Stuart is a retirement specialist and federal employee benefits specialist at PDFS. “Once we decided to really commit to pushing the firm forward, we knew that we could be effective,” Stuart says. “We work very well together and complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses.” Stuart considers himself more of the analytical and numbers half of the duo. With more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, he has become an expert at assessing each individual person’s situation and deducing how much they mayneed for a successfulretirement. Once he arrives at the target number, Zar steps in as a specialist to design a plan that includes specific elements that will help clients reach that number.

As aVCU-Richmond graduate with a degree in finance,specializing in business, Stuart has seen nearly every side of the financial industry. Early in his career, he worked for smaller firms and oversaw trading and investment portfolios. He also held a Series 24 license and signed off on variable business within the firm. “I wore a lot of hats,” he says. “I focused on the investment side, but when the markets crashed, I took too many phone calls with crying voices on the other end.” Those tough phone calls led him into the insurance side of the business. He now considers retirement his focal point and believes in making sure that each client is prepared for retirement before they move to the next step. Once the retirement plan is put into place, the rest is icing on the cake, helping give the client financial freedom.

PDFS certainly isn’t exclusive, but Stuart is extremely passionate about working with teachers and federal workers. His beautiful wife of nearly 20 years, Andrea, is a teacher, so he’s very familiar with the issues they face,andhetends to gravitate toward clients who serve and assist. He has also experienced many of the hypothetical scenarios he raises to clients. What if a spouse passes away suddenly, or what if you’re forced into retirement early? Stuart has been there, and he knows how to navigate those rocky waterswith you