UTICA, N.Y. — Melissa Fernalld, a lead financial advisor at Strategic Financial Services, Inc., a Utica–based wealth-management firm, has achieved her CFP designation from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. This designation is awarded to individuals who successfully complete the CFP Board’s initial exams, then continue ongoing annual education programs to sustain their […]
UTICA, N.Y. — Melissa Fernalld, a lead financial advisor at Strategic Financial Services, Inc., a Utica–based wealth-management firm, has achieved her CFP designation from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.
This designation is awarded to individuals who successfully complete the CFP Board’s initial exams, then continue ongoing annual education programs to sustain their skills and certification. This formal recognition further positions Fernalld as an expert in the areas of financial planning, taxes, insurance, estate planning and retirement, according to a Strategic news release.
Fernalld joined Strategic in 2007 as an operations specialist, working with individual clients and not-for-profit organizations, specializing in on-boarding, case design, scenario building, and financial-plan development. In 2010, Strategic promoted her to senior operations specialist, where she had a leadership role over the client-service team. Since 2011, Fernalld has served as a financial advisor and today is in the lead financial advisor role.
In business since 1979, Strategic says it has a team of 37 wealth-management professionals, servicing more than 1,000 clients and managing $1.8 billion in assets. The firm now has five people with a CFP designation. Strategic has offices in Utica, Syracuse, Rome; and West Palm Beach, Florida.
