About Us

Phil DeFranco is a Nationally Licensed Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and Agent with Charles Schwab Corporation member FINRA/SIPC.  He has 38 years of experience in the financial services industry. He currently specializes in Roth Conversions and Tax Mitigation planning.

Phillip DeFranco earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from New York University.  His expertise lies in helping clients navigate estate planning, tax mitigation, and legacy preservation.  Being registered as an investment advisor underscores his commitment to providing the highest standards of professionalism and regulatory compliance. He currently supports clients' estate planning needs in New Jersey, California, Washington, Florida, New York, and Texas.

He has a total of 35 years of Financial Services Industry experience, having served in senior level positions at many of Wall Street's major Investment Banks and Brokerage Firms since 1988, including Bankers Trust, Spear Leeds and Kellogg, UBS, Paine Webber, Barclay, Merrill Lynch, Thompson Financial, PR Newswire and Natixis Bank, to name a few.

While employed at Merril Lynch as a Vice President of Technology on the Global Repo Trading Systems Desk, was present on September 11th, 2001, during the World Trade Center Disaster in the Merril Lynch Headquarters at 2 World Financial Center, and led a team of disaster recovery professionals, technology  staff and securities traders to set up a trading floor in Jersey City NJ as part of the company’s Business Continuity Plan.

Phil DeFranco served in the United States Navy as a Non-Commissioned Petty Officer under COMNAVAIRPAC, Pacific Fleet. He completed three Western Pacific deployments during the administration of President Ronald Reagan, including one deployment to the North Arabian Sea in support of efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Click below to view Phillip's résumé and full professional history.