The Phoenix Fee Only Advisors

Anthony Syracuse, CFP®

Founder + Wealth Advisor

Dynamic FP

My Background

Prior to starting Dynamic FP, I spent a decade working with the wealthiest families at Northern Trust in Chicago and Los Angeles and at a family office in Beverly Hills, CA.

I specialized in exceptional client service and designing better investment portfolios to help clients achieve their goals. The problem for me was that the wealth management business model only allowed me to serve those that were already ultra-wealthy.

This encouraged me to search for more and rethink my purpose.

What unconventional approach would allow me to serve the up-and-comers, the families of creators that were making sacrifices now on their path to building something special?

These people deserve better advice and I wanted to share my perspective with them.

I decided to trek my own path to design a unique and flexible approach that provides this type of access. I want to do it differently. I want to educate and empower my clients and deliver advice with full transparency and honesty. I want to grow with my clients and build a partnership that helps them achieve more while they focus on what matters most.

About Me

Money is emotions. It’s difficult to manage this connection on your own no matter how much you have. My message for you is to take control and stop worrying. Go do the things that you enjoy and be present for important moments with your friends and family. Don’t check your accounts daily. Don’t always wonder if you have enough.

Our process of planning and investing allows you to take a step back to prioritize and focus on what is most important to you. Besides your health, there is nothing more important to help you live a full life than making a solid financial plan. That’s where we step in and partner with you.

My wife and I moved back to Scottsdale, AZ after being away for the last decade. It has been wonderful to reconnect with friends and family in the desert. We have two small children and enjoy the hiking trails in our backyard, eating great Mexican food, and testing our skills on the pickleball courts. In the summer, we look forward to cooler temperatures at the beach and on the water sailing in Southern California.

Experience

A decade of working with ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families.

• At Northern Trust in Chicago and in Los Angeles
• Family office in Beverly Hills, CA

Certifications & Education

• Certified Financial Planner™
• Bachelor of Science, University of Arizona
• Eller College of Management & The McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship

Stephen Hazel, CFP®

Financial Planner

Magnificent Life Financial Planning

Stephen J Hazel, CFP^® is a fee-only financial planner based in Tempe, AZ. He works with a wide range of clients in identifying and pursuing their life’s goals. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and transitioned to the financial advisory business in early 2008 after spending nearly two decades in banking.

Stephen attended Occidental College in Eagle Rock, CA, studying physics and engineering, and after that, graduated from Arizona State University, earning a BA in Japanese, which he speaks conversationally. He acquired a Master’s in Business Administration from Grand Canyon University. He has been a senior-level executive with extensive financial administration and accounting experience in start-up companies and community-sized financial institutions.

Stephen is also devoted to education; he has been an Adjunct Faculty member for Rio Salado College and has been actively involved in the local community, having served on various charitable boards and organizations in support of education.

He coached the triathlon program for the Desert Mountain States Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and is a six-time IRONMAN^® finisher and ten-time finisher of the San Diego Rock & Roll Marathon as well as a number of other endurance events. He enjoys reading and outdoor activities when the weather is right! He is the proud father of two sons and a daughter and is a long–time Arizona resident.

Robinson Crawford, CFP®

Financial Planner

Montebello Avenue Limited Company

I started in the advice business in 2012 as an intern at First Allied Securities. Lucky for me, I got to see the inside of a lot of classic wealth management firms - how the sausage was made.

Fast forward to 2016, I've worked a few years in the industry, but I'm not happy with my trajectory; I want to write my own story. A couple of industry guys create a platform called XY Planning Network, seemingly tailor-made for me & my dreams. I want to serve younger, digital native clients in a fair & transparent way, and I'd like to do it on my own terms. XYPN's little push, their "Yes, you can do this" at the September 2016 conference in San Diego, was the catalyst for launching my firm, Montebello Avenue Limited Company, which went live in February 2017.

Today, we serve over 50 clients locally & throughout the country and I couldn't be prouder of our clientele or more hopeful about the future of the firm.

Some more personal quick-hits:

• BS, Computational Mathematical Sciences, Arizona State University
• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
• Published in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Barron's, and the Alpha Architect blog
• Mississippi native 
• Youngest of 4 siblings
• I love basketball, baseball, sushi, and my dog's underbite
• Getting married on 10/10/2020 to the love of my life

Heather Townsend, CFP® CPA

Financial Planner

Townsend Financial

A love of numbers has been with me since I was a teenager. In high school, my dad actually found an envelope of cash hidden in my room and uncovered that I wasn't spending my allowance (sorry, dad). I was saving it! Along with the money, he found a note where I had calculated exactly how much I needed to save for my dream car, a BMW (admittedly, I still have a thing for cars!)

As I began my career helping companies become wealthier, I noticed that a lot of my friends were coming to me for financial advice. I would get so consumed with helping them accomplish their financial goals and I saw the difference it made in their lives that that's when I knew my new life’s mission. And from there, I launched Townsend Financial to help people like you.

I specialize in working with business owners and professionals with stock compensation and am on a mission to empower my clients to achieve a life of financial freedom - I want you to live a fulfilled “best life”. I want you to live your ideal life. If you want to connect to see if we are the right fit for each other, let’s get started.

Here are the details of my professional background:

Heather graduated from Arizona State University, W.P. Carey School of Business, with a BS in Accountancy. She then worked in the San Francisco and New York offices at Ernst & Young, advising high net-worth individuals and Fortune 500 companies. In London, she served as Financial Director for a top-end property development firm, counseling owners on the best ways to use profits. She is a CFP® (Certified Financial Planner™), CPA (Certified Public Accountant), CSLP® (Certified Student Loan Professional), and RLP® (Registered Life Planner). In 2020, Heather was named as one of the top Financial Advisors for Millennials by Business Insider. Townsend Financial is a member of NAPFA and XY Planning Network.

Dave Grant, CFP®

Financial Planner

Retirement Matters

Here's the important stuff:

When I initially work with clients, my aim is to say as little as possible. I want you to share your story, and I will probe with questions as needed. I want you to feel that you have a safe space to share the experiences you've had in life and with money, whether they are good or bad. I want to give you the freedom to explore what life will look like, knowing that I will be able to do the relevant analysis to tell you if it will be possible.

But most of all, I want to work with clients who trust our relationship and understand that they shape what it looks like, not the other way around.

Now here's the technical stuff......

My name is Dave Grant. I am a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) professional, a NAPFA Registered Financial Advisor and have been providing fee-only, fiduciary financial advice to clients since 2007. To better serve retiring and retired clients, I have taken advanced classes in retirement income planning. Having worked in fee-only firms of various sizes before starting my own firm in 2013, I have advised clients ranging from young professionals, oil executives to happily retired, blue-collar families. My specialities include working with Illinois teachers and executives facing retirement needing to turn their multiple assets into a stream of retirement income.

I am an advocate for providing financial advice using a fee-only model, which means I only get paid by my clients - not through product commissions or other means. I believe that everybody who needs financial advice should be able to receive it, not doubt the quality of advice they receive or be in doubt regarding the amount they are paying.

I am an internationally known planner specializing in how younger financial planners can excel in their career. In 2020, I "retired" as a decade-long columnist for Financial Planning magazine where I wrote a column for younger financial planners.

I live in Cary, work in Barrington, am married to a middle school Math teacher (Highland Middle School, Libertyville) and am a father to two boys. I'm a proud member of the Board of Directors for YMCA Camp Duncan in Fox Lake, IL and have loved serving as a mentor through Kids Hope USA. As a dual-citizen of the USA and UK, I am a chocolate connoisseur and think more milk in chocolate makes it taste better. I was devastated when Kraft bought Cadbury.

Andrea Clark, CFP®

Financial Planner

The Table Financial Planning

I am a wife, mom, grandma, small business owner, homeowner, landlord, runner, homeschooler, and family CEO through a dozen military moves from California to Vermont, Kansas to North Dakota. Coffee is my BFF.

I first began exploring financial planning over 25 years ago to serve my family and community. The advice and recommendations I make to you will be given with the same care and consideration as those for my own family and friends.

It’s what the financial industry calls being a “fiduciary” — your best interests come first, always.

The plan we develop will be tailored to your financial goals, not to a product I sell (because I do not sell any) or to a commission I receive (none!). I want to help you make well-informed decisions about the services and products you actually need, from life insurance to investments to retirement plans. My end goal is saving you money and growing your assets in a way that lets you sleep at night.

Since my clients’ interests come first, I have dedicated the last ten years to earning the industry’s best personal finance certifications: first as an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC^®) and then a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP^®).

Jonathan Bird, CFP®

Financial Planner

Farnam Financial 

Jonathan was born in Phoenix, Arizona and graduated from Creighton University. He serves attorneys and clients who are nearing retirement or already in it. He previously worked for Charles Schwab and managed $250 million in client assets for 205 high-net-worth families. He is the author of the Amazon #1 Best-selling book, Income on Demand - Master Your Retirement Portfolio, Ignore the Market, and Leave the IRS Weeping.

Outside of work Jonathan enjoys running a Junto group inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography. He also enjoys reading, golf and pickleball.

Dan VanDusen, CFP®

Financial Planner

Objective Wealth

Throughout my career, I quickly became the "go-to" resource for colleagues, friends, and family needing financial advice and guidance. By realizing my desire to educate, drive to bring transparency to financial services, and help others succeed, I founded Objective Wealth. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, I differentiate by servicing those seeking a fiduciary planner who provides a comprehensive approach, objective insight, and level of service that will help you identify and guide you to achieve your goals.

I completed my Masters of Business Administrator at Thunderbird School of Global Management and attended Michigan State where I received my bachelor's degree. Prior to financial planning, I spent many years in the education technology and services business. I was involved with designing learning tools, technology solutions, and delivering services to classrooms throughout the country. I grew up in a family of educators and education is a core part of my values.

In my free time, you can find me hiking, camping, scuba diving, or trying to lower my high handicap golf game. Gina and I enjoy traveling and spending time with our dogs, Murphy & George.

Francisco Ayala, CFP^®, CFA, MBA

Financial Planner

The Coleridge Group

My passion is helping families who want to use their income to achieve meaningful experiences, help others and take care of the planet. We like to partner with families that consider themselves altruists, minimalists, meditators, yogis, environmentalists, and/or socially conscious. We understand your mindset because we practice the same ideals. We believe that when people’s money align with their values, they are happier and more fulfilled.

We help our clients achieve financial and personal well-being through a life-centered approach to financial planning. Achieving your best life, and not indulging your money, forms the foundation for which our recommendations are based upon.

I have a degree in Finance from the University of Arizona, an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management, the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, and the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP^®) certification. Yes, I love learning and personal finance is my passion. I have worked in financial services for more than 20 years and have experience in banking, lending, investments, and personal finance.

We are an independent, flat-fee, fee-only firm that’s been around since 1974. There’s nothing more rewarding than helping clients achieve their dreams, without any other hidden agenda. No products to sell, no commission targets to achieve, no assets to gather. Just unbiased advice to help our clients lead fulfilling lives.