Jim graduated from Swarthmore College with high honors in history. He has been managing individual client portfolios since 1978. Jim worked for Shearson/American Express and for Merrill Lynch, where he was an assistant vice president in the Media, Pennsylvania, office. He co-founded TGS Financial Advisors with David Burd in 1990.

Jim has been a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional since 1982. He earned the Chartered Life Underwriter certification at the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, in 1998, and the Chartered Financial Consultant designation in 1999. In August of 2001, he completed IMCA’s Certified Investment Strategist training at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and received his Certified Investment Management Analyst designation. In 2006, Jim earned the Chartered Advisor for Senior Living designation. He is a member of the Financial Planning Association, the Society of Financial Services Professionals and the Investment Management Consultants Association.

Jim specializes in money management for high-net-worth individuals, with special expertise in the areas of retirement transition and retirement cash flow planning. He developed the first version TGS’s proprietary Dynamic Contrarian Portfolio Strategy™, an asset allocation strategy that is at the core of the firm’s investment process. As chief investment strategist, he is responsible for coordinating TGS’s investment research initiatives and for recommending changes to the firm’s investment committee. For his up to date thoughts on the markets, investment strategy and politics, travel and wine visit his blog, The Glass Half Full.

Born in Richmond, Virginia, and raised partly in Memphis, Tennessee, Jim currently resides in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He is active in his community and is a former president on the board of Suburban Music School. He has served as a member of the Vestry, as senior warden and as accounting warden at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in West Chester.

Jim is married to Amy, formerly a chemistry teacher at the Westtown School. Amy received her Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in 1998. They have two sons, Jack and Alec, and a daughter Katharine.

CFP^® | Certified Financial Planner™ |
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., owns the certification marks above, which it awards
to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements.