Tony Capitano • New Smyrna Beach, FL
Fairwinds Credit Union • LPL Financial
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Proactive Advisor Magazine: Tony, what prompted your interest in becoming a financial advisor, and how has your career progressed?

My father was an avid self-directed investor who studied the markets constantly. When I was in elementary school, he set up investment accounts for me and my older sister, introducing us to basic investing principles. I remember visiting his brokerage firm, meeting his broker, and watching the big electronic ticker tape. I started following stocks in the newspaper and have been fascinated by the financial markets ever since.

I attended Stetson University and majored in finance, knowing already that I wanted a career in financial services. I joined the student-run investment club, which managed a multimillion-dollar portfolio, and I took the related investing class. As a freshman, I accepted an offer for a paid internship from Scottrade, one of the early online brokerage firms, because I believed this would be the future of investing for most people. After graduation, I joined Scottrade full-time and spent 14 years there, taking on roles with increasing responsibility. My work included running training programs, managing branches, and offering investment-planning guidance to clients.

One important lesson I learned was that self-directed investors struggle to develop disciplined, well-diversified investment plans. While Scottrade offered research reports and tools for portfolio planning, few clients used them—and many reacted emotionally to the markets. Some paid a severe price during the financial crisis, which was upsetting to witness both personally and professionally.

Later in my tenure at Scottrade, the company embraced a more proactive approach, and I earned additional licenses. I was part of a group that provided active investment guidance to clients, partnering with S&P on some managed portfolios. This experience made it clear to me that this was a superior approach. After I left Scottrade, I spent several years with Schwab and J.P. Morgan’s private client group, where I gained valuable experience with different business models and target segments. I joined Fairwinds Credit Union in 2022, seeing it as a perfect opportunity to serve the financial needs of a broad segment of our local communities—everyday working people and retirees who value our guidance.

Who are your target clients, and what services do you offer them?

I work primarily with members of Fairwinds, which has a number of branches in central Florida. Before joining, I researched the company and found it to be a high-quality organization that serves its members well. Fairwinds is a not-for-profit, member-owned credit union that provides personal and commercial financial services, treasury services, merchant services, and more, including the financial advisory support our team provides. Forbes has recognized Fairwinds as a 2024 “Best-in-State” credit union.

I work out of five branches on an appointment basis and currently serve about 200 members. I support members at every stage of their financial journey, from those just beginning to those actively enjoying retirement—serving people from all walks of life. Since I have no minimum account requirements, investable assets can range widely. Some members are seeking transactional investment services, while others are looking for a deeper financial-planning relationship.

I provide a variety of products and services, including financial and retirement planning, wealth management, insurance and risk-management services, college-funding planning, estate planning, Social Security analysis, and personal finance guidance. I can also leverage resources within Fairwinds and my personal network to help members with virtually any financial need. Our team-oriented atmosphere helps ensure that members are referred to the appropriate resources.

My planning process can be very robust and is supported by sophisticated planning software from MoneyGuide, which helps analyze scenarios for investment and retirement planning. I believe in goals-based financial planning and try to address that with all of my clients. I also explore issues such as whether they are taking the right amount of risk for their situation, using their income wisely, maintaining the right mix of assets given their goals, and developing sufficient income for a comfortable retirement. Whether the goal is straightforward retirement planning or more complex lifestyle or legacy planning, I aim for a transparent, efficient process that helps clients progress toward financial freedom.

I’ve also started using a planning tool called Elements, which I find invaluable for discovery discussions. It has an intuitive layout with a financial calculator app, and it tracks 11 financial guideposts, such as debt or savings ratios. I like it because it helps you quickly diagnose a client’s financial health and assists in goals-based planning for everyone, no matter how sophisticated their planning needs.

Recently, I developed a financial-coaching subscription service, approved as a pilot program by our management. For a reasonable recurring fee, clients receive monthly one-on-one personal finance coaching via phone to address topics like debt management, refinancing a mortgage, buying a home versus renting, leasing versus purchasing a car, improving a credit score, or starting to plan for educational funding. This service can be especially valuable for those who may not have money to invest but still need financial guidance. It is gratifying to help people with financial issues that can profoundly impact their daily lives.

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My philosophy centers on goals-based planning. I aim to help members develop investment plans that address their objectives in terms of both asset growth over time and funding their retirement income needs.

I believe in third-party investment management and appropriate risk management for all clients. I work with several leading wealth-management firms that offer model portfolios tailored to various risk profiles and a range of potential investment outcomes. Many of these portfolios are dynamically managed and able to adjust allocations based on current market conditions, following a disciplined, researched, and rules-based approach that helps portfolios stay more resilient over time. I also believe in employing several levels of diversification, both within strategies themselves and through the use of a combination of strategies. I have examined the role of investment classes beyond the traditional approach of strictly equities and bonds and have found that gold can be an appropriate diversifier for many client strategies.

Most of the members I work with are primarily concerned with making sure they can adequately fund their desired lifestyle in retirement, making dynamic, risk-managed strategies especially important for them. For clients interested in values-based investing, I can access investment options that are suitable for their specific objectives.​

Communication. I call it “communicate times eight” to remind myself of the importance of regular client contact. I try to meet with clients four times a year and reach out at least four more times through review or progress sessions, updates on market developments, check-ins, or even a simple birthday greeting. Beyond the benefit of keeping a financial plan up to date, the more interaction I have with clients, the better I get to understand their unique life situations, concerns, and aspirations. That is a win-win situation for all of us.