THE PLAN ADVOCATE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Member of the Founders Society of the Children 's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Private Wealth Advisor
Dan brings over 16 years of experience in the financial services industry to Independence Square. Prior to joining the firm he held positions in equity sales and trading with Prudential Securities and Bank of America in New York, and later joined Janney Capital Markets in Philadelphia. Most recently, Dan spent two years working for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia as part of the Foundation, procuring and allocating funds towards the Hospital while building the Endowment.
Dan is a licensed hybrid advisor holding Series 7 and 63 through LPL Financial and Series 65 through Independence Square Advisors; and has completed the Fundamentals of Alternative Investments Certificate Program (CAIA). He focuses his practice on providing individuals and businesses with strategies to help them pursue their investment and wealth management objectives.
Dan is an active member of the Founders Society of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Being an avid golfer, Dan is also a member of the Philadelphia Cricket Club.
Dan lives in Wayne, PA with his wife Becca and children James, Lucy, and Brooke. He graduated with the class of 1997 from Boston College with a degree in Human Development with a concentration in Organizational Behavior in Management.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER
Eric is a Private Wealth Manager and Partner with The Plan Advocate at Independence Square Advisors. He uses his past wealth management experience to assist the firm with 401(k) and Pension plan due diligence, investment fiduciary consulting, and plan assistance for business owners. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner he also specializes in helping plan participants manage their total financial picture leading up to and through retirement.
Eric is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner, Certified Retirement Planning Counselor conferred by The College for Financial Planning, and a Certified Fund Specialist. His securities registration includes Series 7 held through LPL Financial, and Series 66 registrations held through both LPL and Independence Square Advisors. He also holds insurance licenses for life, disability, health, and long term care. He has a bachelor's degree from Pennsylvania State University.
Eric currently lives in Berwyn, PA with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys playing golf and spending time with his family.
Jordan is a Partner and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor with The Plan Advocate at Independence Square Advisors. He has been in the industry for over 15 years and focuses on retirement plan strategies for businesses and executives. With his experience, he brings clients independent advice and the ability to act as a stated ERISA 3(21) or ERISA 3(38) fiduciary to plan sponsor clients. He strives to minimize a plan sponsor's efforts in running a successful retirement program, while helping to manage fiduciary liabilities and empowering employees through financial wellness programs.
Jordan's industry certifications show his commitment to the highest level of knowledge, ethics, and continuing education that each of his designations require. He also has a B.S. in Management Science and Information Systems from the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University and studied international business and economics at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Jordan is an LPL registered representative, Life/Accident/Health, & Property/Casualty licensee with Series 7 held through LPL Financial, and Series 66 registrations held through both LPL and Independence Square Advisors.
Jordan lives in The Borough of West Chester with his wife, daughter, son, and furry friends. He enjoys helping his community and has served as The Mayor and President of Borough Council of West Chester. Jordan is currently serving as The Chairman of the Chester County Mayors Association and Mayor of West Chester.
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner of Independence Square Advisors
Joe Elliott is the Founding and Managing Partner of Independence Square Advisors, a boutique advisory and investment management firm specializing in 401(k) plan sponsorship. He has over 20 years of experience providing individuals and institutions with strategies to help them pursue their corporate retirement plan objectives.
Joe is currently serving on the board of Private Advisor Group, a registered Investment Advisor organization located in Morristown, NJ which manages the securities and regulatory requirements of over 500 advisors throughout the USA. He is also very active with Entrepreneur's Organization (EO), serving as a former board member of the Philadelphia chapter. He has been a volunteer officer and fund raiser with various non-profit organizations and is currently a member of the fundraising committee at The Mann Music Center.
Joe is a graduate of James Madison University and has a bachelor's degree in finance and maintains the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner (CFP®) and Accredited investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) industry designations.
Joe and his family reside in Ardmore PA. When Joe is not meeting with clients, he enjoys spending time with wife Kristin and their daughters, Samantha, Morgan and Kayla at the Eastern Shore. In his spare time you can find Joe at The Philadelphia Cricket Club looking for his golf ball.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant
- Executive Assistant at Independence Square Advisors
Karen Grubb is an executive assistant at Independence Square Advisors and has over 7 years of experience in the financial services industry, including a strong background of over 25 years of client service experience.
Karen's favorite things to do are spending time with her husband, going to Dewey Beach in Delaware, playing backgammon, cooking, and watching college basketball and football. She enjoys wine and loves Siberian Huskies.
She resides in Exton, Pa with her husband Steve, has two sons (Jeremy and Shane), two grandsons (Wyatt and Chase), and one granddaughter (Maya).
Job Titles:
- Chief Operations Officer
- Chief Operations Officer for Independence Square Advisors
Karen McCarthy is the Chief Operations Officer for Independence Square Advisors. She has over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry and over 25 years of client service experience. She is highly motivated and growth focused.
She loves animals and volunteers at the Main Line Animal Rescue (her favorite dogs, though, are her two Italian Greyhounds). In her free time, you can find her enjoying the outdoors, learning new technology, or cheering on Notre Dame.
Job Titles:
- Client Relationship Director
Rani, a native of the South Pacific, was born in Fiji Islands and raised in New Zealand. An obsession for business strategy and process improvement led her to attain a Bachelor of Business at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. Equipped with strong people skills, a passion for travel and her Kiwi accent, she ventured to the United States in her mid-20's to further her career.
Rani brings over 10 years of management experience to The Plan Advocate. She is a highly motivated, growth-focused professional with strong business analysis, planning and problem-solving skills. At The Plan Advocate, Rani works closely with the managing partners, Jordan Norley and Joe Lapps to implement the vision and direction of the company.
Job Titles:
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER
Shane is a Partner with The Plan Advocate at Independence Square Advisors. He uses his past wealth management experience to assist the firm with 401(k) and Pension plan due diligence, investment fiduciary consulting, and plan assistance for business owners. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner he also specializes in helping plan participants manage their total financial picture, leading up to, and through retirement.
Shane is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner, Chartered Financial Consultant and Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow. His securities registration includes Series 6, 7 and 63 held through LPL Financial, and Series 66 held through both LPL and Independence Square Advisors. He also holds insurance licenses for life, disability, health, and long term care. He has a bachelor's degree from Cornell University.
Shane and his wife Daniela live in North Coventry, PA with their two children, Paul and Sabrina.
Zachary is a graduate of Rowan University, where he studied Finance and Political Science. He began his career on the trading desk at Hanlon Investment Management before joining Independence Square Advisors in 2015. At Rowan he was a featured columnist for the school newspaper and continues to write often, crafting the monthly investment newsletters for TPG.
He serves as the Chief Investment Officer for the group, working with financial advisors on the day to day management of their portfolios while leading the research and trading functions for the company.
Zachary is a CFA charterholder and an LPL registered representative, holding the Series 7 and Series 66 securities licenses. He spends his free time in the kitchen, on the basketball court or annoying his wife Christina at their home in Plymouth Meeting.