The “Big Picture”. Sometimes it’s hard to see. When it comes to money, it can be a challenge to know how all the various aspects of your life come together, and how they can work for – or against – you in the long run.
Paul J. Toohey, CFP® AIF®
Wealth Management Advisor
I grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan, fascinated by the question of how wealth actually gets built. Not the theory, but the mechanics. That curiosity took me through Western Michigan University for my BBA and eventually to my CFP® and AIF® designations. The credentials taught me the frameworks. The decades since have taught me how real families actually make decisions when the stakes are high.
What drives me now is watching that moment when clarity replaces confusion. When a client realizes they're not just reacting anymore but actually directing their financial future. I specialize in the areas where that transformation happens most dramatically: retirement planning, tax strategy, Social Security optimization, portfolio management, and coverage planning for life and long-term care needs. Pension and profit-sharing plans round out the work I do, particularly for business owners.
My clients tend to describe me as someone who establishes goals with them, holds them accountable, and maps out a practical path to financial freedom. That's the dynamic I work to create in every relationship, and it's what keeps me motivated after all these years.
The relationships I've built by helping people reach their goals remain the most rewarding part of what I do. Hearing someone say my recommendations made them more comfortable with their future? That's why I show up every day.
I live in Orange, California now, close to my daughter Heather and my grandchildren Kason, Claire, and Lucas. They're the reason I understand why this work matters beyond the spreadsheets. Outside the office, I'm on my Harley Davidson, playing pickleball, skiing, working in my garden, or out on the golf course. I also serve as Treasurer for OCHOG, which keeps me rooted in the community.
Robert J. Attanasio
Manager, Client Services and Operations
I came to financial services through the side door. While studying history at California State University, Fullerton, I ran a small business providing tech support to financial planners. That work introduced me to Paul Toohey, and what started as a consulting arrangement turned into a full-time role, then a career, then something I'd describe as a calling. Thirty-three years later, I'm still here, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
My title is Manager of Client Services and Operations, but the simplest way to put it is this: Paul figures out what needs to happen, and I make it happen. He brings the strategic vision; I bring the follow-through. Together, we cover a lot of ground, and our clients benefit from both sides of that equation. They know that whether the question is big-picture planning or getting a form processed correctly, someone is on it.
What keeps me engaged, though, isn't the logistics. It's the relationships. I genuinely like people, and over the years I've been lucky enough to build real friendships with many of our clients. I enjoy learning about their lives, their families, their plans. Financial services can feel complicated and impersonal, and I take pride in being the person who makes it feel neither. When clients tell us they feel confident and taken care of, that's the measure I care about most.
Many of our clients have been with us for decades, and seeing their children and grandchildren join the firm is something I find deeply meaningful. That kind of multigenerational trust isn't given lightly, and we don't take it for granted.
I've lived in Orange County nearly my whole life and currently call Garden Grove home, where I live with my wife Lisa and our cockapoo, Jack. Outside of work, I spend my time at the gym, digging into history books, tinkering with technology, and working on home improvement projects. The same instinct that makes me want to understand how things work is, I think, what makes me good at this job.