Planning is bringing the future into the present so you can do something about it now.

- Alan Lakein

Stephen has been working with clients and advisors to pursue their financial goals since 1991. After being one of the youngest Managers at a large, nationwide financial firm he ventured out to the independent world and was one of the founding partners of Beacon Financial Group. He was an integral part of helping start the firm in 1996 and was named CEO in 2010. He is passionate about educating clients to help them make the best financial decisions and is a student of the business whereby he stays on top of changes that can positively or negatively impact his clients. Steve is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) and specializes in overall financial planning for many clients who are just starting out on their financial journey as well as those who are enjoying the fruits of their labor after a successful career.

Stephen has an in-depth knowledge of the small business owner market and has numerous clients that he guides to help make decisions regarding the intricacies of their respective businesses. He prides himself on the organic growth of his business through the multiple referrals his clients have entrusted him with. Steve understands the need and importance for inter-generational family planning and has made a push to work with parents and children within the same family to ensure a smooth transition in the event of unexpected events.

Stephen is the proud Patriarch of his wonderful blended family. He lives in Basking Ridge with Michelle, her son and daughter and his three sons, Ethan, Brett and Jonathan. The oldest two boys are studying business and playing lacrosse in college. His youngest son is a Freshman at Bridgewater-Raritan High school.

Gautam is a Senior Partner of Beacon Financial Group and one of the firm’s founders. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Commerce from the University of Delhi, India; a Chartered Accountancy qualification from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in India; and qualified as a CPA® from the University of Illinois in 1989. He also holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation (CRPC).

He has over 40 years of financial experience starting with Price Waterhouse & Co in India, ITC Ltd – an Indian multi-national corporation – for whom he worked in India and then was selected to head their US operations; and thereafter with American Express Financial Advisors Inc. (now called Ameriprise Inc). With American Express he achieved Advanced Advisor status in his first year, which he maintained throughout his association with them, before shifting his efforts to starting BFG in 1996.

While Gautam practices all aspects of financial planning, he has focused on Retirement and Estate Planning over the years. With Retirement Planning being one of the country’s biggest challenges, Gautam works to a large extent with Retirees and Pre-Retirees – who could be individuals and small businesses – to provide them strategies to help them retire confidently and help stay retired. In order to assist his clients through the myriad of retirement vehicles and rules, and to stay updated with the latest regulations, Gautam has completed the education requirements and is a Master Elite Advisor in Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor Group. Ed Slott and Company is the nation’s leading source of accurate, timely IRA expertise and analysis to financial advisors, institutions, consumers and media across the country. Ed Slott was named the “The Best” source for IRA advice by The Wall Street Journal. He is also the point person with regard to the Retirement and Distribution Planning business at Beacon.

Gautam is passionate about tennis, a sport he has played since his childhood, plays golf and loves traveling, both domestically and overseas. He also has taken to CrossFit over the last 10 years to stay fit and active. Gautam is married to Gita and has two children, a son named Sid (who is licensed and has joined Beacon as a Financial Advisor) and a daughter named Priyanka, who works for Delta Airlines' Corporate Office in Atlanta.

Ed Slott's Advisory Group is a group of financial professionals who pay a fee to attend a seminar that explores regulations, tax updates, and other issues regarding individual retirement accounts. It does not qualify a financial professional to provide investment recommendations or advice. Beacon Financial Group, Ed Slott `s Advisory Group, and LPL Financial are separate and unrelated companies

Richard is a Senior Partner and Co-Founder of Beacon Financial Group with more than 48 years of experience in the financial sector. In October 2000, Richard established Beacon’s Florida office when he moved to New Smyrna Beach. Prior to becoming a financial consultant with AMEX in 1991, Richard held various positions with Chase and other world banks as a Vice President in domestic and international corporate banking. A graduate of Florida State University, Richard is married with 2 great sons and 6 wonderful grandchildren. He is actively involved in tennis, windsurfing, kayaking and scuba diving. He travels part of the year visiting clients in 13 states and overseas. Richard recently stepped down as President of his condo association board after 12 years of service so he could volunteer more time with the Coast Guard Auxiliary and as an instructor at the Marine Discovery Center. Richard holds various investment and insurance licenses and enjoys working with families, small businesses and entrepreneurs requiring College funding and Retirement Planning. He uses asset allocation, diversification* and a wide range of investment products to help his clients meet their goals.

*Diversification does not guarantee investment returns and does not eliminate risk of loss.

Chris, a Senior Vice President, has been with Beacon Financial Group since its inception in July of 1996, and has over 19 years of experience as a financial consultant. In 1993, Prior to joining Beacon, he worked on Wall Street for 2 years with Lehman Brothers, Inc. and Oppenheimer & Co. where he advised individual stock and bond portfolios. After working on Wall Street, Chris worked at American Express Financial Advisors where he teamed up with Steve Locker, Randy Landsman, Gautam Misra and Richard O’Toole to form Beacon Financial Group.

In addition to helping his clients plan for and work towards their goals, Chris is involved in many projects designed to help individuals and small businesses understand and manage their retirement assets. Areas of focus include 401(k), 457 and 403(b) plans; IRA Rollovers, Stretch IRAs, pre 59 1/2 early distributions, and 72(t). He also works with individual securities such as bonds, preferred stocks and other fixed-income tools. As a specialist in retirement distribution and income planning, Chris is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™, and he has been accepted into the nation’s most exclusive group of financial advisors — Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor GroupSM* where he is a Master Elite advisor. Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor GroupSM* is a group of financial advisors dedicated to solving the country’s biggest and most complex financial problem — effectively managing the distribution of assets from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Chris is also a highly sought after public speaker, having done hundreds of presentations for small groups to large corporations as well as the New York City Police Department, educating the audience on Retirement and Income Planning. Chris is a graduate of the University of Hartford with a BA in Political Science and Economics and has completed the Certified Financial Planning™ program at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He was born and raised in Hunterdon County where he now resides with his wife and four children.

CRPC conferred by College for Financial Planning

Doug has been in the financial services industry since 1981 and providing personal financial planning services since 1991. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), which is a professional designation awarded for advanced education in the financial industry. Doug graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine where he majored in Economics. He also earned a degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Doug is instrumental in client case analysis, using his financial acumen and research to help formulate sound financial plans. He is also the Compliance Manager for the firm. He lives in Madison, NJ with his wife Janet, daughter Kristen and their dog, Sunny.

Steve joined Beacon Financial Group in 2003. No stranger to finance and the stock market, he advised proprietary and personal assets as a trader for over two years and before that, was an IT Project Manager at Bear Stearns.

In 2003 Steve joined forces with his brother Chris, a senior partner at the firm. They are involved in a number of projects designed to help individuals and small businesses understand and take advantage of their employee benefits and retirement plans including the New York City Police Department. He currently services many NYPD clients throughout the 5 boroughs and Long Island.

A Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, Steve specializes in retirement income planning for his clients utilizing many different types of investments and strategies. He helps take clients through the process of identifying goals and objectives, developing a strategy, then aims to implement the plan successfully. Together with Chris, they have developed a client base in Hunterdon County and provide personalized service.

Most recently, they have teamed up with another local representative, Patricia Hade in Flemington. Steve is now working closely with Patricia getting to know her clients while helping to provide them outstanding service and guidance.

Steve graduated from Lehigh University with a B.S. in Business and Economics and a Major in Marketing. He enjoys watching the Yankees and Eagles and going to the beach with his family. He lives in Middletown Twp, NJ with his wife Jennifer, and two children.

CRPC conferred by College for Financial Planning

Sid is a fee-based CFP® professional who looks at your overall financial picture and your goals, before making any financial recommendations.  As a fiduciary, Sid puts his client's needs and best interests before his own.  

Minimum investment amount: $100k                                                                                                                   Fee: 1%

For those who do not meet the minimum, I offer a subscription program that is payable quarterly and has a 1-year minimum commitment.   Please reach out to learn more about this subscription program

"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it." --Warren Buffett

Trust is the bedrock on which a financial planning relationship is formed. Without it, no real benefit will be achieved.

Sid is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional who helps individuals, families, and small businesses.

He joined Beacon Financial Group in 2017 after working for four years in the industry as an annuity wholesaler. He left the world of product wholesaling to become an independent financial advisor, so he could help people take control of their financial future.

He is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park where he studied Economics. Sid is Series 7 and 65 licensed through LPL Financial

• Certified Financial Planner™ Certification
• Series 7, 65 and 63 Certified
• NJ Life Insurance Producer

Find Sid's educational content on:

LinkedIn

Podcast

YouTube

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the CFP® certification mark, the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification mark, and the CFP® certification mark (with plaque design) logo in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC. For hyperlinks to FINRA and SIPC, please refer to ‘See Contact Info’ section above.
Third-party posts found on this profile do not reflect the views of LPL Financial and have not been reviewed by LPL Financial as to accuracy or completeness.

Martin’s journey that landed him at Beacon Financial as a Financial Representative is anything but stereotypical. We believe that Martin is not only a tremendous asset to Beacon, but his customer’s alike. Born and raised in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Martin spent the first 20 years of his career providing services in the telecommunications industry with Verizon Communications Inc. He performed a sundry of roles including area management, team building, and a variety of technical responsibilities that serviced a wide area of Verizon’s Central New Jersey region. From the beginning, Martin’s positive attitude resulted in both satisfied customers and team members. Martin oversaw the implementation of extremely complex telecom services all while managing a team to perform well above Verizon’s stringent standards, making him one of Verizon’s most valuable team members. Martin, never satisfied with the status quo, sought more of himself and decided to leave Verizon late in 2008 to join a very reputable insurance company.

With a sharp learning curve, Martin excelled and soon became top of class amongst all new advisors. In his new role, Martin provided the same commitment he carried with him to his Verizon/IBEW/CWA Customers and worked with former team members to help them through the complicated web of financial planning, as well as providing inspiration to those who never dared to change careers in an extremely difficult economy. In January of 2010, Martin had the unique opportunity to join Beacon Financial as a Senior Representative, and he has never looked back. Martin’s commitment to his customers is never-ending. With a grassroots mentality, there is little doubt that Martin will serve to meet these lofty expectations. Martin has three beautiful daughters and lives in Easton, Pa. In his spare time, he enjoys coaching his daughter’s sports teams and playing golf. He looks forward to hearing from you!

In May of 2011, after 24 years with Verizon Communications, Thomas joined Beacon Financial Group as a Financial Representative when he decided it was time to bring his work ethic and high standards to a new venture.While at Verizon, Thomas worked his way up the corporate ladder. He began as a Field Technician, maintaining the infrastructure to give Verizon/IBEW/CWA Customers the quality of service they deserved. Thomas was then selected to join the management team. As a Manager, Thomas received awards for outstanding performance and exceeding Verizon’s high standards. He also had the opportunity to complete many special assignments. He had the honor and privilege to work with White House Communications for Presidents William Clinton and George W. Bush. In addition, he was a member of the Verizon Storm Recovery and Restoration Team that traveled across the country after severe weather and national disasters (including the World Trade Center after 9/11), repairing the damage to Verizon’s extensive network. While with Verizon, Thomas graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Telecommunications, using his knowledge and experience to mentor newly promoted managers.

Thomas is also very active in his community as a firefighter, a coach for various sports and a Charter Member and Past Grand Knight of the local Knights of Columbus. He believes we each have something to offer one another and we should assist each other when we can. Through his positive attitude, enthusiasm, integrity, strong work ethic, and high standards, Thomas is an asset to both Beacon and his clients. He has pledged to do all he can to ensure that his clients are financially enhanced because of utilizing his services together with Beacon Financial Group. He looks forward to serving you!

April began her career with Beacon Financial Group (BFG) in 1997. She is a seasoned executive leader with a proven track record in strategy development, business transformation and operational excellence.

In 1997 she was hired to manage core business initiatives. In June 2007, she accepted the additional responsibilities of Director of Operations and in June 2008 Law Enforcement Project Manager was added to her scope of accountability. As Beacon Financial Group grew so did her responsibilities. Working closely with Stephen C. Locker, CFP® CEO, she has taken her role as Senior VP of Corporate Operations, ensuring everyday activities run smoothly, including coordinating and monitoring the performance of external service providers, technical and operational guidance and due diligence along with sales support training.

April was the Senior Training Coordinate for American Express Travel Related Services. Her focus was to train consultants and increase efficiency and productivity. The decision support capabilities developed at American Express under the leadership/training of April were well recognized in the industry.

She has chaired many events benefiting The Children’s Tumor Foundation and is passionate about Special Olympics in her free time.

Michelle began her career with Beacon Financial Group (BFG) in 2011. Brought into the firm as a successful insurance manager for a National company, she was hired to build and run the national voluntary benefits and union benefits division for BFG. After three years of successfully setting up many plans for state organizations including; the Fraternal Order of Police in New York, Florida and Illinois, Michelle realized it was most rewarding helping the individual client and their families. She transitioned to focus her energy on partnering with financial advisors and working with clients to help them with all facets of protection planning as part of a comprehensive financial plan. She now runs the Insurance Division for BFG. Her intricate knowledge of the insurance field has enabled her to set up several competitive product lines for the firm’s clients to utilize. They include Long Term Care Insurances, Disability Insurance, and several lines of Life Insurance, including Whole Life, Universal and Term Life insurance. She also coordinates the Special Needs protection planning programs for all the firm’s advisors.

Michelle used her expertise to design the BFG Insurance Division to help individuals accomplish the following as it relates to their overall protection planning:

• Recommend most suitable Insurance plan and cost effective carrier.
• Determine optimum and necessary protection plan for all family members.
• Maximize savings potential via comprehensive protection planning design.
• Review and analysis of existing insurances.
• Develop unique and creative coverages to minimize risk and minimize exposure to life’s unexpected.

Michelle holds Life, Accident and health insurance licenses.

Michelle resides in the town of Basking Ridge NJ, where she is super Mom to two amazing children. She loves to do hot yoga, coach “Girls on the Run”, sit on a quiet beach and explore the world through travel.

Jodi joined Beacon Financial Group in August 2014 as an administrative assistant supporting Martin Mercurio in the company’s Flemington NJ office. Jodi is responsible for providing administrative support for the office, ensuring accurate and timely processing of client contracts, and managing an effective cadence of customer communication.

Prior to joining Beacon, Jodi spent more than 10 years with Oracle Corporation in a senior administrative role where she was responsible for contract management, financial accounting, customer service and event planning for their Telecommunications Consulting Practice. Jodi graduated from East Stroudsburg University with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Jodi, her husband Keith and their two teenage daughters reside in Bucks County, PA. She enjoys the beach, traveling, and paddling the Delaware River as a member of the Relentless Dragon Boat Association.