Steward Partners Global Advisory Welcomes Ramapo Wealth Advisors, a New Jersey-based $600 Million Team

WASHINGTON, March 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Steward Partners Global Advisory, LLC, an employee-owned, full-service independent partnership associated with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. (member FINRA/SIPC), welcomes its newest partner firm, Ramapo Wealth Advisors, based in Ramsey, New Jersey. The five-person team, previously with Wells Fargo and managing $600 million in client assets, includes veteran advisors James Sahagian, CFP^®, MBA, Peter T. Gordinier, and David Puccia, who are all supported by Yan Lin Sim and Maral Sahagian.

"The Ramapo Wealth Advisors team represents the kind of committed, client-centric advisors that have helped Steward Partners grow so large, so quickly," said Michael Drumm, Divisional President, New York Tri-State, Steward Partners Global Advisory. "Though they are coming on board using our affiliate option, rather than being employee partners, they still have access to all of our technology, our full platform of services as well as equity in the parent company."

"My partners and I decided to form an independent firm because this business model allows us to do so much more for our clients. We spent a couple of years on our due diligence before we chose to join Steward Partners," explained James Sahagian, Managing Director and Wealth Advisor, Ramapo Wealth Advisors. "By partnering with Steward, we are aligning ourselves with a forward-thinking independent firm that offers superior technology, a multi-custodial platform, and the potential to offer different solutions that were not previously available to us."

James Sahagian CFP^®, MBA, began his financial services career in 1999 as a financial advisor with Smith Barney, which later merged with Morgan Stanley's Global Wealth Management Group. He joined Wells Fargo in 2009, where he served as Managing Director, Senior Vice President, and Financial Advisor. In addition to earning the Certified Financial Planner designation, he holds an MBA in Finance and a BS in Accounting from Rutgers University.

"We found that Steward's entrepreneurial spirit dovetailed with our approach and how we envisioned our practice going forward," echoed Peter T. Gordinier, Director and Wealth Manager, Ramapo Wealth Advisors. "We also felt that their multi-custodial approach to the business would allow us to better serve our clients in the manner which they deserve."

Peter T. Gordinier has worked in financial services for over 35 years and has been a financial advisor for more than 25 years. After graduating from Bucknell University in 1985 with a BA degree in Economics, he went to work for Morgan Guarantee Trust Company in New York City, where his last position was Assistant Treasurer in the firm's Institutional Securities Lending department before being accepted into Smith Barney's brokerage training program, where he became securities and insurance licensed as a financial advisor, working in the firm's Paramus, NJ office.  After growing his practice for almost 13 years with Smith Barney, Peter accepted the position of Vice President with Wells Fargo Advisors in 2009.

Ramapo Wealth Advisors' third advisor is Vice President and Wealth Manager David Puccia, who brings over 40 years of experience in financial services, having worked for Wells Fargo and its legacy banks since 1979. He is a graduate of Lafayette College with a degree in Economics and earned his MBA from Seton Hall University with a concentration in Finance.

"I spent my entire career with Wells Fargo and was very happy there but found that teaming with Jim and Pete and affiliating with Steward Partners was really the best thing I could do for my clients at this point in time," added David Puccia, Ramapo Wealth Advisors' Vice President.

"I feel like I'm coming full circle by joining Steward Partners," added James Sahagian. "When I joined Smith Barney as a rookie advisor in 1999, Jim Gold, Steward's CEO, was one of my trainers. I have the utmost respect for him and the great business that he and the team here have built. We are all extremely happy to be a part of it."

In addition to Ramapo Wealth Advisors, Steward Partners Global Advisory also welcomed Michael Englehart, CLU^®, CFP^®, Senior Vice President & Wealth Manager. An advisor with 37 years of financial services experience, he was most recently with Wells Fargo Advisors, where he was First Vice President-Investment Officer. The addition of Englehart's Bel Air, Maryland office, brings the Steward Partners network to 30 branches in 16 states and the District of Columbia.

About Steward Partners Global Advisory
With offices in Newtown, CT, Washington, D.C., Clearwater, FL, Andover and Boston, MA, Baltimore, Bel Air and Bethesda, MD, Portland, ME, St. Louis, MO, Hendersonville, NC, Keene, Manchester and Portsmouth, NH, Paramus, Morristown, Ramsey and Somerville, NJ, Albany and New York City, NY, Conshohocken, PA, Austin, Dallas and Houston, TX, McLean, McLean II, Norfolk and Richmond, VA, and Mequon, WI. Steward Partners Global Advisory, LLC, is an employee-owned, full-service independent partnership catering to family, institutional and multigenerational wealth. For more information, visit us at www.stewardpartners.com.

About Raymond James Financial Services, Inc.
Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. is a financial services firm supporting independent financial advisors nationwide. Since 1974, Raymond James Financial Services Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, has provided a wide range of investment and wealth planning related services through its affiliate, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC. Both broker/dealers are wholly owned subsidiaries of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF) a leading diversified financial services company with approximately 8,400 financial advisors throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Total client assets are approximately $1.26 trillion as of 12/31/2021.

Steward Partners Holdings, Steward Partners Global Advisory, LLC maintain a separate professional business relationship with, and our registered professionals offer securities through, Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC, 1776 I Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20006. Toll Free: (844) 801-8268.

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SOURCE Steward Partners Global Advisory Group