Thomas J. Catalano MBA, CFP Expertise: Investing, Personal Finance, Retirement, Trading, Debt, Financial Planning, Insurance, Loans, General Business Title: Financial Advisor Education: New York University, Pace University Location: Hilton Head, South Carolina Highlights Tom is a member of The Balance's Financial Review BoardCertified Financial Planner and Registered Investment AdviserTom has completed the requirements for the FINRA Series 7, 63 and 65More than 30 years of professional experience as a corporate executive and financial advisor Experience In a professional career that has spanned over 30 years, Tom has held a variety of executive leadership positions in sales, business development, marketing, and strategic planning in the Fortune 25 arena. Those varied assignments enabled him to acquire a skill set in financial analysis. After his tenure in corporate America, Tom obtained a trio of FINRA certifications and started his own wealth advisory company.As a wealth advisor, Tom specializes in equity and derivative investing, retirement planning, estate planning, tax planning, insurance planning, educational funding, and personal financial management. He provides one-on-one coaching and collaboration to assist clients in assessing their financial situation, their goals and laying out a comprehensive plan to achieve them. Tom provides portfolio management and ongoing guidance on what strategies, products, and savings vehicles are most appropriate based on individual client needs, including 401(k)s, 403(b)s, traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, and College 529s. Any Financial Planner worth his or her salt will use their ears twice as much as their mouths when providing advice. If someone says, "You should put your money here", or "Put your money there", before they know your current financial profile and what your goals are, you should head for the proverbial hills. Education Thomas J. Catalano is a CFP and Registered Investment Adviser with the state of South Carolina. He holds an MBA from PACE University in New York and completed his education in financial planning at NYU. He has successfully met the training and exam requirements for the FINRA Series 7, 63, and 65. About The Balance The Balance, a Dotdash Meredith brand, makes money easy to understand. We give people tools they need to not only make smart financial decisions but also prepare for the experiences they will have along the way. Our team of expert writers and editors have extensive qualifications in the topics they cover, and many of them have MBAs, PhDs, CFPs, and other advanced degrees and professional certifications. We require our writers to use primary sources in their articles, which are also approved by our Financial Review Board and fact-checked. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.