA members live by three important values:
- To be the beacon for independent, objective financial advice for individuals and families.
- To be the champion of financial services delivered in the public interest.
- To be the standard bearer for the emerging profession of financial planning.
How We Help You
At Altfest Personal Wealth Management, we want to help you meet your goals. We understand that each person’s lifestyle is unique and requires distinct consideration and planning. That’s why we provide services with a personal touch, whether it’s investing client money or providing advanced financial planning guidance – we listen to what you really want, and really don’t want. Clients benefit from our expertise, objectivity and genuine service, which have been a hallmark at our firm since 1983. That’s why we believe our clients make a smart choice in working with us.
Today, we offer you:
- A staff of some 20 smart and friendly professionals dedicated to making you comfortable as we make your financial life easier.
- The willingness to serve you in the way that best addresses your own special circumstances, sensitivities and concerns.
- Sophisticated financial planning to help you navigate your way to a secure future and make intelligent decisions in areas such as investments, retirement, college planning, insurance or estate planning.
- A diversified portfolio of select individual stocks, mutual funds, bonds and private investments, custom tailored to your individual needs, objectives, and concerns, and managed by a talented team led by Chief Investment Officer, Lewis J. Altfest, regarded by many as one of the best in wealth management.
Pioneers in the world of fee-only wealth management – no commissions, no products to sell; therefore no conflicts of interest -- Altfest has worked hard to earn and reward the trust of our clients. Beyond the personal fulfillment of having a respected and successful practice, are the strong and lasting relationships with our family of clients.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Retirement Income Planning
- Investment Management
- College Education Planning
- Tax Planning
Ideal Clients
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Growing Families
- Business Owners and Executives
- Sudden Money Situations
- Novice Investors
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Karen Altfest is a NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors—highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
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Karen Altfest is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for Verification
CFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation.
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Karen Altfest is a member of The Financial Planning Association® (FPA®)
FPA® is the largest membership organization for CFP® professionals in the U.S. and supports high standards of professional competence, ethical conduct, and clear, complete disclosure when serving clients.
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Forbes Names Karen Altfest toTheir 2020 List of Top Women Wealth Advisors
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Karen Altfest Writes for The American Association of Individual Investors
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Karen Altfest is a Contributor to the Book: The Care of the Older Person An Invaluable Resource for Care Providers
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Karen Altfest Named to Crain's 2020 Notable Women in Financial Advice List
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Women and Financial Literacy with Karen Altfest on the Not Over, Just Different Podcast
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Karen Altfest is quoted in Forbes: "Why Financial Advisor Karen Altfest Loves Volatility And Brexit"
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Karen Altfest is Featured on Invest In Others
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Karen Altfest is the Author of Keeping Clients for Life
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Karen Altfest is Quoted on Kiplinger: "5 Signs You Should Fire Your Financial Adviser"
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Karen Altfest Serves on the Board of Trustees of The Graduate Center
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Karen Altfest is a Featured Guest on WSJ Secrets of Wealthy Women Podcast
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Karen Altfest is Quoted on FinancialAdvisorIQ: "How to Take Advantage of Trump’s Tax Proposal"
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Karen Altfest is Quoted in InvestmentNews: "Firm built on trust responds to the needs of its clients"
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Karen Altfest is The Founder of The New York Common Pantry
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Karen Altfest is a Member of the Financial Women's Association
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Karen Altfest is Featured on Wealtrack: Building Women's Financial Health
Contact Karen Altfest
Office Locations:
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445 Park Ave.
6th Floor
New York, NY 10022