 |
People
Sharen M. Stoner, ChFC, CLU, CFP®
H. Jerry Schiff, CPA, PFS
James G. Stoner Holk, CFA
 Sharen M. Stoner, ChFC, CLU, CFP®
Sharen is the principal of SMS Financial LLC. She brings to our clients a wealth of resources which include the following:
- Insight: With 34 years as a financial professional – Sharen’s tenure in the world of finance has brought her knowledge and wisdom that can only be found through experience. She has seen multiple bubbles and crashes in the markets, and can give her clients the confidence of knowing that she is able to get them through the current times and to their goals.
- Professional Knowledge: As a CFP® and ChFC, Sharen is trained and accredited as to her skills in financial planning. Sharen adheres to all of the professional standards of the CFP® designation including practice standards, ethics, disclosures, and continuing education. She received the ChFC and CLU designations from The American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and the CFP® designation from The College for Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado. Each year she updates her skills and knowledge with extensive continuing education courses.
- Education: Sharen received her BA from Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA with a double major in Political Science and Psychology and a teaching credential.
- Experience: Sharen started her career with American Funds as an IRA advisor; then moved to Merrill Lynch as a financial consultant. She independently owned and operated a registered investment advisory firm and then worked independently for FSC Securities Corp and Phoenix Equity Planning Corp. She set up an independent office of Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. in 1988 and ran it for over 20 years. Sharen is, or has been in the past, licensed as a FINRA supervisor principal (Series 24); Municipal Bond Principal (Series 51); registered investment advisory representative (Series 66). Sharen had never had a client complaint or disciplinary issue in 34 years.
- Community – Sharen has been active participant in community and volunteer activities. She has been a deacon in her church; served on the boards of the YWCA and the Monterey Bay Chapter of the Financial Planning Association; and served as the public member of the California State Bar Estate Planning and Probate Section. She was an active volunteer with Boy Scouts for many years and is the proud mother of two Eagle Scouts.
Sharen’s focus is on using financial planning with individuals and families to help them reach their goals. She is a creative financial planner who see the interaction of taxes, investments, estate and retirement planning as a big picture, yet is able to drill down to details. She loves to help clients achieve their financial goals
Email Sharen at sharen@sms-financial.com
 H. Gerald (Jerry) Schiff, CPA, PFS, MST
VISION: Growing up in Michigan, Jerry always wanted to see a more glamorous side of life. First as an artist, then as a philosopher, and finally as an entertainer. That was not the life his parents chose for him as they wanted him to be financially secure. Jerry moved to New York City at age 22 to pursue his graduate studies and career in accounting and taxes. Jerry’s education never stops. In 2007, he received a Bachelor of Law, after having a Bachelor’s in Accounting, Master’s in taxation and an accounting PhD. His passion for the arts has also never ceased and art and gem collecting are ones that still continue. He turned his passion and education into a career that combined both. Jerry thinks like an artist in a business world by making tax preparation and financial planning an art form. The passion continues with helping clients achieve a maximum tax savings and a lifetime of investing.
Professional Achievements: As a Certified Public Accountant for over forty years and a with a PFS designation from the American Institute of CPAs for over 6 years, Jerry has the education and work experience needed to help clients in all areas financial. He has worked for several of the country’s largest CPA firms in New York as well as holding positions in the finance departments of major corporations. His CPA practice began in 1977 in New York and within a few years expanded to California. The PFS (Professional Financial Services) designation is given after several years experience in the financial planning field and after passing a series of exams in that area as well Ethics and a hands-on experience in stock trading and analysis.
Education: Jerry received a BA in Accounting from Wayne State University and a Master’s in Taxation from the University of Hartford, as well as a PhD in Accounting from New York University and Bachelor of Law from the West Coast School of Law. He was an instructor in accounting at Hunter College and Baruch College in New York for eight years.
Community: Jerry was a member of the Community Board in New York City for many years having been chosen to serve by Mayors Koch and Dinkens. He founded a national small business organization and visited the White House several times in that capacity. In Big Sur, Jerry served on the Chamber of commerce, the Board of the Henry Miller Library and is currently President of the Pfeiffer Ridge Road Association and Vice-President of the Big Sur Arts Initiative.
Jerry is very focused on saving taxes for individuals and businesses and chose to do financial planning to combine the ability to prepare tax returns, save tax dollars and find the correct vehicle for saving those dollars for a lifetime of financial independence and diversification. Jerry has been a financial advisor for 9 years.
Email Jerry at jerry@sms-financial.com
 James G. Stoner Holk, CFA
James is particularly interested and knowledgeable about portfolio design and management as well as asset pricing. He has completed his master’s degree in financial analysis at the University of San Francisco and is a CFA® charterholder.
- He has worked with the team at SMS Financial LLC since 2006, helping clients and developing portfolios.
- Other education: He received his BA with a double major in economics and philosophy from the University of California, San Diego.
- Licensing – James is a registered investment advisory representative (Series 66).
James enjoys research, analysis, and portfolio management. He actually reads prospectuses and economic textbooks for fun! When not studying finance, he enjoys hiking, playing guitar, and reading up on any number of random topics.
Email James at james@sms-financial.com
|
|
