Stephen Craffen
CFP®, CFA®, CLU®, ChFC®, MBA
Atlas Fiduciary Financial, LLC
Principal, Senior Fee-Only Wealth Advisor
Stephen Craffen
CFP®, CFA®, CLU®, ChFC®, MBA
Atlas Fiduciary Financial, LLC
Principal, Senior Fee-Only Wealth Advisor
As a fee-only financial planner, my focus is to offer unbiased financial advice to help you achieve your life goals. The financial planner you hire should be a fiduciary and have the proper education. I feel so strongly about this that I have been actively involved in the leadership of NAPFA, and served as National Chair from 2019-2020. - Stephen Craffen, CFP®, CFA®, CLU®, ChFC®, MBA
Fee-Only financial planner located in Oakland, NJ, serving clients locally, from the Sarasota office, and across the country with "SMARTER FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR BEST LIFE"
The name of our firm tells you what we stand for. According to the dictionary, Atlas is a person who is a mainstay and a Fiduciary involves operating in trust for another person. Advising clients, affecting their financial lives is a tremendous responsibility - which is not lost on us. Our promise of reliable and responsible guidance can be found in our name and in the SIGNED FIDUCIARY OATH we give each of our clients.
From the beginning we have always worked as FEE-ONLY Advisors. Our recommendations are based solely upon merit and our analytical evaluation of the pros and cons of your options.
In order to provide this level of analysis - EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE MATTER. At Atlas Fiduciary Financial, every team member has at least a finance degree from a university and also a CFP. The senior advisors hold terminal university degrees and gold-standard credentials. For example in addition to the CFP, I hold a Ph.D. in Personal Financial Planning and an MBA in Accounting. Other Senior Advisors of the firm hold the CFA designation and the CPA designation broadening our knowledge.
And our EXPERIENCE RUNS DEEP. I’ve worked as a finance professional for over 30 years, first as a CFO advising CEOs and business owners and then as a fee-only financial planner advising individuals and their families. Our Senior Advisors all have similar tenure.
Atlas Fiduciary Financial offers COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL PLANNING where we look at your entire life to provide solutions that support your “best” life and we also offer investment management based on what we have coined ENHANCED-MODERN PORTFOLIO THEORY, using sophisticated mathematical tools proven to reduce risk while investing in your future.
And we are GOOD LISTENERS. Our personalized focus on your life, inspires trust and confidence. No matter what your situation, your financial plan should address your deepest concerns. Our compassionate team specializes in clear, straightforward guidance, so you gain a sense of organization and clarity.
In summary, our SUPERIOR EDUCATION, our YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, our FEE-ONLY FIDUCIARY PROMISE and our GENUINE CONCERN for our clients are the reasons why our relationships run deep and are long-lasting.
Steve Craffen worked as an engineer for about 10 years before changing careers and joining Prudential. After a few years, he became disenchanted with the sales-oriented approach to delivering financial advice since it did not have the client’s best interests at heart and he believed strongly in the value of financial planning. In 1993 he left Prudential and founded a firm, which later became Atlas Fiduciary Financial, and in 1998 joined the National Association of Financial Planners (NAPFA). Today he leads the Northern, NJ office for Atlas.
Steve feels so strongly about NAPFA and its mission to “fix” the way advice is delivered to consumers that he has been involved as a volunteer for many years in many roles, serving as eastern region chair and president and gradually rising through the ranks of governance until he was elected to the highest position, Chair of the National Board (2018-2019). NAPFA membership was a natural fit for us since we believe the client comes first and that providing detailed financial planning is key to the success of our clients.
Steve loves helping people organize the financial aspects of their lives and planning for their future whether it will be for early retirement, buying a second house or even just helping to provide a feeling of security in knowing that you can achieve your goals and dreams in life. He particularly likes to work with executives, professionals and business owners.
Steve’s hobbies include photography, cooking and sports cars. He stays in shape through weightlifting and karate (black belt, Shotokan). He enjoys playing with his 3 dogs; don’t mention them or you’ll have to see their pictures! He is married and has a 19-year-old daughter attending George Washington University.
Steve is a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, (NAPFA). NAPFA is the nation's premier organization of Fee-only financial advisors. NAPFA members adhere to a strict code of ethics and sign an oath stating they will not accept compensation from any third party and will not accept commissions of any kind. Steve served on NAPFA's North East/Mid-Atlantic Region board for six years and is a past Chair (2013/2014) and past President (2012/2013) of the region. He served as a member of NAPFA's National Board for four years with his final year as National Chair, his one year term starting September 2018 and ending in August 2019. He is also a member of the CFA Institute (formerly the Association for Investment Management Research. (AIMR)), and the New York Society of Securities Analysts (NYSSA).
Stephen Craffen 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.
Our genuine desire to help people achieve their financial goals, combined with our unique qualities and capabilities, translate to excellent personalized service.
SUPERIOR QUALIFICATIONS (HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION & EXPERENCE)
- Our members hold the highest levels of education in the profession with at least a BA or MBA in finance, while the partners hold a MS and a Ph.D. in financial planning.
- Our members all hold a CFP® at minimum and members also hold the other most relevant credentials in the profession including, CFA, CPA, CLU, ChFC.
- We are continuous learners - investing in our human capital allows us to offer smarter solutions in a dynamic world.
PURE 100% FIDUCIARY AND FEE-ONLY
- We commit in writing to working as pure (100% of the time) fiduciary and fee-only advisors which means all recommendations are always unbiased and objective.
- We are members of NAPFA (the only organization monitoring Fee-Only advisors) and are restricted from receiving commissions or compensation from any source other than you - our client. This means all recommendations are merit based.
- True independence (unencumbered by an organization) means we have no boss or shareholders who could influence our recommendations. Our only boss is you - our client.
PARTNERSHIP
- By working with you (not for you) we help you achieve your best life using money as a tool.
PROACTIVE & DISCIPLINED (ONGOING AND AT KEY TRANSITIONAL MOMENTS IN YOUR LIFE)
- Life transitions cause financial stress making it difficult to make the right decisions.
- We listen deeply to uncover your unique needs.
- We educate and explain pros/cons of each potential solution to empower your decisions.
PEACE OF MIND (WE BRING ORGANIZATION AND PREPAREDNESS INTO YOUR LIFE)
- We help protect you against risk by controlling the controllable.
- We help you stay focused and on track to achieve your goals.
SATISFACTION
- Our client relationships are genuine and rewarding.
- We are grateful and humbled to do meaningful work contributing to our client’s well-being.
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
- Professionals
Working Together
- In-Office Meetings
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Stephen Craffen is a NAPFA-Registered Financial AdvisorThe 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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Stephen Craffen is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for VerificationCFP® 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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Stephen Craffen is a CFA® charterholder
The CFA Program is the most respected and recognized investment management designation in the world with less than 200,000 charterholders globally.
This advisor has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation (CFA® charter) by passing all three of the CFA exams and gaining relevant industry experience, demonstrating their mastery of the investment analysis and decision-making skills most needed in the global investment management profession.
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Stephen Craffen is a Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®)A Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®) is a professional designation for individuals specializing in life insurance and estate planning. Individuals must complete five core courses and three elective courses, and successfully pass all eight two-hour, 100-question examinations in order to receive the CLU® designation.
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Stephen Craffen is a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®)Chartered Financial Consultant® designations are granted upon completion of seven required courses and two elective courses. Those who earn the designation are understood to be knowledgeable in financial matters and to have the ability to provide sound advice.
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Stephen Craffen is Quoted on Barrons: "How to Diversify Your Portfolio With Alternative Investments"
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Stephen Craffen is Contributes to Rethinking 65: "Building a Portfolio for the Long Term"
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Stephen Craffen Answers the Question: "What’s the best way to save for my grandchildren?" on Lehigh Valley Live
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Stephen Craffen, on the Need to Better Understand Risk
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Stephen Craffen is Quoted on NBC News: "How will Wall Street react if the government shuts down — and is your 401(k) safe?"
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Stephen Craffen is Quoted on NJ.com: "Helping mom with inherited house plans"
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(12/4/17) Stephen C. Craffen has been elected chair of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors with a one-year term starting Sept. 1, 2018
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Stephen Craffen is Featured on The Paladin Registry Blog: "New Codes and Standards Redefine Certified Financial Planner"
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Stephen Craffen is Interviewed in Financial Planning Magazine: "Is insurance ‘the wave of the future’ for advisors?"
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Stephen Craffen is Interviewed by MarketWatch: "These are the 3 big reasons you should use a financial adviser (and picking investments is not one of them)"
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Stephen Craffen is Quoted on the Avantax Blog: "How to Review a Financial Advisor"
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Stephen Craffen is Quoted on New Jersey 101.5: "Savings options for teen earnings and financial aid"
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Stephen Craffen is Quoted in Investor's Business Daily: "Financial Advisor Networking: Should You Join A Peer Group?"
Contact Stephen Craffen
Office Locations:
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393 Ramapo Valley Rd
Suite 2
Oakland, NJ 07436 -
2201 Cantu Ct.
Suite 116A
Sarasota, FL 34240
