After working closely to define your investment goals and objectives we develop an investment strategy that may consists of mutual funds, bonds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETF’s), closed end funds, stocks, bonds or annuities. Our approach to asset management is holistic: we will custom build your investment plan to compliment other planning concerns such as taxes, workplace benefit plans, etc.
Our clients leverage our experience to help them steer clear of short-lived investment fads and market timing methods that are commonly followed. The strategies that we employ have navigated both the best and worst market conditions over the past few decades and place an emphasis on risk management and diversification. While we recognize that the best investment advisors learn from the past, a sound plan must be forward looking. After all, as Warren Buffett said “if past history was all there was to the game, the richest people would be librarians”.
Financial independence means not having to work. Though many of our clients choose to work after they have become financially independent, having enough financial resources saved to support their desired lifestyle provides peace of mind and a possible legacy for future generations.
As we have learned through years of experience, spending requires as much planning as saving. Retirement planning involves managing a number of issues, such as:
Years back, people were able to rely on the guarantees of pensions and social programs to support their lifestyle after years of working. Of course, that is seldom the case today. Knowing this, at NFN we help our clients take ownership of their retirement and layout a realistic plan for the risks they face and offer solutions that go beyond chasing rates of return. Our comprehensive process will illustrate the risks you face and the solutions that are available. Like all of the planning that we do, the retirement strategies we create leverage our experience, but are customized to meet your unique circumstances.
Estate planning is not only about tax reduction, it also involves creating a plan to ensure that your assets will go where you want them to under the terms and conditions that you set. At NFN we will work with you to create a detailed inventory of all your assets and help clarify the ownership and beneficiaries. Your plan will be accessible on-line using our secure planning system.
We will assist you in coordinating everything from the basic tools such as Wills, Health Care Proxies and Durable Powers of Attorney to more advanced tax reduction strategies using trusts, family limited partnerships, and gifting. Though we do not provide or charge for legal services, clients find our ability to outline the variety of strategies available to them in simple, easy to understand terms a productive first step before meeting with an attorney. Once our clients develop an understanding of the options they might consider, we refer them to an outside attorney or can work directly with their existing lawyer.
The US Tax Code offers the entrepreneur a long list of retirement planning options that help to create tax deductions today, while saving for retirement. Often working directly with our clients’ Accountants, we help to determine which of the many retirement plans would best fit each unique circumstance. These include SEP IRA’s, 401(k)’s, SIMPLE IRA’s, Profit Sharing Plans and Defined Benefit Plans. Of course, these retirement plans are often just one part of a more comprehensive exit strategy, since there may come a day when the business has to be sold or passed on to the next generation.
In addition to helping entrepreneurs bridge the gap between personal and business finances, National Financial Network will also work directly with the stakeholders to develop a business continuation plan (i.e. Buy/Sell agreements) and develop employee retention plans through the use of Deferred Compensation Plans and other reward programs.
A sound financial plan starts with protection. A comfortable retirement, paying for college or saving for the future without protection from risks such as law suits, prolonged illness or premature death leaves a plan both vulnerable and incomplete.
Our planning process will help to quantify the risks that you may be exposed to using objective tools and years of experience. Protection planning includes a full review of your estate planning documents such as Wills and Trusts, along with a comprehensive assessment of your insurance policies. Together we will determine the right amount of insurance to own and the various types of insurance that might be suitable for your situation.
While the insurance planning process can be aided with calculators that help to quantify the amount of insurance that one should have, we recognize that planning for the unexpected also involves incorporating personal values into the decision-making process. As such, we eschew general rules of thumb that are often promoted by unsophisticated media sources, instead creating customized plans.
Insurance is often the most misunderstood and under-used financial tool. Our experience and research have enabled us to develop strategies to help our clients both protect and growth their wealth using products that have stood the test of time.
If we continually to neglect either, we will suffer the consequences later. In many ways, we are like your family doctor, but rather than looking at your physical condition, we are interested in your financial well-being. Like your physician, we perform comprehensive evaluations on a regular basis and an actionable game plan to improve your financial fitness. NFN provides you with tools to track your progress and will closely monitor your progress towards achieving your goals – be it a comfortable retirement and financial independence, putting the kids through school or providing a legacy for future generations.
National Financial Network (NFN) is a financial services firm that has over 65 years of experience helping high net worth individuals and business owners with all aspects of financial planning. We employ over 100 Advisors and staff and have offices in Manhattan, and Garden City, Long Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey.
Though NFN has the ability to use virtually any investment or insurance product that is available in the marketplace today, we are a general agency of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. It is one of the largest mutual insurance companies in the United States and has received exemplary ratings from the major ratings services.
Learn More About Guardian’s Financial Strength
Park Avenue Securities (PAS) is a broker-dealer, registered investment advisor and a wholly owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. This enables us to provide our clients with full-service brokerage and investment advisory products and services. PAS has over 2,500 Registered Representatives nationwide and gives NFN access to widely known mutual funds, ETF’s and annuities like those offered by Fidelity, Vanguard, American Funds, Oppenheimer, T. Rowe Price, John Hancock, and hundreds more
PAS is a member of FINRA, SIPC, and must adhere to the rules and requirements of these regulatory bodies.
At NFN we put our clients’ interests first. Our structure enables us to use virtually any publicly traded investment product, or insurance product, allowing us to create a financial plan that consists of the “best of the best” offerings. Since we are not obligated to use any one company’s products over another, our clients’ needs come first.
All broker/dealers have a “clearing firm”. The clearing firm actually “holds” clients' accounts and performs essential functions for financial companies and their clients. Park Avenue Securities clears through Pershing LLC. Pershing is a subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon and is one of the largest providers of brokerage services, with over $1.5 trillion in global client assets.
All securities are protected up to $500,000 by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). This includes cash balances awaiting reinvestment of up to $250,000. SIPC was created in 1970 to protect customers of member broker/dealer firms in case of liquidation.
In addition to SIPC protection, Pershing provides coverage in excess of SIPC limits from certain underwriters in Lloyd's insurance market. It provides the following protection for Pershing LLC's global client assets:
Meet our Team
Series 24 - General Securities Principal
Series 7 - General Securities Registered Principal
Series 65 - Uniform Investment Advisor
Series 8 - General Securities Sales Supervisor
Series 53 - Municipal Securities Principal
Series 63 – Uniform Securities Agent
New York State Life & Health Insurance License
CFS - Certified Fund Specialist
MBA - Finance & Investments
Ph.D. - Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Dr. Votruba began his career in the financial services industry in 1993. As Director of Investments and Executive Vice President for National Financial Network, Robert leads the Wealth Management Division – NFN’s resource for all investment related products/services. He is a licensed instructor in the state of New York and frequently teaches continuing education classes to Certified Public Accounts and other Financial Advisors on advanced financial planning concepts such as pension and retirement planning.
Dr. Votruba has received numerous awards and recognitions throughout his career. In 2021 he was named as Park Avenue Securities Number One Registered Representative and Investment Advisor Representatives, for the fifth time in the past six years. Over 3,000 Representatives nationwide compete for this prestigious award, making this a truly outstanding accomplishment.
Robert is actively involved as a board member in local charities, including the Hance Family Foundation and the Garden City Turkey Trot. He is an avid runner and triathlete, and has completed numerous marathons and triathlons, including the Ironman.
Robert lives in Garden City, NY with his wife Jeannine and their four children: Sydney, Nina, Robert Jr. and Leo (and their dogs – Jerry and Newman).
Registered Principal and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities and Financial Representative of Guardian. CA Life Insurance #0D23495
Series 7 – General Securities Registered Representative
Series 63 – Uniform Securities Agent
Series 66 - Uniform Securities Agent and Investment Advisor Representative
Series 55 – Limited Representative – Equity Trader
New York State Life & Health Insurance License
AAMS – Accredited Asset Management Specialist
Dean M. Rothman, AAMS, a Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities, began his career in the equity markets in 2000 with Deutsche Bank Capital Markets. He received a BS in Finance from Seton Hall University.
For the past 17 years, Dean has been a financial advisor with National Financial Network, LLC, a leading professional financial services firm. In addition to portfolio management and individual planning, Dean assists his clients in understanding the coordination of different assets and financial strategies. He also works closely with businesses of all types in developing retirement and deferred compensation plans.
Dean’s dedication to the profession and his clients is evident through his membership in organizations that encourage a commitment to superior ethical standards. In 2015, Dean was selected to the Long Island Business News Top 40 Under 40. This is in recognition of his mentoring, community involvement, and as one of Long Island’s future business leaders.
In 2007, Dean acquired the Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS) designation. The AAMS is an intensive program that educates advisors about the various aspects of all areas of financial planning.
Dean is committed to helping his clients generate wealth, maximize the value of his client’s assets, enhance the quality of their lives, and perpetuate their legacies for generations to come.
Dean, his wife Jessica, and their daughters Emily and Olivia reside in Bay Shore, New York. Dean enjoys training for endurance races, having completed dozens of races including the NYC Marathon and is a 3-time finisher of the Ironman triathlon.
Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS), 990 Stewart Avenue, Suite 200, Garden City, NY, 11530, 516-745-5600. Securities products/services and advisory services are offered through PAS, a registered broker/dealer and investment advisor. Financial Representative, The Guardian Life insurance Company of America (Guardian), New York, NY. PAS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guardian. National Financial Network is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. PAS is a member of FINRA, SIPC. CA Insurance License # 0H61501
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Series 7 - General Securities Registered Representative
Series 66 - Uniform Securities Agent and Investment Advisor Representative
New York State Life & Health Insurance License
CFP® – Certified Financial Planner
ChFC® – Chartered Financial Consultant
RICP® - Retirement Income Certified Professional
James began his career in financial services at NFN in 2011. As a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) James completed one of the industry’s most comprehensive financial planning curriculums containing nearly 100 integrated financial planning topics, including:
Investments
Income Tax Planning
Debt Consolidation
Retirement Planning
Employee benefits
Estate Planning
Risk Management
Insurance
CFP® practitioners must pass a compressive two-day, 10-hour exam, and must meet a multi-year experience requirement in order to use the CFP® certification marks. In addition the CFP®, James earned the Chartered Financial Consultant designation (ChFC®), which possess an average study time of 400 hours and completion of 30 hours of continuation education every two years. James also holds the designation of Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®), enabling him to develop personal retirement income plans for retirees and those approaching retirement.
Along with managing the personal financial plans of his clients, James also assists NFN Investment Committee with firm-wide strategy efforts and investment analysis on client portfolios.
A graduate of Sacred Heart University, Jack Welch School of Business, James resides in West Islip, NY and enjoys boating, fishing, football and physical fitness. Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities and Financial Representative of Guardian. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, Certified Financial Planner™ and CFP® in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.
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Licenses & Qualifications
CFP® - Certified Financial Planner
As part of the NFN Wealth Management team, Alex performs a variety of functions including portfolio and investment analysis. Alex has a Series 6, 63, 66, 7, and has passed all 7 Prerequisites as well as the CFP® board exam earning him the title of Certified Financial Planner™.
Alex is a graduate of Binghamton University, where he majored in Economics with a concentration in Finance. He resides in Locust Valley Long Island, and enjoys cliff diving, playing piano, Muay Thai, and wellness through Weight Training.
Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS). OSJ: 990 Stewart Avenue, Suite 200, Garden City, NY 11530, 516-745-5600. Securities products and advisory services offered through PAS, member FINRA, SIPC. National Financial Network, INC is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian
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Series 11 – Assistant Representative
Notary Public
New York State Life & Health Insurance License
Joan began her career in the Financial Services industry in 2003. A graduate of Adelphi University, Joan lives in Malverne, New York with her husband Dennis and two children, Lindsay and Morgan. Joan is an active advocate on Long Island for promoting diversity in the work place, empowering individuals with developmental disabilities to lead a self-determined life and achieve happiness and success.
Registered Representative of Park Avenue Securities.
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Maria began her career in the financial markets in 1994 as a Registered Sales Assistant. She earned a BS in Finance from St. John's University.
In addition to client services, Maria also provides operational support and expertise to the firm’s 80+ Registered Representatives. Maria lives in Smithtown, New York with her two children, Derek, and Nadia.
