A native of Jersey City with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from St. Peter’s College, John has been a CPA since 1987 and began his own financial planning firm in 1989. John is also a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) and Certified Financial Planner®. In 1989 he expanded the CPA firm to include financial planning, to give his clients the same high level of service and support they had become accustomed to when working with him for tax planning.
"When I referred my tax clients to other financial advisors, I saw that many clients were returning with plans that didn’t address their goals adequately. The planners weren’t really paying attention to my clients’ needs,” John says. “That concerned me enough to make it my business to offer reputable financial planning services in my tax office.” As the founding partner of an independent financial planning firm, FFP Wealth Management allows John to provide each client an individualized plan using the firm’s Wealth Maximizer.
This thoroughly analyzes a client’s situation before building a cohesive, long-term plan with special attention to the years leading up to and immediately following a client’s retirement. Today, John and FFP Wealth Management are not only servicing the financial planning needs of his growing list of clients, but he is actively mentoring and offering advice to over 115 CPA firms around the country, who wish to transition their business to include financial services for their clients. He has written several articles, spoken at tax seminars, and even co-authored a book with his brother Joseph on the subject.
John recently appeared on Fox Business and was mentioned in Business Week, Newsweek, Senior Market Advisor, and other local publications. He speaks regularly at the firm's training meetings attended by fellow tax and financial professionals. “Trust… it’s more than a word. We understand and appreciate the tremendous trust you place in us and the importance of your decision to use our services to help you reach your long-term goals. We want to earn your business not only today but for the next ten and twenty years when you may need us most. Being successful isn’t easy and requires hard work. We love what we do and will work to exceed your expectations and assist you in achieving your goals!”
John has also been an active member of his community throughout the year. He was a coach of several sports teams and as a board member for the Windmill Alliance providing jobs and housing for mentally and physically challenged adults. As a past president of the Bayonne Family YMCA, he turned around a near-bankrupt organization, paid off all debt, and generated annual profits in excess of $100,000 while providing housing, daycare, and health club services.
About Us: FFP Wealth Management was founded over 30 years ago by a CPA who wanted to make sure his clients' needs always came first. He was frustrated with the propriety products of large firms, insurance agents pushing more life insurance, and brokers pushing the latest hot product. FFP focuses on a financial planning process to determine what the client's needs are first. We then research appropriate solutions for each client. Today, FFP has over 100 affiliated advisors with the firm and has over 2 billion dollars under advisement.
Graziano & Company, CPAs with a staff of 5 professional and 5 support staff serves over 350 business clients and prepares almost 3,000 individual tax returns annually. The firm has two locations with a CPA managing each location so John can focus on managing the business and more importantly assisting his clients in reaching their retirement and financial goals.