Certification in Personal Finance (CPF)

Anna Knight is the Founder, Severance and Pension Specialist and the Certified Financial Planner at Simplicity Financial. She started Simplicity Financial with over 20 years of industry experience and with the goal of empowering Canadians to take charge of and have pride in their finances. She is a trusted source of financial advice to her clients and key associates, and strives to be the same for the community at large.

To elevate her impact and reach, Anna delivers her money management and wealth building courses to corporations and a number of organizations and online through her carefully curated courses. She also shared her valuable and time tested wealth building strategies in her latest book "The Million Dollar Difference".

In her well established private practice,  Anna either offers fee for service financial planning guidance or gets retained by her clients to manage their financial affairs ongoingly.

To implement the simple yet powerful financial plan, Anna has partnered with some industry leaders.

To provide investment management advice, Anna is a Financial Advisor with Keybase Financial, an independent MFDA dealer.   If her plans call for alterations or adding new life insurance solutions, Anna works ass an Insurance Broker with  Allen Wong & Associates / BridgeForce Financial. 

In case her clients need any mortgages, Anna is a full service mortgage broker (M18002128) through Assured Mortgages Division of 1490845 Ontario Ltd. (FC #10259).  Through Assured Mortgages, Anna has access to any and all lenders from traditional banks, to credit unions and private lenders.

Prior to setting up her own independent practice, Anna has worked for ICM, another independent MFDA dealer for a number of years, and Royal Bank of Canada, National Bank and Manulife Financial prior to that.  She not only has extensive education in her field but also years of hands on experience.

As a wellness and fitness enthusiast, world explorer and dancer and a mom, Anna ensures to keep on creating a work life balance, and encourages her clients to do the same.

Anna has been a contributor to a number of articles in the Globe and Mail and Money Sense Magazine, and contributed to a Retirement by Design book prior to writing The Million Dollar Difference.

Anna’s life commitment is making an impactful and positive difference in the lives of anyone she encounters. Therefore, along with Simplicity

Financial that donates part of their profits to charity every year and offers pro bono courses and work, Anna dedicates her time and other resources to numerous charities such as; Princess Margaret Hospital, The C.C.C.O. that supports orphanage homes for children, Interim Place, a shelter for abused women, just to name a few.

Dr. Minniti is the President and Owner of Minniti CPA, LLC. Dr. Minniti is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Forensic Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Valuation Analyst, Certified in Financial Forensics, Master Analyst in Financial Forensics, Chartered Global Management Accountant, and is a licensed private investigator in the state of Arizona. Dr. Minniti received his doctoral degree in business administration from Walden University, received his MBA degree and Graduate Certificate in Accounting from DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management, and received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix. Dr. Minniti taught graduate and undergraduate courses in forensic accounting at DeVry University, Grand Canyon University, Kaplan University, Northwestern University, and the University of Phoenix.

He designed graduate and undergraduate courses for Grand Canyon University, Northwestern University, and Anthem College. He is a writer and public speaker. He has experience in forensic accounting, fraud examinations, financial audits, internal audits, compliance audits, real estate valuations, business valuations, internal control development, business continuation planning, risk management, financial forecasting, and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance work. Dr. Minniti is an instructor teaching continuing professional education classes for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Compliance Online, CPE Link/CCH . AccountingEd, Global Compliance Panel, Clear Law Institute, CPE Solutions, Canopy CPE, The Institute of Management Accountants, the National Association of Valuators and Analysts, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the Institute of Internal Auditors, and various state CPA Societies.

Dr. Drew Stevens founder of Wisdom to Wealth, works with individuals that grapple with finances and transforms them into wealthy professionals with the liquidity and lifestyle they desire to live with profound longevity to create a legacy. He specializes in coordinating Social Security and retirement income benefits. Drew holds the industry's most prestigious designation: NSSA© - National Social Security Advisor.

Erik served as the head of listed derivative operations for the Tokyo branch of a major U.S. investment bank and later became the market risk manager for a value investing global equity long-short hedge fund in the U.S. He started Framework to give serious investors an intuitive grasp of these powerful financial instruments after the publication of his book, The Intelligent Option Investor.

I as the managing partner of The TOLI Center East help people better understand their life Insurance portfolio regardless of whether a person owns their life Insurance policy individually or through a trust. Whether the person is a CPA, an Attorney, or another type of an advisor, one thing remains the same.  Most people are not familiar with their life Ins and incorrectly assume that their coverage will be there for the rest of their lives.

But because the majority of life insurance purchased over the last 25 years is Not Guaranteed and has significantly been affected by years of decreased interest rates and neglect on the part of the amateur trustee that wasn’t aware that they should have been increasing the annual premium, an increasing percentage of those policies are now expiring years earlier than anticipated.

Lastly, Life Insurance today is an 'Asset Class' and as such can significantly benefit the Insured with its 'Living Benefits' as well as the beneficiary with its traditional death benefit.

The more you and your clients know about your & their life insurance portfolio, the better off everyone’s family will be.

Co-authored American Bar Association Flagship book ‘The Advisors’ & Trustees’ Guide to Managing Risk. Featured in Bloomberg, Trust & Estates, NYS Bar Association, Accounting Today, Tax Stringer, Wall Street Week TV, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily & More ★

Contact me at ✉ henry@thetolicentereast.com or ☎ 516-695-4662. Visit ? www.thetolicentereast.com

★ Clients Say ★

• “Mr. Montag gives new meaning to be a knowledgeable representative of what is best in insurance protection for you & your loved ones. A man of his word, his character is stellar & his breadth of understanding of an individual’s needs is enormous.”Mrs. Barbara G. NYC    

• “Henry evaluated my insurance needs (financial wealth & personal objectives) & he changed 1 policy significantly by almost doubling the policy for the same premium. He truly cares about protecting you & is always easily accessible.” Dr. Barry B. Roslyn LI

For the past 35 years Ilene has provided financial literacy and investment education for individual clients to enhance their understanding of money, finances, and investments; and to organizations with a particular emphasis on retirement planning. She has worked for notable Washington, DC area investment companies in management and in building organizational depth in financial education. 

Ms. Slatko has significant experience in the areas of leadership development, team development, career development, executive coaching and talent management. She has expertise in designing learning solutions – virtual instructor-led training and instructor-led -- to meet the unique challenges of clients. She was a key provider of executive and employee education for The Southland Corporation, U.S. Mapping, Century 21, and ERA Real Estate. She has worked with executives and leaders in the areas of communication, selling, client management, leadership development, and team development. 

Ms. Slatko has extensive experience in Federal retirement programs and training federal employees. When the previous retirement system was replaced by FERS, Ilene was at the forefront of presentations to educate affected employees in their choices. She has been a trainer for retirement presentations at agencies throughout the DC area,

She has been a speaker at conferences including the Army Materiel Command Women’s Financial Day, Delaware Women’s Conference, and numerous youth financial literacy programs. Ms. Slatko is currently the host of a weekly Roku and Apple TV show called, The *It Show, the first financial program designed specifically for young women. In addition, she has been the Director of Training for companies in the financial and real estate fields. 

Ilene is an alumna of Marietta College where she studied Drama, Speech, and English. 

Larry is the Head of Financial and Economic Research, Buckingham Wealth Partners. Since joining the firm in 1996, Larry Swedroe has spent his time, talent and energy educating investors on the benefits of evidence-based investing with enthusiasm few can match.

Larry was among the first authors to publish a book that explained the science of investing in layman’s terms, “The Only Guide to a Winning Investment Strategy You’ll Ever Need.” He has since authored seven more books: “What Wall Street Doesn’t Want You to Know” (2001), “Rational Investing in Irrational Times” (2002), “The Successful Investor Today” (2003), “Wise Investing Made Simple” (2007), “Wise Investing Made Simpler” (2010), “The Quest for Alpha” (2011) and “Think, Act, and Invest Like Warren Buffett” (2012).

He has also co-authored eight books about investing. His latest work, “Your Complete Guide to a Successful and Secure Retirement,” was co-authored with Kevin Grogan and published in January 2019.

In his role as chief research officer and as a member of the firm’s Investment Policy Committee Larry regularly reviews the findings published in dozens of peer-reviewed financial journals, evaluates the outcomes and uses the result to inform the firm’s formal investment strategy recommendations. He has had his own articles published in the Journal of Accountancy, Journal of Investing, AAII Journal, Personal Financial Planning Monthly, and the Journal of Portfolio Management.

Larry’s dedication to helping others has made him a sought-after national speaker. He has made appearances on national television shows airing on NBC, CNBC, CNN and Bloomberg Personal Finance. Larry is a prolific writer, contributing regularly to multiple outlets, including Advisor Perspectives, The Evidence Based Investor, and Alpha Architect.

Before joining Buckingham, Larry was vice chairman of Prudential Home Mortgage. He has held positions at Citicorp as senior vice president and regional treasurer, responsible for treasury, foreign exchange and investment banking activities, including risk management strategies.

Larry holds an MBA in finance and investment from New York University, and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Baruch College in New York

Linda Yao was born in Taiwan, Taipei into a family of five who lived in a one-bedroom University of Taiwan duplex with no amenities. She recalls sleeping with her grandmother and sister in a curtained-off area in the living room, while her parents and brother slept in the bedroom. The toilet was just a hole in the floor, and it was next to the kitchen. They bathed in a lean-to her dad built against the nearby banana fermentation warehouse.  

While her story started similar to many in her age group from Taiwan, Linda attributes much of her financial success to the decision to buy a few helpful wealth-building products that forced her to save monthly amounts of cash she wasn’t able to withdraw easily. 

It wasn’t always like that: Linda didn’t become interested in managing her money until she was in her 40s. Yet, she was able to reach financial independence, enjoy a very comfortable retirement, and very passionate about helping parents and grandparents to gain the confidence to manage their money, save, and pay less tax. 

She is focused on helping them in building wealth for future generations to leave a sizable

legacy effortlessly by following a few simple steps.

Peter has over 35 years’ experience in the financial markets and has managed treasury operations in financial institutions including Barclays, BNP, Ulster Bank and ACCBank.

Peter is an expert in foreign exchange, interest rate and market risk and has implemented treasury processes and procedures for a number of financial institutions. Throughout his banking career he advised clients on best practice with regards their treasury operations and has continued this work as a consultant.

As chief dealer and subsequently general manager of treasury, pensions and investments he became expert in structured finance, funding, trading, investments and risk management.

Peter’s economic analysis and expertise about the financial markets, is highly sought after by the Irish and international media. His direct manner, alongside his honest and clear assessments of present economic conditions, makes him very popular with the general public and the media alike, he features regularly on RTE, TV3, BBC World, RTE Radio, Today FM and NewsTalk.

Rich Arzaga is a dedicated advocate for investors who own directly held real estate investments, an asset class often overlooked by financial advisors. With a focus on comprehensive financial planning, Rich also provides valuable guidance on various real estate matters, including real estate cash flow modeling, buy-sell-hold decisions, 1031 exchanges, tax-advantaged strategies, inherited properties, and other challenges investors may face.

As the Founder and CEO of The Real Estate Whisperer Financial Planning and Education, an advice-only firm, Rich brings a wealth of expertise to the table. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), and a Registered Investment Advisor. Finding a dually credentialed professional like Rich, with both CFP® and CCIM designations, is exceptionally rare in the financial planning landscape. His clientele includes real estate investors of varying experience levels, business owners, and affluent families.

Rich's reputation extends beyond his role as a financial advisor. He is an honored instructor and adjunct professor in the UC Berkeley Personal Financial Planning program and the UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley Extension. Additionally, he has been featured twice at the esteemed Commonwealth Club of San Francisco and has earned a place among Worth Magazine's Top 250 Wealth Advisors in the Nation. Rich's real estate strategies have been showcased in prominent publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, Investor's Business Daily, The Journal of Financial Planning, The Journal of Accountancy, Real Estate Business, REALTOR® Magazine Kiplinger Retirement Newsletter, and other business and finance magazines.

Academically, Rich holds an impressive background. He graduated with distinction from the Personal Financial Planning Program at UC Berkeley, complementing his Bachelor of Arts degree from San Jose State University. Furthermore, he pursued Graduate Studies in Management at Northwestern University J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, solidifying his knowledge and expertise in the field.

Beyond his professional achievements, Rich treasures his enduring relationship with his undergraduate sweetheart, as they have shared a blissful marriage for over three decades. Together, they have raised two daughters and enjoy the companionship of their beloved flat-coated retriever – a “very good dog.”.

Stefan Sharkansky is the Founder and creator of Personal Fund and a former instructor at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz extensions. He holds a Masters in Computer Science from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Statistics (econometrics) from the University of Washington. His personal research on low-cost and tax-efficient investing led him to develop the mutual-fund and ETF cost-analysis and portfolio-building tool, Personal Fund. Stefan and Personal Fund have appeared in platforms and publications such as The New York Times, Barron’s, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. With his background as an academic, developer, serial entrepreneur, and former improv-comedy performer, Stefan is skilled at presenting complex topics in an accessible and useful format to help financial professionals better manage their clients’ portfolios.

Stephen Abramson is the President and founding partner of APS Pension & Financial Services established in 1977, a mid-size consulting and actuarial firm employing twenty-two professional and support staff specializing in pension and pension-related services.  For over 40 years, APS has been providing closely held businesses with financial services including pension design and administration, business succession planning, and wealth preservation planning. In 2015 APS Investment Management was established to provide fiduciary services to 401(k) and 403(b) plans and in 2018 APS Wealth Management, a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), was established to provide investment management services to individual clients and retirement plans replacing his previous relationship with a Broker/Dealer.  Steve has taught professional level education programs for the American Society of Pension Actuaries; lectured to various professional groups, including the National Conference of CPA Practitioners, The NYS Society of CPAs, Nassau Bar Association, the C.W. Post Tax Institute, and the National Institute of Pension Administrators; and conducted continuing education seminars for Certified Public Accountants for the past 35 years. He is co-author of Plan Smart, Retire Rich published by McGraw Hill in 1998; author of Advisor’s Guide to Qualified Plans originally published by Aspen Publishing in March, 2002 and recently in the process of being updated with the 8th edition, and Retirement Financial Management for Clients Approaching Retirement published by Aspen Publishing in August, 2002.  A less technical version of Advisor’s Guide to Qualified Plans entitled Guide to Qualified Retirement Plans: A Plain Language Primer was published by the International Association of Employee Benefits in March 2005.  The second edition of this book was released in 2008.

Steve graduated from Cornell University in 1964, earned the designation of Chartered Life Underwriter in 1967 from the American College, Certified Pension Consultant in 1970 from the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries and Chartered Financial Consultant from the American College in 1972.

Dr. Curatola is the Joseph F. Ford Professor of Accounting at Drexel University in Philadelphia. He is the Tax Column Editor for Strategic Finance since 1992. He has served as the editor of the Journal of Legal Tax Research and currently serves on the editorial review board of several journals, and has held a variety of leadership positions, including current national service with the Institute of Management Accountants. He has published over 250 articles in journals including Journal of Financial Services Professionals, Journal of the American Taxation Association, Journal of Forensic & Investigative Accounting, Oil, Gas, & Energy Quarterly, and Tax Notes to name a few. Dr. Curatola was a co-editor on IRA Answer Book by Wolters Kluwer and author of the EA Review course for Surgent Publishers. Dr. Curatola externally funded research findings have appeared in media such as Forbes Magazine, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and other media outlets.

More than forty years of practice in tax planning, estate and trust administration and planning, personal financial planning and accounting have given Warren an extraordinarily deep understanding of personal finance. At his New York City firm, Adelman, Katz & Mond LLP, his clients, who include primarily high net worth individuals, entrepreneurs and sole proprietors, benefit from his particular expertise in tax law, its applications and implications for individuals. Warren is an adjunct professor of accounting and taxation at Long Island University, New Jersey City University, and Rutgers Business School. He has spoken at the Institute of Management Accountants, both the New York and Long Island chapters of Financial Planning Association, the New York State Society of CPAs, New York University, and Lorman Educational Services. In addition, he is an accomplished author, and has regularly contributed to publications the experts rely on, like Marshall Loeb's Money Guide, Taxation for Accountants, and The CPA Journal. Warren has been very active in professional organizations, and has frequently been elected as president, board member or committee chair. Warren is a fan of local sports teams.  He also likes to read biographies and books on current events. He and his wife, Susan, live in Langhorne, PA. They have two children, Sam and Robin, and a granddaughter, Reily