Throughout his career, Jerry Blakely has been a devoted and skilled financial advisor who has passionately assisted clients with their retirement planning needs for over three decades. Specializing in working with families on the brink of retirement or those already retired, Jerry has built a distinguished reputation for providing personalized recommendations aimed at preserving and growing wealth while mitigating tax liabilities. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, with a wealth of securities registrations under his belt and degrees from California State University, Northridge.

Jerry's commitment to client education saw him teaching "Retirement Planning Today®" courses at local community colleges, demonstrating his dedication to helping clients understand the intricacies of wealth building and retention. His association with independent firms has further underscored his commitment to providing products and services tailored to suit his clients' unique needs. As a fiduciary, Jerry has consistently prioritized his clients' best interests.

Having recently retired, Jerry has passed on the baton of trust to Max Shapiro, who will be running the practice in the same office alongside Shari San Miguel, the former and current Practice Manager. Max, a graduate of California State University, Northridge with a Bachelor of Science in Business Law, has built his career around a client-first approach. He brings to the table a wealth of experience in financial planning and a dedication to helping clients make the most of their retirement. Max's experience in product and investment strategy selection makes him particularly well-suited to assist individuals in navigating the complexities of the financial industry.

Max and Shari, are both committed to providing exceptional service, and will ensure clients continue to receive the same level of personalized and attentive care they have come to expect from Jerry. With their combined experience in the financial services industry, clients can trust that their financial goals will be well-cared for.

Today, Jerry, a lover of music, particularly The Beatles, and an active outdoorsman, is focusing more on spending time with his wife, Doris, their dog, Ruby, and their extended family. Jerry and Doris, who play in a local performing rock band, are looking forward to enjoying their shared love of music and the outdoors in this new phase of life. Despite his retirement, Jerry continues his association with Householder Group conducting Advisor Development Training and Coaching, and remains a Master Elite member of the Ed Slott Elite IRA Advisor Group.

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP®

The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® and federally registered CFP (with flame design) marks (collectively, the “CFP® marks”) are professional certification marks granted in the United States by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (“CFP Board”).

The CFP® certification is a voluntary certification; no federal or state law or regulation requires financial planners to hold CFP® certification. It is recognized in the United States and a number of other countries for its (1) high standard of professional education; (2) stringent code of conduct and standards of practice; and (3) ethical requirements that govern professional engagements with clients. Currently, more than 62,000 individuals have obtained CFP® certification in the United States.

To attain the right to use the CFP® marks, an individual must satisfactorily fulfill the following requirements:

•Education – Complete an advanced college-level course of study addressing the financial planning subject areas that CFP Board’s studies have determined as necessary for the competent and professional delivery of financial planning services and attain a bachelor’s degree from are regionally accredited United States college or university (or its equivalent from a foreign university). CFP Board’s financial planning subject areas include insurance planning and risk management, employee benefits planning, investment planning, income tax planning, retirement planning, and estate planning.

•Examination – Pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Examination. The examination, administered in 10 hours over a two-day period, includes case studies and client scenarios designed to test one’s ability to correctly diagnose financial planning issues and apply one’s knowledge of financial planning to real world circumstances.

•Experience – Complete at least three years of full-time financial planning-related experience (or the equivalent, measured as 2,000 hours per year); and

•Ethics – Agree to be bound by CFP Board’s Standards of Professional Conduct, a set of documents outlining the ethical and practice standards for CFP® professionals.

Individuals who become certified must complete the following ongoing education and ethics requirements in order to maintain the right to continue to use the CFP® marks:

•Continuing Education – Complete 30 hours of continuing education hours every two years, including two hours on the Code of Ethics and other parts of the Standards of Professional Conduct, to maintain competence and keep up with developments in the financial planning field; and

•Ethics – Renew an agreement to be bound by the Standards of Professional Conduct. The Standards prominently require that CFP® professionals provide financial planning services at a fiduciary standard of care. T his/her means CFP® professionals must provide financial planning services in the best interests of their clients.

CFP® professionals who fail to comply with the above standards and requirements may be subject to CFP Board’s enforcement process, which could result in suspension or permanent revocation of their CFP® certification.

Chartered Financial Consultant® or ChFC®

 The ChFC® program is administered by the American College. This designation requires a core curriculum, plus two or three additional elective courses that focus on various areas of personal financial planning. In addition to successful completion of an exam on areas of financial planning, including income tax, insurance, investment and estate planning, candidates are required to have a minimum of three (3) years’ experience in a financial industry position. 

To maintain the designation, designees must complete 30 CE credits every two years adhere to ethics standards and comply with The American College Code of Ethics and Procedures.

Chartered Life Underwriter CLU®

A Chartered Life Underwriter® is a financial professional with extensive knowledge of the life insurance industry and the underwriting process. Certification requires successful completion of eight courses, including several insurance courses, income taxes, estate planning, and several elective courses.

To receive the CLU® designation, you must also meet experience requirements (three years of full-time work experience or 6,000 hours of part-time work experience) in one of several specific fields, as well as ethics standards, and agree to comply with The American College Code of Ethics and Procedures. Additionally, there is a requirement to meet 30 hours of PACE continuing education every two years.