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JUNE/JULY/AUGUST 2016
THE WARREN-WATCHUNG CONNECTION
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“ Good financial advice is hard to find, luckily you found us.” www.BeaconFinancialGroup.net (908) 769-4333 101 Town Center Dr. Suite 111 Warren, NJ 07059 Providing Financial and Insurance Advice for over 20 years The top floor of Town Center Drive in Warren was rented out 20 years ago this July. A group of talented financial advisors decided to leave a large firm and start their own endeavor. They called the new firm Beacon Financial Group™ (BFG). The mission was to provide guidance and inspi- ration to all its clients and employees. It was a giant leap for a team who were success- ful by the measurements of the parent company they had just left, so it was a sur- prise to most that they were willing to take this risk. On July 5th, 1996 the office opened for business and the BFG team joined the world of Independent Advisors creating a true Independence Day. Stephen C. Locker, the firms CEO and founding partner remi- nisces, “My first meetings were in an empty office with a metal picnic table and folding chairs. It was exciting and built the charac- ter for the firm.” They took the challenge head on and now 20 years later BFG exists as a successful firm with dozens of advisors and staff and hundreds of millions of assets under management. Over the years, there have been a few changes within the firm. The advisors have gotten older and more experienced, and the firm has updated its website and logo to reflect more of who they are today. Visit them at www.beaconfinancial group.net to check out the new website. Another posi- tive change is the addition of the Insurance Division Lead by the Executive Director of Insurances Michelle Jacoby, a Basking Ridge Mom and resident. Jacoby takes a simple approach with the Insurance side. ”We look at what insurances you need, what you have in place and how we can most cost effectively fill the gap. What sets us apart in the insurance industry is that we work with our clients in conjunction with their BFG Advisor, allowing us to incorpo- rate insurance strategies that complement the comprehensive financial plans. We offer our clients access to numerous, top rated insurance carriers that can provide the best premiums available.” The insur- ance division at BFG specializes in Life, Dis- ability and Long Term Care strategies. Gautam Misra, one of the founding partners of BFG remembers, “When we started Beacon in July 1996, it was with the intention to provide independent, pro- fessional and unbiased advice to our clients. Over the years, we have delivered on that promise with the client’s best inter- est as our primary objective and helping them be in the best position to accomplish their goals. We have created a very close knit and professional team that are con- stantly keeping up to date with the latest regulations, products and services. These people have made BFG a fun place to work where everyone is treated like family.” “I love to be working and helping clients. I enjoy what I do and each day brings a new challenge,” says April Devito, the firms Sr. VP of Corporate Operations, who joined the firm shortly after its beginning. BFG offers extensive financial planning services and the expertise that they provide runs deep. In addition to several Certified Financial Planners (CFP’s)™, they have mul- tiple Master Elite Advisors in Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group. All BFG representatives are securities and insurance licensed on one of the industry’s most expansive independ- ent platforms. Doug Molstad has been the firms CFO and Chief compliance officer since inception. He recalls, “It’s been amaz- ing to see the growth of the Beacon Finan- cial Group over the years. Even with this growth, the fact that Beacon people have always kept the best interests of our clients in mind has made it a pleasure to perform my duties as Chief Compliance Officer.” Headquarters are in the heart of Warren, NJ. BFG has expanded into several surround- ing towns including Watchung, Flemington, and Phillipsburg. They also have a presence in the Easton area of Pennsylvania, multiple NYC advisors and an office in Florida. Celebrating our 25th Anniversary This Year! BEACON FINANCIAL GROUP 101 Town Center Drive, Suite 111, Warren www.theconnectionsnj.com