Top CFOs is pleased to announce The Top 50 Financial Advisors of New York for 2022. Finance, technology, real estate, insurance, and health care all form the basis of New York’s economy. This year’s awardees are guiding and driving growth for individuals and families, business owners, entrepreneurs, as well as foundations in the state and beyond. Their expertise and insight into wealth management is invaluable and their dedication is prodigious.
Among this year’s awardees are Richard Salvino, Private Wealth Advisor and Managing Director for Moeder Salvino & Associates, who uses his extensive experience to enact long-term legacies for some of the world's wealthiest families; Susan Bennett, Senior Vice President and Wealth Advisor for Wells Fargo, who directs teams of specialists, often working alongside estate-planning attorneys, accountants, and local centers of influence; and Bill Marco, Founder, President, and Wealth Advisor of Marco Wealth Strategies Group of First Allied Securities Inc., who works predominantly with business owners and regularly shares his knowledge through financial radio shows.
We applaud these individuals for their achievements and contribution to the practice of financial planning. Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 50 Financial Advisors of New York for 2022.
1. Serge Permyakoff
VP & Senior Wealth Management Lending Officer, Bank of America
Serge Permyakoff is a Vice President and Senior Wealth Management Lending Officer of Bank of America. He first joined the company in 2018. With over 15 years of experience in the private wealth management lending industry, Permyakoff is known for his highly disciplined approach to fostering multifaceted client relationships and coordinating execution of timely solutions with key stakeholders.
Previously, Permyakoff was the founder and principal consultant at Bebald Consulting. Earlier in his career he worked with Merrill Lynch as a vice president where he sourced complex banking and lending deals. After earning his MBA, he gained experience consulting at Google and working in data analytics. Permyakoff graduated from the NYU Stern School of Business.
2. Susan Bennett
Senior Vice President & Wealth Advisor, Wells Fargo
As a Senior Vice President and Private Wealth Advisor for Wells Fargo, Susan Bennett provides comprehensive wealth management strategies tailored to her clients’ specific needs. These strategies encompass investment management, private banking, trust and estate services, and wealth planning. Bennett takes the time to understand her clients’ unique needs, and she directs teams of specialists, often working closely with estate-planning attorneys, accountants, and local centers of influence.
Bennett has worked in the financial services industry since 1986. Prior to joining U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, she served as a senior fiduciary advisory specialist and senior vice president at Wells Fargo Private Bank in New York and before that role, she was a wealth advisor for the bank for several years. She previously held the role of VP and relationship manager for BNY Mellon Wealth Management. Bennett first got her start with JP Morgan Chase as a relationship manager and senior trust manager.
3. Anthony Cristiano
First VP of Wealth Management & Senior Retirement Plan Consultant, UBS
Anthony Cristiano began his professional career over 31 years ago. Today, he is a First Vice President of Wealth Management and Senior Retirement Plan Consultant at The Cristiano Wealth Management & Plan Consulting Group, a UBS Financial Services Team. Cristiano and his team are a select, experienced group of advisors at UBS Financial Services Inc. relies on to provide objective investment consulting and fiduciary services to its corporate and retirement plan clients.
Cristiano joined UBS Financial Services Inc. in 2013 after working at Morgan Stanley for 19 years where he held the title of Wealth Advisor and Corporate Retirement Plan Director. He was a founding member of Morgan Stanley’s PEN Network and served on Morgan Stanley Asset Management’s Advisory Board. Cristiano has been nominated as “Retirement Plan Advisor of the Year” each year from 2008 to 2014. In 2012 he was also named as one of the “Top 100 Plan Advisors.” In 2008, he was included in the list of “Most Success Advisors” by PLANSPONSOR magazine, and in 2013, 401kWire named him one of the 300 “Most Influential in the Industry.” Cristiano is frequently asked to speak publicly on various financial topics and is involved with and serves on several charitable and community boards and organizations. Cristiano is also very involved in Veterans’ issues and was the writer of the financial column “VUE on Fortune” in the quarterly publication of VUE Magazine.
4. Richard Salvino
Private Wealth Advisor & Managing Director of Wealth Management, Merrill Private Wealth Management
Richard Salvino began his professional career over 18 years ago. Today, he a leader of Moeder Salvino & Associates, a team of seven professionals within the Private Banking and Investment Group at Merrill Lynch. They develop tailored financial strategies for family offices, business owners, senior executives, and their family members. Salvino serves clients throughout the United States and abroad who value the experience, honesty, and thoughtfulness that the company brings to relationships.
Clients have entrusted their team with over $6 billion of their wealth. Their team has garnered a number of national honors. The Financial Times recognized Salvino as "Top 400 Financial Advisors." His extensive experience working with some of the world's wealthiest families provides clients with the insight and knowledge they need to advance their financial goals, enact long-term legacies, and understand the risks and rewards of various investments, philanthropic offerings, and family wealth issues. Salvino graduated from the University of Miami with a master’s degree and from Northwestern University with an undergraduate degree.
View the complete list of awardees.
5. Bill Marco
Founder, President & Wealth Advisor, First Allied Securities Inc
Bill Marco is the Founder of Marco Wealth Strategies Group of First Allied Securities Inc. He works predominantly with business owners and individuals on their unique financial planning needs and has been dedicated to financial services for over 20 years. His focus is on assisting clients in creating, preserving, and transferring assets while minimizing taxes, and implementing strategies to mitigate risk. Marco holds a Certified Wealth Strategist ® (CWS) designation from Cannon Financial Institute, an Accredited Asset Management Specialist ® (AAMS) designation from the College of Financial Planning, and is also designated as a Certified Retirement Counselor ® (CRC) from The International Foundation for Retirement Education®.
He has been a participant on Fox Business Charles Payne’s “Invested In You”, a frequent guest on financial radio shows such as 970AM The Answer, and WCTC 1450, as well as a panel guest on local cable SICTV show. He was featured in an InvestmentNews article by Mary Beth Franklin “Future retirees focus on reducing taxes''. Marco was also the 2018 Kings of Staten Island recipient, an award which recognizes special service to the Staten Island community as well as, the ability to make a difference in the lives of others. Marco graduated from SUNY Empire State College with an undergraduate degree in business administration and management.
6. Brent T. Barnhart
SVP & Private Wealth Advisor, UBS
Brent Barnhart is a Senior Vice President and Private Wealth Advisor at UBS. As a Private Wealth Advisor, Barnhart is part of an exclusive division within UBS Wealth Management, Barnhart provides a distinctive level of sophisticated advice to UHNW clients including high-profile entrepreneurs, hedge fund managers, real estate developers, and family offices in New York, Michigan, California, and Florida. With $4bn+ in team assets under management, Barnhart is routinely recognized as an industry leader.
Prior to joining UBS, Barnhart worked at a multi-family office and hedge fund of funds. Barnhart resides in New York City and holds a B.S.B.A. in Finance from the Questrom School of Business at Boston University.
8. Bob Lilley
Wealth Management Advisor & SVP, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
Bob Lilley is a Wealth Management Advisor and Senior Vice President with the O'Toole, Lilley, Gross Group of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. The O'Toole, Lilley, Gross Group was founded in 1975, to specifically work with families looking to build lifetime income plans. With their combination of wealth advisory capabilities and WEALTHCARE® process, more than 150 families have trusted them to create a personal plan and have entrusted them with over $362 million of their hard-earned wealth as of May 15, 2022. Through a guided process, Lilley helps clients consider all of the key areas of life by maintaining a strategic plan to live life on their own terms.
Lilley joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 1996. He earned an undergraduate degree in business and finance from The State University of NY. He is a Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor, Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor, Certified Financial Planner, and Personal Investment Advisor.
12. Michael McGuire
Senior Wealth Management Advisor, TIAA
Michael Mcguire is a Senior Wealth Management Advisor based in Ithaca, New York, with a total of 13 years of experience as a financial advisor. Mcguire works at TIAA-Cref Individual & Institutional Services, LLC. Over the course of his career, Mcguire has held roles at TIAA and TIAA-Cref Individual & Institutional Services, LLC. He has Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses, qualifying him as both a securities agent and an investment advisor representative, and is approved to serve investors in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and New York.
Before joining TIAA, McGuire was a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch and before that, a VP at Fisher Investments. Earlier in his career he worked with Legg Mason Wood Walker as a financial advisor. McGuire graduated from Ithaca College with an undergraduate degree in business management.
14. Laurie Davis
SVP & Wealth Advisor, Neuberger Berman
Laurie Davis is the Senior Vice President and Wealth Advisor of Neuberger Berman. She first joined the company in 1988. Neuberger Berman is a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager. The firm manages a range of strategies including equity, fixed income, quantitative and multi-asset class, private equity, real estate, and hedge funds on behalf of institutions, advisors and individual investors globally.
Before becoming a Wealth Advisor in 2004, Davis held positions at Neuberger Berman as a research associate and portfolio assistant. In her current role she works with her Wealth Management team in formulating comprehensive wealth plans custom-tailored to the clients' individual situations. This wealth planning process begins with new business proposals and includes an in-depth wealth assessment, asset allocation and investment strategy recommendations. Davis received an undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware and an MBA from Fordham University, Graduate School of Business.
15. Seth Yerk
Wealth Advisor & SVP, Neuberger Berman
Seth Yerk, Senior Vice President, joined Neuberger Berman in 2004. He is an Investment Strategist in the Hahn Group, which provides wealth advisory services. The Hahn Group oversees approximately $2.5 billion of assets for entrepreneurs, business owners, corporate executives, and their related charitable endeavors. Yerk is responsible for the design, implementation, and monitoring of customized investment solutions for these clients.
Prior to this role, Yerk held positions within the firm’s Investment Strategy Group and the Neuberger Berman Trust Company. In these roles he was involved in helping solve for a wide variety of investment management, trust and estate planning and taxation needs. He was also a member of the Neuberger Berman Trust Company Investment Committee. Yerk is a member of the CFA Institute, CFP Board, Investment Management Consultants Association, and the New York Society of Security Analysts. He earned an undergraduate degree in finance and accounting from Lehigh University. In 2008 he was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
16. Deirdre Hoebich
Managing Director & Wealth Strategist Advisor, Bank of America Private Bank
Deirdre Hoebich is a Managing Director and Wealth Strategies Advisor with Bank of America Private Bank in New York, New York. Hoebich works closely with high-net-worth individuals and families to address their financial, charitable, trust and estate, and tax-planning needs. With more than two decades of experience, she offers in-depth insight and experience. She works in conjunction with other members of a client’s advisory team to develop customized strategies relating to cash flow, income, gifting, and tax-planning, as well as wealth transfer and multi-generational planning. Hoebich also assists clients in weighing significant decisions in managing their wealth, such as liquidity events, concentrated stock positions, stock options, restricted stock, and deferred compensation. Mindful of the distinct priorities of different generations, Hoebich supports families in delineating their long-term legacies and developing cohesive philanthropic strategies.
Hoebich joined Bank of America Private Bank (formerly U.S. Trust) in 1997. Previously, she served as deputy chief of staff and counsel for Lieutenant Governor Betsy McCaughey Ross of New York State. She earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from New York University and her JD from St. John’s University School of Law.
View the complete list of awardees.
18. Shannon Saltos
Wealth Advisor Team Leader & SVP, Wilmington Trust
Shannon Saltos is the Wealth Advisor Team Leader and SVP of Wilmington Trust. She first joined the company in 2015 as senior private banker VP. Wilmington Trust is a financial institution that has built deep and lasting relationships with its clients and provided innovative advice for complex situations. Its guidance has helped generations of families and businesses thrive, backed by the sound experience of our professionals and a forward-looking mindset. Trust and understanding serve as the foundation of Saltos’ relationships as a private banker. She helps individuals and families achieve their financial goals, from short-term, day-to-day cash management to long-term wealth management plans that address the challenges families and businesses experience as they grow and change.
Previously, Saltos was a P and relationship manager at BHI and before that a VP and relationship manager at HSBC Commercial Banking. Earlier in her career she worked with M&T Bank as a human resources generalist. Saltos earned an MBA in finance from Drexel University's LeBow College of Business and an undergraduate degree in communication and English from the University of Delaware.
20. Shiraz Zaidi
Partner & Financial Advisor, Coastline Wealth Management
Shiraz Zaidi is a Partner and Financial Advisor of Coastline Wealth Management. He first joined the company in 2015. Coastline Wealth Management is a full-service wealth management and financial planning firm in Port Jefferson, NY. It creates individual financial solutions designed to help "Secure Life Against the Current." As independent advisers it has choices that many other companies don't have. It has the ability to choose how to serve, which investment products to use, and what business relationships to develop. As an advisor, Shiraz takes a client-centric approach and specializes in creating customized financial plans. A graduate of Stony Brook University, he observes a well-rounded attitude and believes in implementing comprehensive strategies.
Prior to joining the firm, Shiraz spent seven years with JPMorgan Chase managing four locations on Long Island and a team of over thirty individuals. Taking that knowledge and experience through today, he proves to be a valuable resource to his clients and to the firm. In addition to his work within the firm, he is a strong advocate of helping those in need and spends much of his time volunteering, raising awareness, and giving back to his community.
26. Matthew Rapoport
Principal & Senior Wealth Advisor, The Colony Group
Matthew Rapoport is a Principal and Senior Wealth Advisor with The Colony Group, providing financial counseling and analysis to high-net-worth individuals and families. Previously, Rapoport worked as a director with Joel Isaacson & Co., LLC advising clients in the areas of income tax, investments, estate planning, corporate benefits, and retirement.
Prior to joining The Colony Group, Rapoport worked with BNY Mellon Wealth Management and The Ayco Company. At BNY Mellon, he authored white papers and spoke nationally on topics including wealth transfer, Roth IRA conversions, and concentrated wealth strategies. Before joining BNY Mellon, Rapoport worked as a senior financial planner with The Ayco Company, a Goldman Sachs subsidiary. Ayco’s core competency is providing sophisticated financial counseling to corporate executives. Rapoport received his undergraduate degree in mathematics and MBA in finance from Union College in Schenectady, NY, and an MS in taxation from the Zicklin School of Business in New York City.
29. Rachel Melroy
SVP & Private Wealth Advisor, Capital Group Private Client Services
Rachel Melroy is the Senior Vice President and Private Wealth Advisor of Capital Group Private Client Services. She first joined the company in 2016. As an investment counselor, Melroy advises high net worth individuals and tax-exempt organizations on their planning and investments, creating customized plans to protect and grow their wealth. She has particular expertise in providing financial education to clients of all ages and ranges of sophistication. Melroy also has significant experience advising clients on the most effective and tax efficient ways to achieve their philanthropic goals.
Previously, Melroy was a VP at JP Morgan Private Bank. She earned an MBA in finance from Columbia Business School and an undergraduate degree in history from Haverford College.
30. David Edwards
Wealth Advisor, President & Founder, Heron Wealth
David Edwards provides financial planning, investment advice, and tax and estate planning services to individuals and families across the United States and in Europe.
Prior to founding Heron Wealth, Edwards was associated with Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, and Nomura Securities developing investment products and quantitative trading models. He graduated from Hamilton College with a concentration in history and mathematics and holds an MBA in general management from Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia. Edwards competes in sailing regattas from New England to the Caribbean and coaches a hometown team in New York Harbor.
31. Angela Raitzin
Managing Director & Wealth Manager, First Republic Bank
Angela Raitzin is a Managing Director and Wealth Manager for First Republic Bank. First Republic Bank and its subsidiaries provide private banking, business banking, and private wealth management. Founded in 1985, First Republic is a $62 billion bank that specializes in exceptional, relationship-based service offered through preferred banking or wealth management offices. Raitzin is responsible for providing advice and planning services for privately held and multi-generational family-owned businesses ranging from $25 million to $250 million in enterprise value. With almost two decades of experience working with decision makers, she has been able to help business owners and executives coordinate the gaps in their businesses and personal finances.
Before joining First Republic Bank, Raitzin was a principal at Constellation Wealth Advisors and before that a managing principal at Morton Capital Management. Earlier in her career she worked with Credit Suisse as a VP. Raitzin graduated from Southern Methodist University - Cox School of Business with an MBA in finance and from The University of Texas at Austin with an undergraduate degree in humanities.
32. Keith Dowling
Senior Wealth Advisor, Mariner Wealth Advisors
Keith Dowling is the Senior Wealth Advisor of Mariner Wealth Advisors. He first joined the company in 2014. Mariner Wealth Advisors is a leading national wealth advisory firm. Its wealth advisory teams help clients achieve and maintain financial peace of mind, preserving the wealth they have created and building a legacy for future generations of family and business leaders. Dowling specializes in providing individuals and families with comprehensive wealth management including integrated financial planning and investment strategies for growing and protecting wealth. He and his team provide holistic, innovative, and client-focused solutions. They bring together talented resources, innovative offerings, and proactive advice. Their clients include individuals, families, businesses, and institutions.
Previously, Dowling was a wealth advisory associate at Morgan Stanley and before that, a wealth planning sales and consulting director at UBS Wealth Management. Dowling earned an undergraduate degree in finance from Questrom School of Business, Boston University.
View the complete list of awardees.
33. Angela Vahue
Wealth Management Advisor & Financial Specialist, Alliance Advisory Group
Angela Vahue is a Wealth Management Advisor and Financial Specialist with the Alliance Advisory Group, Inc. (AAG). She joined the firm in 2011 after eight successful years in the financial services industry between M&T Bank and HSBC. Now in her third decade in the industry, Vahue is passionate about inspiring and motivating like-minded professionals and families to achieve financial freedom through life-centered financial planning. By doing this, she can help her clients live a life filled with happiness and meaning. Success to her is when a client leaves the meeting saying that they feel so much better having met and can sleep better at night. She saves people from financial distress by teaching and educating them on how to create a balanced and fulfilling life.
Vahue has been a member of the Million Dollar Roundtable (MDRT) since 2013 and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors since 2011. She sat on the board for The Bristol Valley Theater from 2021-2022 and Make a Wish Foundation board from 2019-2021. She has also been very involved with the Genesee Country Village & Museum planning various fundraising events. Her honors include the 2017 Alliance Advisory Group Chairman’s Cup Winner; 2021 Alliance Advisory Group Chairman’s Cup Winner; and 2021 Court of the Table MDRT Qualifier. She was also very humbled to be honored as a 2022 Financial Leader by the Rochester Business Journal. Vahue did not come from money and was determined at a young age to always figure out a way. It wasn't a matter of IF something could be done it was a matter of HOW to get it done. Now having a daughter of her own, Vahue is fortunate to be able to teach her daughter the same values and determination that has blessed her in so many ways.
37. Daniel O'Connell
Wealth Management Advisor & Managing Director, The O’Connell Group
Daniel O'Connell is the Wealth Management Advisor and Managing Director of The O’Connell Group. He enjoys taking on the challenges of "fixing" damaged portfolios or constructing new ones. The O’Connell Group combines the attentive, personalized, and professional service of a small group with access to the intellectual capital, top-quality research, and technology of one of the largest global financial services companies. With more than 30 years as a Merrill Lynch Wealth Management team, they have helped guide individuals, families, and privately held companies through the complex issues of managing substantial wealth. Some of their clients have inherited wealth while others have used their entrepreneurial and executive skills to achieve it. Throughout their relationships, they design customized strategies to help them pursue the specific, individual financial goals that are most meaningful to them as their needs evolve.
Through the years, O'Connell has built enduring, multigenerational relationships with clients and their families. Many of the clients who were with him from the beginning continue to turn to The O'Connell Group for financial insights and guidance. Now, much of his work is with many of their children and grandchildren. Some of the most vital work O'Connell does involves helping clients transmit their values about wealth to the next generation. O'Connell graduated from Villanova University with an undergraduate degree.
41. Robert Hayden
Managing Member & Chief Wealth Advisor, Total Alignment Wealth Advisors
Robert Hayden is Total Alignment’s Managing Member and Chief Wealth Advisor. In this role, Hayden oversees Total Alignment’s fee-only financial planning and private family office platforms which are designed for busy individuals who seek independent financial oversight, objective research, hypothetical scenario analyses, proactive project and coordination assistance, and unbiased advice concerning all areas of their financial lives.
Prior to Total Alignment, Mr. Hayden gained experience in the estates group of a law firm, the family office division of a bank, and the financial planning division of a wealth management firm. In addition to teaching the Financial Planning Capstone course at NYU, Hayden served as one of fourteen board of directors for the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which is the authoritative standards-setting organization for financial planning and one of the largest financial planning organizations in the United States. He is licensed to practice law in NY, NJ and DC, is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® professional, studied International Business Law at the Queen Mary School of Law at the University of London, is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner, and has an MBA in tax and finance from the Stern School of Business at NYU.
43. Lauren Sparrow
Executive Director & Private Wealth Advisor, Morgan Stanley
Lauren Sparrow is a Partner of the Blue Rider Group at Morgan Stanley, focusing on investments. She helps clients express their financial objectives through appropriate asset allocations and also helps generate opportunistic trade ideas. While a generalist in her role, she is a director in two areas of focus: Alternative Investments as well as Investing with Impact. As part of these select committees, she provides specialized knowledge to our clients and delivers feedback to enhance the firm’s platform. The Blue Rider Group provides financial services to families, foundations, and non-profit organizations, with a special focus on the cultural community.
Sparrow’s background is in Fixed Income, she previously worked on the Credit Sales & Trading desk at Lehman Brothers and Barclays, and at JP Morgan Private Bank. Sparrow earned her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College. She has volunteered and worked with organizations like Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Ronald McDonald House, and Lwala Community Alliance in Kenya. Sparrow is on the Alumni Athletic Board of Princeton Day School, in Princeton, NJ and the Friends of Dartmouth Field Hockey Advisory Board.
45. Matthew Pitti
SVP & Wealth Advisor, The Pitti Group Wealth Management
Matthew Pitti is the Senior Vice President and Wealth Advisor of The Pitti Group Wealth Management. The Pitti Group Wealth Management is a boutique financial services practice with a deep breadth of capabilities and resources for affluent, high net worth, ultra-high net worth and corporate clients through its association with several prominent financial institutions. Its core belief is that clients wish to be served by professionals and specialists with no hidden agenda and the resources to provide them unbiased solutions and advice. By providing investment advice, 401k advisory services, estate planning strategies, and life and long-term care insurance, Pitti seeks to help create and build upon the foundation for financial success.
Previously, Pitti was an associate vice president and financial advisor at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. He earned an undergraduate degree in economics from the State University of New York College at Cortland.
50. Nicholas Tuck
Senior Wealth Advisor, QFS Quest Financial Services
Nicholas Tuck is the Senior Wealth Advisor of QFS Quest Financial Services. Through a storied career spanning over 25 years, Tuck championed the effort to create, develop, and grow Quest Financial Services. He is a founding partner and advisor with an unbridled determination to provide comprehensive wealth management and world class service. Tuckdeveloped his skill for careful planning through a prominent Wall Street firm. With a solid foundation beneath him, he decided to return to his roots in Orange County, NY. He had always held a strong desire to service the people of the community he admired throughout his childhood.
Tuck holds licenses in Series 7, Series 63, and life insurance. Nick is dedicated to the community and highly involved with local foundations. He is a long-term resident of Orange County with his wife Adrienne and two daughters.
View the complete list of awardees.
