John Stoj, CEPS

Why work with John Stoj?

Spoiler alert: just about every advisor in the Flat Fee Advisors network (and frankly, good AUM advisors as well) will generally do the same work for you, helping to organize your financial lives, manage investments and cash flow while being tax aware, etc.

I will do that for you too, but what I also bring to the relationship is the personal and professional experience that allows me to help shepherd my clients through life’s transitions, because I’ve been through several transitions myself.

I’ve been a successful bond trader & portfolio manager on Wall Street, trading and managing hundreds of millions of dollars. I’ve been recruited by some of the biggest banks and money managers. I’ve also been fired (twice!), reinvented myself after the Great Financial Crisis derailed my first career, spent five years as a stay at home dad, and founded Verbatim Financial to help folks who I know are too often being taken advantage of by Wall Street.

Whether preparing for voluntary transitions like marriage, parenthood, FIRE, career sabbaticals, or traditional retirement, or dealing with involuntary life changes due to unemployment, health issues, family responsibilities like caregiving, etc., I will be there for you, and we’ll work through the planning process together.

My Wall Street experience may not make me, “uniquely qualified,” to handle your investments, but it does place me in a definite minority of financial advisors in terms of investment expertise. At the same time, I do not consider investments to be anywhere near the top of the list of the important topics we’ll work through. It is my opinion that the softer side of financial planning, including behavioral investing, is far more important than something like squeezing out the last basis point of return from your cash bucket in a high yield savings account.

As a result, I have completed Shaping Wealth’s BTBA Behavioral Advisor Program & hold the Certified Elder Planning Specialist designation, and I’m continually looking to expand my skillset.

If that sounds like someone you might want to walk together with, please reach out.