Mark’s journey in financial planning started in 1987 as a second career after spending eight years in broadcast advertising sales spanning both radio and TV in Wisconsin. In 1987, he relocated to Southern California and started his new financial planning career with CIGNA and New England Financial. The turn of the millennium in 2000 saw Mark embracing entrepreneurship as he founded Royal Financial, an independent firm dedicated to fee-based financial planning and investment management. Mark has been a Registered Representative with United Planners Financial Services of America since 2009.
In 2004, Mark began a collaboration with John Carter and together, they have spent many years helping clients plan for college funding and retirement planning, specifically, guiding clients through the crucial phase of transitioning into retirement helping them take income from their hard earned assets and making these dollars last.
Mark earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Radio/Television with a minor in Design in 1980. He was awarded a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification in 1991, the Chartered Life Underwriter designation in 2002, and attained the status of Chartered Financial Consultant in 2006.
A native from the suburbs of Chicago, Mark has lived in Wisconsin, Southern California, and has plans to enjoy retirement in Ohio. He married his wife, Sue, in 1990 and have two daughters, Siobhan and Sarah. While they are grown now, many years were spent in Scouting and as a Dance Team Dad.
Mark is active on his local condominium board and occasionally dabbles in photography. He and Sue really enjoy getaways to local mountain areas to commune with nature! They are looking forward to more international travelling, especially to see their daughter, Siobhan, in Dublin, Ireland.
In 2024, Mark integrated Royal Financial** into Wealth Avenue on a path to retirement. Mark’s primary focus was to ensure his clients, many of whom have worked with Mark for decades, have the continuity of care they deserve. Wealth Avenue’s advisor team, Xerxes Nabong, Phil Maliniak, and Aaron Petty, were selected by Mark to continue this care as they are philosophically aligned and have the depth of organization to successfully manage Mark’s retirement transition.
**Royal Financial and United Planners are not affiliated.
