Financial advisors Neil J. Goetzman and Jeffrey A. Nau, operating as Goetzman Nau Financial Partners in Alexandria, Va., have joined Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. (RJFS), the firm’s independent broker-dealer, the company announced yesterday in a news release.
Goetzman Nau Financial Partners was formerly with Merrill Lynch, where the practice managed about $900 million in client assets on behalf of business owners, high-net-worth families and individuals, nonprofits and retirees.
Goetzman began his career more than 30 years ago at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he had remained for his entire career until the group’s recent move to Raymond James. Goetzman graduated from the University of Richmond with a bachelor’s degree in economics.
In the news, Goetzman, the firm’s managing partner and an RJFS financial advisor, discussed why he and Nau decided to partner with RJFS after deciding to leave Merrill Lynch.
“What impressed us is the firm’s focus on its wealth management arm and its support of advisors – that’s at the center of everything at Raymond James,” he said. “Its clear their resources are designed with advisors in mind. We feel Raymond James is the perfect complement to our clients and our team, and we are excited to have them as our partner in serving our clients.”
Like Goetzman, Nau also spent his entire wealth management career at Merrill Lynch, joining the firm in 1999 and partnering with Goetzman in 2004. He is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and holds several professional designations.
In searching for a new partner, Nau said he and Goetzman immediately noticed a difference in how Raymond James conducted business.
“From the beginning, we could tell the atmosphere and culture at Raymond James were different,” Nau, a senior partner of Goetzman Nau Financial Partners and an RJFS financial advisor, said in the release. “Taking our due diligence process very seriously, we wanted to ensure that we had a partner that would offer the best opportunities in helping us serve our clients, who are truly an extension of our own families, for the long haul.”
In addition to Goetzman and Nau, the team also includes financial advisor Gerald Lyon and registered client service associate Kathy Trzaskoma.
Lyon, director of Goetzman Nau Financial Partners and RJFS investment executive, has more than 14 years of experience in financial planning and investment management. He started his career with Merrill Lynch in 2006 and partnered with Goetzman and Nau in 2012. Lyon earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from James Madison University.