Why did you form this firm to begin with?

I have always known that true financial advice starts with planning as its core. Prato Capital Management was formed with the singular purpose of being the premier planning-based firm bar none.

With experience from over a quarter of a century in aviation, I follow a simple core belief –

“People don’t plan to fail, they simply fail to plan.” 

As a result of this, many live a life reacting to outside forces rather than enjoying the one life they have been given.

With a flying career both in the military and commercial airline sector, each and every flight started with a plan. More often than not, along the course of that flight, our plans were disrupted by forces outside of our control. Unpredictable events such as bad weather, air traffic control disruptions or the occasional in-flight aircraft emergency came in to play. But not once did I ever place myself or my passengers in harm’s way nor cause them to panic. We have always maintained a responsibility to keep everyone informed whether things were proceeding as normal or not. Events happen. Life deals us disruptions. An individual’s life is fraught with “ups” and “downs” just like a passenger flight. We earn jobs…and we lose jobs. We get married (or not) and sometimes we get “un-married.” We raise little kids with little problems and we nurture big kids with bigger problems. It’s the cycle of life… it’s all part of the process …and it is all normal.

Life if not very different from investing. It has its ups and downs but in the end, if ones financial life is properly planned we manage our way through those unexpected “storms” and arrive at our “destination”, wherever that might be, in the safest and most secure fashion possible.

At Prato Capital we are there all along the way as your partner in the great journey called life.

Why did you decide to go independent?  

The decision to go independent was based on a simple principal: 

“Do the right thing for our client.”

In my previous experience I felt that the business models of the Wall Street firms were quite self-serving. As an independent advisor I am free of these Wall Street firms limitations.

As an independent advisor, my business model ensures that I always act in the clients best interest.

• Being independent allows me to partner with like-minded experts who do not need to share revenue just to be part of a Wall Street firms large sales force.

• Being independent allows me to advise our clients on parts of the planning process most advisors find boring at best or not revenue generating at worst.

• Being independent means I am not forced to offer “in-house” products or services, I only offer the “appropriate” product for each client.

• Our firm philosophy is to always find solutions for the individual that is best for them..period

Wall Street is a marketing machine. While they focus on advertising to fatten their management and shareholders pockets we focus on how to best add value to our clients lives. It is a completely different mentality and something I am proud of.