Anyone can call themselves a financial advisor and give you advice.

When choosing an advisor, look for education, professional designations, and experience.

Chartered Financial Analyst CFA® and Certified Financial Planner CFP® are the two primary designations for financial professionals. 

 

Our team of credentialed, fiduciary wealth advisors brings to you over 60 years of combined financial experience. Clarity's structure ensures a team approach to meet the asset management and financial planning needs of each client. True to the Fee Only form of compensation for advisors, we do not recommend investments with sales commissions, surrender charges, or hidden 12b-1 fees. Fee only advisors have a fiduciary responsibility to act in their clients' best interest at all times and have fewer conflicts of interests compared to "fee based" advisors who are able to collect commissions and charge an advisory fee. 

 

Jay D. Franklin CFA®,CFP®, FSA®

Chief Investment Officer
800-345-4635 ext. 2

             

Jay formulates and directs the implementation of investment policy, manages client portfolios, and conducts research into asset class investing and financial planning. He works closely with our clients to ensure their investments are appropriately allocated for their financial goals while taking into consideration the tax-strategies needed for high net worth clients.

Jay spent the first 18 years of his career as an actuary for a large insurance company headquartered in Chicago. It was there that he honed his analytical skills and learned how to quantitatively evaluate risk and apply it to real-life situations. He holds the highly coveted Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA®) designation. He then went on to complete the Chartered Financial Analyst® program that gives a strong understanding of advanced investment analysis and real-world portfolio management skills. After obtaining the prestigious CFA® designation, he moved to Orange County, California and joined a registered investment advisory firm as their Director of Trading and Investment Risk. His final two years with the firm were spent as its Director of Research, during which he wrote hundreds of articles covering a wide array of topics related to financial planning and investing.

Education:

    Yale University, B.S. in Mathematics, Cum Laude
    Anthony D. Stanley Prize for Excellence in Pure and Applied Mathematics

Professional Designations:

    Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®
    CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (CFP®
    Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA®)

Memberships and Affiliations

    CFA Institute
    Orange County CFA Society
    Series 65 license

Cheri Franklin CFP®, AIF®, CRPC®

President
800-345-4635 ext. 1

           

Cheri brings to our firm over 25 years of experience in financial services working with individuals, couples, and retirement plans for small and mid-sized companies. She is the first point of contact for our new clients. Cheri enjoys working with our clients to establish attainable goals, particularly with respect to retirement planning and transitioning into retirement. She ensures that our clients' asset allocations are consistent with their goals and engages in ongoing communication with each client and their designated estate planning and financial (e.g., accountant) professionals. She oversees the daily operations of the firm and negotiates contracts with our providers to ensure our clients have access to the highest quality investment platforms at a fair price.

The early part of Cheri's career began in 1992 as a Financial Consultant in Newport Beach for a major New York based wealth management firm. She later moved to the investment services division of Bank of America where she provided investment management services to clients in Orange County. Prior to launching Clarity, she served as a Vice President for a registered investment advisor firm and managed over $100 million in assets for individual clients and employer 401(k) plans.

Education:

    Pepperdine University, B.S. in Management, Graziadio School of Business and Management
    Northwestern University, School of Professional Studies, Certified Financial Planner™ Program Certificate

Professional Designations:

    CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (CFP®)
    Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®)
    Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®)

Memberships and Affiliations:

    Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) Business Honor Society - Los Angeles Chapter 
    Series 65 license

Certificates:

    Cash Balance Consultant (CBC) for Cash Balance Defined Benefit Pension Plans


Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER, CFP® (with plaque design), and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.                  

FAQ