Bravias Financial

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Bravias Financial

At Bravias Financial, we firmly believe that having a comprehensive understanding of one’s financial situation is crucial for informed decision-making. We aim to educate our clients on the key financial challenges they may face both now and in retirement, including creating guaranteed lifetime income, protecting wealth in any economic climate, and managing risk. Once our clients have a better grasp of their financial situation, we provide guidance to help them find the solutions they need to achieve peace of mind.

The Bravias Financial team comprises a group of individuals with diverse specialties in the financial services industry. We work collaboratively to offer tailored solutions to help you grow and safeguard your wealth. Through comprehensive wealth planning, customized investment strategies, and risk management products, we possess the necessary expertise to help you reach your financial objectives.

Rich Zeitz, ChFEBC℠
President & CEO
Rich Zeitz, the President and Founder of Bravias Financial, is a veteran of the financial services industry since 1994 and a graduate of Penn State University. He is also a best-selling author of “Plan Smart, Retire Right: A Common Sense Approach to an Stress-Free Retirement”. As a proud member of the National Ethics Association, his firm is built on the foundation of trust, integrity, and best practices. He has become a thought leader in the industry having written many guides and articles focused on retirement planning strategies and has been seen in US News and World Report, The Washington Post, Investopedia, Yahoo! Finance, The Street, MarketWatch, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and The National Financial Educators Council, to name a few.

Apart from conducting educational workshops and seminars, Rich is a frequent speaker at various organizations about wealth management and retirement readiness. He invests his time mentoring and educating other financial advisors across the country, sharing his philosophy and approach.

Rich and his firm remain entirely independent. “Bravias is not owned by a bank, brokerage firm or insurance company, and this independence allows us to work in a conflict-free environment and do what we feel is best for each client.” He founded Bravias Financial in 2008 to help guide investors on the path towards financial security. “As an independent wealth management firm, we represent our clients rather than any one particular company. This independence is vital in delivering objective advice.” Through the years, Rich has built a reputation helping people achieve a more meaningful financial future. His holistic approach to planning is designed to address all possible financial concerns and help clients truly achieve the financial future they imagine and deserve.

Keith Gebert, CRPC℠ ChFEBC℠
Partner
Keith Gebert has been a prominent figure in the financial industry since 2006, demonstrating a comprehensive background in strategic planning and investment management. As a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠ and a member of the Financial Planning Association, he brings exceptional expertise to his role. Keith completed the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) program at the esteemed Wharton School of Business. Additionally, he held a position on New York Life’s Executive Council and earned the prestigious Life Foundation Award, one of the company’s highest accolades.

Throughout his career, Keith has been committed to educating retirees on best practices for retirement, leading him to author the book, “Stress-Testing Your Savings.” Before joining Bravias Financial, Keith spent years expanding his knowledge in various facets of financial services. Upon identifying areas for improvement in the way other financial professionals serviced their clients, he founded RightBridge Financial Group and RightBridge Private Capital Group in 2012. By joining Bravias Financial, he has enhanced his capabilities, resources, and national reach.

Adam Sussman
Director of Investment Operations
Adam is a dedicated financial expert with a passion for creating investment strategies that align with clients’ financial goals. As an integral member of the Bravias Financial team, Adam excels at executing in-depth due diligence on investment managers and ETF’s. In his leadership role, Adam encourages continuous improvement and innovation for the firm to better serve our clients. Working closely with the planning team, he incorporates advanced portfolio construction techniques and thoughtful rebalancing strategies to optimize clients’ financial performance. Adam’s unique combination of expertise in capital markets structure, data analysis and relationship building allows him to deliver exceptional financial guidance tailored to each client’s needs. His commitment to client success is a testament to his passion for helping individuals achieve their financial objectives.

Ally Zeitz, CPA
Director of Financial Planning
Ally is a highly accomplished financial professional with over three decades of experience in the industry. As the Director of Financial Planning, she works closely with the firm’s financial advisory team to develop and implement comprehensive retirement plans tailored to clients’ needs. Passionate about simplifying complex financial planning situations, Ally specializes in analyzing client data to create holistic investment strategies that address each client’s specific planning needs and goals. These strategies serve as a roadmap for clients on their journey toward financial well-being. Possessing a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license, Ally has held numerous senior-level positions within the financial services sector. Her impressive career includes tenures at esteemed firms such as Goldman Sachs, Ernst & Young, and Frank Hirth.
Michelle Diaz
Director of Operations
With over 16 years of experience in client service, Michelle is an invaluable member of our team as our firm’s Director of Operations. She oversees the firm’s daily activities and back-office operations to ensure data accuracy in client accounts and helps coordinate all department processes, procedures, and protocols, focusing on continual improvement. Michelle’s primary responsibilities include client servicing, investment business transactions, processing applications, facilitating account transfers, tracking investment account maintenance items, overseeing RMD’s and retirement account contributions and distributions, and maintaining firm compliance. Michelle is happiest when wearing many different hats and multi-tasking, and her dedication to delivering excellence enriches the client experience and contributes to the overall success of our firm.
Nicole Leonard
Operations & Marketing Coordinator
Nicole’s primary responsibilities including client onboarding, managing schedules, document processing, client account maintenance, and spearheading Bravias marketing and outreach efforts — all of which she executes with exceptional attention to detail and a dedication to providing the highest quality service. Nicole’s focus on client satisfaction and seamless operational efficiency ensures an outstanding experience for our clients, and advisors alike. Her detail-oriented methodology and client-centric attitude are evident in every aspect of her work.
Brianna McDougal
Investment Operations Assistant
Brianna is a motivated self-starter who has cultivated a skillset of organizational excellence and exceptional customer service. She utilizes a client-centric approach, critical thinking and problem solving to support the operational needs of the firm. At Bravias Financial, Brianna collaborates closely with the portfolio management team, handling daily trading alerts, preparing planning recommendations and product solutions, and performing meticulous data entry across various financial software — all of which she executes with exceptional attention to detail. Her unwavering commitment to client satisfaction and operational efficiency ensures a top-notch experience for our firm’s clients.
Matthew Sottile
Sr. Vice President, Financial Advisor
Matt has been providing financial advice since 2004 and has broad experience in asset management, financial planning, insurance, retirement planning and 401K plans. He focuses on comprehensive financial management when it comes to building client portfolios and takes into account the need for capital preservation during retirement. With his extensive market knowledge, Matt has developed an approach to investing that embraces a macro view of the markets in conjunction with the micro needs of his long-term client relationships.
Anita J Patel, CFA® ChFEBC℠
Sr. Vice President, Financial Advisor
Anita started her career in financial services working with institutional clients in 1994, after earning a degree in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1998, she obtained the professional designation of CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst). Over the years, Anita has gained valuable experience in a variety of disciplines including pension consulting, institutional client services, global securities analysis, and investment management. Anita focuses primarily on helping women over 50, small business owners, and federal and state employees make smarter financial decisions so they feel more secure in retirement.
Stephen McGahran, ChFEBC℠
Financial Advisor
Since 1996, when he began his career in financial services, Stephen has been helping people plan for their future. Over the years, he has gained a deep understanding of investment strategies, securities, insurance products, pension plans, income planning and real estate, and helps create balanced and personalized portfolios for individuals, businesses, and organizations alike. He is particularly knowledgeable with benefits and retirement planning for federal and state public employees including advice on how to better manage their retirement savings (TSP, 403b, 457, 401k). Seeing people enjoy their retirement without stress is what fuels his passion as a financial professional.
Logan Wadsworth, ChFEBC℠
Associate Advisor
Logan, a graduate from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a double major in Finance and Financial Planning, has honed his expertise through work experience at companies such as Northwestern Mutual and Cetera Investment Services. During his tenure, he gained comprehensive knowledge of various financial strategies and their application in areas such as risk management, estate planning, portfolio investment concepts, and wealth accumulation. Logan’s current role involves analyzing client portfolios, providing ongoing client support, participating in client meetings, conducting a detailed review of their financial status, and assisting in the creation and updating of their retirement plans. He strives to customize each plan to meet the unique needs of his clients and align with their financial objectives.
Alex Benzemann, ChFEBC℠
Life & Disability Insurance Advisor
Alex earned an MBA in International Finance and has spent the last 27 years in financial services, having broad experience in investment management, life insurance, disability insurance and retirement planning. Alex has worked with with AIG in Moscow, Russia applying his wealth of information to the growing insurance sector. Since 2003, Alex has applied his knowledge in helping municipal, state and federal employees not only better understand how their benefits work, but how to achieve their financial goals through proper planning and smarter wealth management decisions.
Gary Billingsley
Life Insurance Advisor
Since 2001, Gary has been a dedicated advisor committed to guiding his clients through their financial journeys. His passion lies in listening to clients, educating them on their options, and helping them achieve their financial dreams. Gary has worked with a diverse range of Federal employees from various agencies. His core mission has always been to educate these individuals on all aspects of retirement planning, with a keen focus on identifying potential gaps in risk management, insurance coverage, and retirement income strategies. Gary has always been disheartened that hardworking individuals who save diligently for their futures often lack the education needed to safeguard their loved ones and invest wisely over the long term. This realization drove him to obsessively educate as many people as possible, believing that proper planning can make the crucial difference between fulfilling retirement dreams and falling short.
Katie Chaffin
Property & Casualty Advisor
Karma Risk Management
Katie traded a career in banking for one in property and casualty insurance. With Bravias Financial, Katie draws from her vast experience in small business and personal lines to help countless individuals find affordable insurance that meets their needs. Katie is skilled at matching customers with the ideal carrier through her exclusive insurance network, and her goal is to provide peace of mind for our clients.
Kyle Kane
Director of Marketing
As a thought leader in the digital marketing space, and with a history of success in brand management and content production, Kyle has planned and executed innovative marketing strategies for diverse industries spanning from entertainment and consumer products, to finance and technology. Leveraging 20+ years experience in marketing and business development, Kyle leverages his unique skill set to ensure the valuable services and messaging of Bravias Financial reach those who need it most.
Wesley Tanner
Annuity Specialist
Financial Independence Group
With so many options available, the annuity market can be a bit overwhelming. Wesley’s primary focus is to assist in researching and selecting the best annuity products based on the client’s unique and individual needs – income, growth or both. With access to over 50 annuity carriers, and a multitude of different types of products, he is an integral part of the team in creating income plans, or positioning annuities inside of a client’s portfolio.
Jason Cannon
Life Insurance Specialist
Financial Independence Group
Jason was born and raised in Utah and has been in the life insurance business for over 21 years. He provides product support and specializes in case design, underwriting and case management, all while staying informed of industry changes and new product opportunities. Jason has a real passion for helping people and he strives every day to ensure that clients are consistently receiving top-of-the-line service and purchasing the appropriate coverage and product to best meet their insurance needs.
Alecia Barnette
Long Term Care Specialist
Financial Independence Group
Alecia assists us by matching clients’ needs with the best Long Term Care insurance products on the market. She has always believed in the importance of education when it comes to planning for LTC and the effect it has on one’s financial and personal long-term goals. Alecia understands the significance that accuracy and customer service plays and you can often find her on the phone with a carrier discussing a new case, or just gaining more product knowledge.