My Story
I was born and raised in Youngstown, OH, where a strong sense of perseverance and family values shaped my approach to life and work. After earning my degree from Walsh University and pursuing certifications as a CFP® and RICP®, my career has been focused on helping people navigate their financial journeys. Inspired by my experiences, including running marathons in my early forties and learning to snowboard at age 50 alongside my wife Kristen and our five children, I’ve come to view both life and financial planning as long-term pursuits—more about endurance and adaptation than quick results.
My Focus
As Managing Director at Davidson Wealth Management, I take pride in leading our team with a visionary approach. My passion lies in simplifying the complexities of financial planning and truly listening to each client’s unique story. I believe in behavioral finance and the power it has to help our clients make informed decisions. At the heart of my work is a genuine desire to help families not just grow their wealth but build meaningful legacies.
My Life
When I’m not working, you’ll find me with my family. We snowboard in the winter, wake-surf in the summer, and attempt to hone our golf skills throughout the year. I’m also an avid traveler, a volunteer ski-host on Snowshoe Mountain, a grill-master in our back yard, and dog-dad of two rescue pups. I’m a firm believer in balancing hard work with time for family, personal growth, and community involvement. My guiding motto: Work hard. Play hard.
Professional Achievements
Over the years, I’ve been recognized by Barrons Top 1200 State by State Advisors* for 2023, Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisor for 2024**, and the Five Star Wealth Manager in Charlotte***. These honors reflect my commitment to serving our clients with excellence and integrity. Above all, I care deeply about each person’s story and am driven by a passion to help them achieve successful outcomes.
Quote
One of my favorite quotes comes from Morgan Housel in The Psychology of Money: “Planning is important, but the most important part of every plan is to plan on the plan not going according to plan.” It’s a philosophy I apply to both life and financial planning, where resilience and flexibility are key.
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*2023 Barron’s Top 1,200 State By State Advisors: Awarded March 2023; Data Compiled by Barron’s based on the time period from Oct. 2021 – Sept. 2022 (Source: Barrons.com). The Barron’s Top 1,200 State By State Advisors ratings are based on the previous year’s assets under management, revenue generated for the advisors’ firms, and the quality of the advisors’ practices. Investment performance isn’t an explicit factor because clients have varied goals and risk tolerances. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria.
**2024 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors; Awarded April 2024; Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on the time period from 6/30/22 – 6/30/23 (Source: Forbes.com). The Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors rating algorithm is based on the previous year’s industry experience, interviews, compliance records, assets under management, revenue and other criteria by SHOOK Research, LLC. Investment performance is not a criterion. Self-completed survey was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria.
***The Five Star Wealth Manager award was issued by Five Star Professional (FSP). Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria – required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a registered investment adviser or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria – considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future.
This award was issued on 8/1/24 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 10/10/23 through 4/30/24. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 1690 Charlotte-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 99 (6% of candidates) were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers.
