Team News

Abu, Misty and Raymond James sponsored and participated in the Festival of Globe in the city of Fremont. Festival of Globe is San Francisco Bay Area's premier multi-ethnic cross cultural festival. The week-long festival packages film arts, visual arts, performing arts and folk arts from around the globe into a lively and intense celebration of the richness and diversity of cultures. Using art and culture as a common theme, FOG aims to serve as a unique catalyst for cultural understanding and bring positive change within the communities. Celebrating diversity in your own community is a great way to celebrate your community as a whole. Each year the festival raises funds in support of various social issues faced by diverse communities. Specific causes that are actively supported include youth development, free health clinic, elderly and senior care, ending hunger and homelessness and empowerment of women and youth. For 2019, the Grand Marshal was Vivek Oberoi.

Julie attended a two-day Raymond James conference at our headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida. This educational conference was designed to help her learn best practices and processes to prepare her for success in supporting our clients. She had the opportunity to interact with key home office departments and networked with peers. In an effort to stay on top of new trends, new solutions and the market's outlook, we will continue to exercise due diligence on your behalf.

Abu and Misty attended the invite only conference in Las Vegas. This educational summit was designed to help us deepen our client relationships through the integration of cash and lending strategies. Highlights included sessions reviewing cash solutions for clients and different lending strategies used to provide clients liquidity. In an effort to stay on top of new trends, new solutions and the market's outlook, we will continue to exercise due diligence on your behalf.

Lending Services provided by Raymond James Bank N.A. a fully chartered national bank affiliated with Raymond James & Associates.

Abu and Misty attended the invite only conference in St. Petersburg Florida for advisors managing multiple high-net-worth clients over $5M+. This program was an extension of the Symposium they attended in New Orleans earlier this year. This program focused on crafting and executing a comprehensive wealth management plan incorporating portfolio management, estate and charitable planning, risk management, bank and lending solutions and concentrated wealth planning with executives and business owners. Highlights included sessions on tax law changes and planning for a liquidity events with advanced estate planning techniques. As well, session on Special Needs Trust and Advanced Cash Management Solutions. In an effort to stay on top of new trends, new solutions and the market's outlook, we will continue to exercise due diligence on your behalf.

Abu and Misty had the opportunity to travel to the Raymond James headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida, for exclusive meetings with our firm leaders. While there, we met with a variety of firm experts from Raymond James Banking to Longevity and Retirement Planning. We also had the pleasure of seeing Tash Elwyn, President of the Raymond James & Associates Private Client Group.

We are pleased to announce that Julie Ugale has joined our team to help us provide you with the highest possible level of client service. Julie is our new Client Service Associate. She draws on her 21 years of experience in the financial services industry to offer efficient administrative assistance.

Misty attended the invite only Longevity Planning Summit in Denver. This exclusive conference was attended by financial advisors who have advanced experience with financial and longevity planning. This summit, focused on expanding her knowledge on longevity planning concepts. Educational presentations included: Social Security, Medicare, senior care management, end of life and estate planning, intergenerational planning, health and wealth, elder fraud, and more. Misty left the summit with solutions and resources to implement for clients. In an effort to stay on top of new trends, new solutions and the market's outlook, we will continue to exercise due diligence on your behalf.

Abu, Misty and Raymond James sponsored and participated in the Festival of Globe in the city of Fremont. Festival of Globe is San Francisco Bay Area's premier multi-ethnic cross cultural festival. The week-long festival packages film arts, visual arts, performing arts and folk arts from around the globe into a lively and intense celebration of the richness and diversity of cultures. Using art and culture as a common theme, FOG aims to serve as a unique catalyst for cultural understanding and bring positive change within the communities. Each year the festival raises funds in support of various social issues faced by diverse communities. Specific causes that are actively supported include youth development, free health clinic, elderly and senior care, ending hunger and homelessness and empowerment of women and youth. Celebrating diversity in your own community is a great way to celebrate your community as a whole. For 2019, the theme was Save the Planet.

Abu & Misty were invited to attend the annual Raymond James Retirement Plan Workshop in Seattle. The event focused on developing skills and knowledge in the 401(k) and qualified plans market. The meeting expanded our knowledge in this space and we received practice, law and regulatory updates. The workshop also expanded on issues clients face regarding their readiness for retirement. We came away from the meeting with actionable strategies to help guide clients planning for retirement and specifically ways to help them recreate their paycheck during retirement. In an effort to stay on top of new trends, new solutions and the market's outlook, we will continue to exercise due diligence on your behalf.

Abu and Misty attended the invite only conference for advisors managing multiple high-net-worth clients households over $5M+. This intense program focused on best practices when crafting and executing upon a comprehensive wealth management advice model incorporating portfolio management, estate and charitable planning, risk management, bank and lending solutions and concentrated wealth planning with executives and business owners. Highlights included session on tax law changes and planning for a liquidity even with advanced estate planning techniques. In an effort to stay on top of new trends, new solutions and the market's outlook, we will continue to exercise due diligence on your behalf.

Misty attended the Raymond James Regional Conference in Las Vegas. Over the two day educational conference Misty attended a wide variety of sessions geared towards providing new perspectives on market and client trends that help financial advisors think differently about how to meet client needs. She focused a great deal of attention this year on ways to leverage new Raymond James technology into our practice including in depth presentations regarding client goal planning and investment management. A highlight of the conference was the panel Misty was asked to participate on during a Raymond James Bank Lending presentation. She enjoyed sharing her best practices to help clients with home loans, home equity lines of credit and securities based lines of credit. In an effort to stay on top of new trends, new solutions and the market's outlook, we will continue to exercise due diligence on your behalf.

Misty attended the InvestmentNews Women Adviser summit in San Francisco. The education workshop is designed for the female advisor to expand her knowledge and network with female peers. Some of the most interesting education sessions were around tools for female clients and their families. Misty heard from an expert in the field of grief studies who discussed ways to help clients and their families dealing with diminished capacity or Alzheimer's. Misty also learned how recent changes to Social Security claiming rules affect our female clients - whether single, married, divorced or widowed - and how to maximize their lifetime benefits. One of her favorite sessions was hearing lessons in leadership from a few inspiring females in the financial services industry, specifically Clara Shih who is the CEO and Founder of Hearsay.

We had the opportunity to hear the pioneer of microcredit and the founder of Grameen Bank, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, discuss his new book and the experiments that have inspired microcredit to all. It was an honor to hear a fellow Bangladeshi speak about his work in alleviating poverty. As a Nobel Prize winner, his vision of an emerging new economic system through microcredit and social business as platforms to save humankind and the planet has evolved efforts in alleviating poverty. It was an eye-opening discussion, revealing his thoughts on a myriad of topics, from current issues facing Myanmar to the future of millennials employment endeavors. In an effort to stay on top of new trends, new solutions and the market's outlook, we will continue to exercise due diligence on your behalf.

Abu, Misty and Raymond James sponsored and participated in the Festival of Globe in the city of Fremont. Festival of Globe is San Francisco Bay Area's premier multi-ethnic cross cultural festival. The week-long festival packages film arts, visual arts, performing arts and folk arts from around the globe into a lively and intense celebration of the richness and diversity of cultures. Using art and culture as a common theme, FOG aims to serve as a unique catalyst for cultural understanding and bring positive change within the communities. Each year the festival raises funds in support of various social issues faced by diverse communities. Specific causes that are actively supported include youth development, free health clinic, elderly and senior care, ending hunger and homelessness and empowerment of women and youth. For 2017, the theme was Celebrate Diversity. Celebrating diversity in your own community is a great way to celebrate your community as a whole.

Abu and Misty attended the Raymond James National Summer Development Conference in Washington, D.C. This year's conference theme was "Invested in the Future," which revolved around the idea that, as advisors, we must look ahead to technology advances and other forward-looking strategies to help better prepare you financially for your future. In addition to education sessions and presentations centered on enhancing client service and business strategy, the conference also gave us the chance to catch up on the latest industry standards and regulatory changes in today's complex financial marketplace. Conferences like this aren't just professional development for our team. The insights from the sessions can be beneficial to you, too, as together we can use this new information to manage your long-term financial plan even more effectively. Here are some photos from our time at the conference.

The first photo pictures Raymond James executives: Paul Reilly, Chief Executive Officer; Tash Elwyn, President of Private Client Group; Dennis Zank, Chief Operating Officer. The second photo pictures Tash Elwyn interviewing former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan.

Misty was asked by SIFMA to represent Raymond James on a financial advisor panel at the 39th Annual Private Client Conference in Arizona. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) is a financial industry group representing securities firms, banks, and asset management companies. The Private Client Conference convenes leaders from across the private wealth management industry to examine the most topical issues facing the business. Misty provided insight on how her team helps clients financially navigate "life events," such as birth, marriage, college funding, divorce, job transition, and aging. She discussed how her team best serves clients' interests, applies a goals based financial planning approach when working with clients and utilizes social and digital platforms to connect with a more technology savvy client.

Misty was excited to be asked by Hearsay Systems to be interviewed for their podcast. Hearsay Systems is the social media marketing management platform our team uses to engage on social networking services like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. It was wonderful to share how our team leverages the power of social media and digital technology to connect and engage with clients and prospects. In our interview, we discuss the unique needs of millennial clients and how changing demographics are affecting the financial services industry. Feel free to listen to the podcast here: https://hearsaysystems.com/2017/02/hsonair-podcast-customer-spotlight-series-an-interview-with-misty-farukh-of-raymond-james/

Misty was honored to represent Raymond James on the financial advisor panel hosted by SIFMA. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association(SIFMA) is a financial industry group representing securities firms, banks, and asset management companies. SIFMA hosted the Social Media & Digital Marketing conference in San Francisco. During the conference there were multiple panels discussing topics around marketing, business and practitioner experiences. Misty spoke on the panel "A View from the Field: How Top Advisors are leveraging social and digital tools to target, attract, and serve clients" which consisted of financial advisors representing a variety of firms. Misty discussed her strategies to enhance communication with clients and prospects.

We had the opportunity to hear Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Dr. Janet Yellen, give an economic assessment of the current landscape at an event hosted by the Commonwealth Club. It was an engaging discussion, revealing her thoughts on a myriad of topics, from technology to retirees to employment. In an effort to stay on top of new trends, new solutions and the market's outlook, we will continue to exercise due diligence on your behalf.

We were invited to attend the annual Raymond James Retirement Plan Workshop. The event focused on developing skills and knowledge in the 401(k) and qualified plans market. The meeting expanded our knowledge in this space and we received practice, law and regulatory updates. The workshop also expanded on issues clients face regarding their readiness for retirement. We came away from the meeting with actionable strategies to help guide clients planning for retirement and specifically ways to help them recreate their paycheck during retirement. In an effort to stay on top of new trends, new solutions and the market's outlook, we will continue to exercise due diligence on your behalf.

We had the opportunity to hear former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke speak about his new book "The Courage to Act: A Memoir of a Crisis and Its Aftermath". The Commonwealth Club held a riveting discussion with Bernanke where he revealed his experiences during the crisis and thoughts on the current economic landscape.

We were honored to have our Raymond James CEO, Paul Reilly, visit our San Francisco office. We are fortunate to work at a firm with an executive team committed to our Raymond James values, clients and associates.

Misty was honored to be asked by Hearsay Social to participate in their bi-annual company kick off meeting. Hearsay Social is the social media marketing management platform our team uses to engage on social networking services like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Last week I had the opportunity to sit on a three person advisor panel to discuss how we utilize social media and digital tools in our practice with their Hearsay Social employees from all over the world. It was wonderful to meet more of the Hearsay Social team and interact with such a dynamic group of people. We are happy to have thoughtful, knowledgeable and experienced professional partners at Hearsay Social to rely on as part of our Golden Gate Wealth Management family.

Abu Farukh was asked by Raymond James to attend the 2015 American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) an annual convention & scientific assembly in Orlando, Florida. The convention offers a venue to interact with leading physicians, health professionals, academicians, and scientists of Indian origin. While representing Raymond James, Abu expanded his network by meeting with many of the well-respected physicians and healthcare professionals. Physicians and healthcare professionals from across the country all came together and participated in the scholarly exchange of medical advances, to develop health policy agendas, and to encourage legislative priorities in the coming year.

Abu attended the exclusive invite-only Raymond James Alternative Investments & Structured Products National Summit in Miami, Florida. The event focused on educating financial advisors about alternative investments and structured products the firm offers, how they fit in portfolios, and how Raymond James selects and supports these product lines. The keynote speaker this year was David M. Rubenstein co-founder of The Carlyle Group, one of the world's largest private equity firms. Carlyle has grown into a firm managing more than $200 billion from 40 offices around the world. When it comes to investing - diversification is the golden rule. Appropriately allocating assets to account for personal objectives, risk tolerance and time horizons is a critical part of a thorough financial plan. For many, a mix of traditional investments – such as stocks and bonds – is the typical approach. However, investors can further diversify their portfolios and potentially enhance returns by employing other asset classes, such as commodities and real estate, or investing in traditional asset classes in nontraditional (or "alternative") way. The universe of alternative investment strategies is extremely broad. Finding asset classes capable of adding diversification has become increasingly difficult due to the globalization of world markets. Raymond James continually monitors the alternative investments landscape to select investment opportunities and make them available to clients.

Abu attended the Raymond James Regional Conference in Newport Beach. Over the two day educational conference Abu attended a wide variety of sessions geared towards providing new perspectives on market and client trends that help financial advisors think differently about how to meet client needs. He focused a great deal of attention this year on research done on the aging population. Raymond James provided education to advisors done by a team of researchers, business partners, universities, and members of the aging community on developing innovations that touch nearly all aspects of how we will live, work and play tomorrow including insights into healthcare, retail, automotive and financial services companies. The research blends innovation with technology to improve quality of life throughout expanding lifespans and provides a platform to support conversations about quality of life in retirement and related financial implications. The concepts Abu learned in this educational session provides our team the knowledge we need to give expert advice to our clients to help them navigate the countless choices impacting the quality of their life in retirement such as housing, transportation, healthcare and their related financial implications. In an effort to stay on top of new trends, new solutions and the market’s outlook, we will continue to exercise due diligence on your behalf.

Misty attended a lecture and dinner with Congressman Barney Frank at University of California Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy. Congressman Frank spoke about reducing the military budget as a necessity to improving our quality of life. First elected to Congress in 1980, Barney Frank represented Massachusetts’s 4th District for 32 years. He is known as a superb legislator and a pragmatic politician whose sharp intellect and sense of humor made him one of Washington’s most influential and colorful figures. While in Congress, Frank worked to adjust America’s spending priorities to reduce the deficit, provide less funding for the military, and more for the quality of life at home. As chair of the House Financial Services Committee, Frank was instrumental in crafting a compromise bill to stem the tide of home mortgage foreclosures, as well as the subsequent $550 billion rescue plan. He worked to adopt sweeping financial regulations to prevent a recurrence of this crisis and was a key author of the 2010 Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

*Update provided for informational purposes only, Raymond James does not endorse the political officer mentioned.

Misty was honored to represent Raymond James on the financial advisor panel hosted by SIFMA. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association(SIFMA) is a financial industry group representing securities firms, banks, and asset management companies. SIFMA hosted the Social Media conference in San Francisco. During the conference there were multiple panels discussing topics around social media. Misty spoke on the panel “A Deep-Dive into Social Media Strategies for Financial Advisors and Client Communication” which consisted of financial advisors representing a variety of firms. Misty discussed her strategies to enhance communication with clients and prospects. To learn more about thoughts discussed on the panel, please read this article by ThinkAdvisor:
https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2015/02/27/best-social-media-approach-is-a-flexible-one-sifma

Misty attended a presentation at University of California Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy with Tom Steyer. Tom is an advanced energy advocate, investor and philanthropist. The discussion was moderated by Governor Jennifer Granholm about his views on clean energy going forward and the policies and politics surrounding climate issues.

Abu attended the Raymond James Private Client Investment Products regional conference in San Diego. The conference provided advisors with a deeper dive into alternative investments, mutual funds, insurance & annuities, structured products, 529 plans, concentrated equity solutions, and options. This educational forum also gave Abu the chance to connect and network with industry peers. During the event, he had access to portfolio management teams, industry specialists, key members of Raymond James Private Client Group Investment Products, and special guest keynote speakers. The 2015 conference focused on the following major themes: equity market protection, income, protection against rising interest rates, and due diligence. In an effort to stay on top of new trends, new solutions and the market's outlook, we will continue to exercise due diligence on your behalf.

Misty attended a night with Andy Cohen and Rashida Jones hosted by the Commonwealth Club. The discussion focused on the man who made a career as the prince of pop-culture and his new book, The Andy Cohen Diaries: A Deep Look at a Shallow Year, a follow-up to his New York Times best seller. Cohen gave the audience an insider look into the daily life as one of the most exciting men in show business and pop-culture.

Misty attended the 20th Annual Raymond James Women’s Symposium in St. Petersburg, Florida. Raymond James celebrates their Women’s Network every year with a symposium to connect female advisors with their peers and to learn from industry experts and their colleagues. This symposium celebrates a network filled with amazing and inspiring women. This year the keynote speaker was Sallie Krawcheck of Ellevate Network. Before Ellevate Network, Sallie was head of Smith Barney where Misty began her career. Misty has always admired Sallie as one of the leading females in finance and was honored to have the opportunity to hear her speak.

Abu attended the Raymond James "Retirement Plan Workshop" in New Orleans. This continuing education conference is designed to help advisors develop their skills and knowledge in the 401(k) and qualified plans market.

Abu attended the last of three advanced Financial Planner Series, Business Planning meetings in St. Petersburg, Florida. These meetings give advisors advanced training that focuses on retirement plans, income and estate tax, risk management and investment needs of the small business owner,executive and other entity dollars.

Abu attended the second of three advanced Financial Planner Series, Business Planning meetings in St. Petersburg, Florida. These meetings give advisors advanced training that focuses on retirement plans, income and estate tax, risk management and investment needs of the small business owner,executive and other entity dollars.

Abu and Misty attended the "The Advanced Estate Planning Institute" in Phoenix, Arizona. This is an annual three-day program designed exclusively for Financial Advisors committed to working in the High-Net-Worth (HNW) space and staying on top of the latest developments in the wealth management landscape. The institute provided timely technical planning and investment strategies. The curriculum is organized around four broad client segments: Private Wealth, Estate & Charitable Techniques, Risk Management and Business Wealth.

Abu attended the first of three advanced Financial Planner Series, Business Planning meetings in St. Petersburg, Florida. These meetings give advisors advanced training that focuses on retirement plans, income and estate tax, risk management and investment needs of the small business owner,executive and other entity dollars.

The Commonwealth Club put on an thought-provoking night with the authors of Freakonomics, Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner. The authors shared their views on how we can think like a "freak" and have the courage to say "I don't know" in order to help us make smarter, harder and better decisions.

Misty attended a night with Arianna Huffington and Sheryl Sandberg hosted by the Commonwealth Club. The discussion focused on Ariana’s new book Thrive in which she is leading a groundbreaking movement to redefine success to not only include money and power, but also "The Third Metric". Ariana explains this movement as including "The Third Metric" which should make success equally inclusive of personal health, well-being and giving back.

The Commonwealth Club put on a captivating dialogue from Robert Reich, Former Secretary of Labor, at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. Misty attended the event and enjoyed Roberts thought provoking views on the future of the U.S economy.

Misty and Jackie attended the Raymond James Regional Conference in San Francisco. Over the two day educational conference Misty attended a wide variety of sessions geared towards providing new perspectives on market and client trends that help financial advisors think differently about how to meet client needs. She focused a great deal of attention this year on ways to leverage new Raymond James technology into our practice including in depth presentations regarding client goal planning and investment management. Jackie focused her attention on attending discussions focused on superior World-Class Service and technology enhancements. These programs provided her with fresh ideas and practical techniques in providing our clients with the highest quality service. Two highlights from the conference for Misty were hearing an economic outlook from Brian Wesbury, Chief Economist for First Trust and attending a meeting for the Network of Women Advisors of Raymond James. In an effort to stay on top of new trends, new solutions and the market’s outlook, we will continue to exercise due diligence on your behalf.

Abu & Misty attended an evening with the Kelley Brothers to hear from the best in the business about how to unleash innovation in personal and professional endeavors. Creativity pioneers David and Tom Kelley have defined the very landscape of design-thinking with their founding of IDEO and the Stanford d.school, and with their iconic innovations in product, company culture and design education. Under the Kelley brothers' leadership, IDEO churned out several illustrious products of the digital generation – from the first mouse for Apple to the thumbs up/thumbs down Tivo button.

Abu & Misty attended an evening at the World Affairs Council with Olli Rehn, European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro. He discussed the difficulties the EU has faced over the past few years and how it can forge a path to a strong recovery.

Abu and Misty attended workshops on general trust best practices, safeguarding client assets, and estate and charitable planning strategies. In an effort to stay on top of new trends, new solutions and the market’s outlook, we will continue to exercise due diligence on your behalf. 

Abu and Misty attended an energizing discussion with U.S Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan Mozena, who reported on social and economic progress in Bangladesh, the positive direction of U.S.- Bangladesh relations, and the country’s increasingly active role in South Asia.

We are pleased to announce that Jacqueline Morales has joined our team to help us provide you with the highest possible level of client service. Jackie is our new Client Service Associate. She draws on her six years of experience in the financial services industry to offer efficient administrative assistance. 

We have opened another office location in San Francisco.  We now also have an office located at 575 Market Street. We look forward to welcoming you!

Abu and Misty had the opportunity to travel to the Raymond James headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida, for an exclusive meeting with our firm. While there, we had extensive training with firm experts and independent portfolio managers. We also had the pleasure of having a personal meeting with Tash Elwyn, president of the Raymond James & Associates Private Client Group. Having access to senior leadership who truly care about our clients is one of the many valuable reasons we chose to move to Raymond James. In an effort to stay on top of new trends, new solutions and the market’s outlook, we will continue to exercise due diligence on your behalf. 

Abu and Misty attended an invigorating talk with Founder & Chairperson of BRAC, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed.  BRAC has grown to become the largest development organization in the world in terms of the scale and diversity of its interventions. He spoke about success stories in development and what some countries in Africa and Asia can learn from these examples.