Raymond James welcomes $365 million bi-coastal advisor team with over 40 years of experience
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Raymond James recently welcomed financial advisors Steven Schmitt and Terence Belfor to Raymond James & Associates (RJA) – the firm’s employee advisor channel – in New York and Beverly Hills, California, according to Kelly Anderson, Northeast regional director for RJA.
As The Schmitt Group of Raymond James, the advisors provide sophisticated wealth management strategies for their clients, with a focus on addressing the specialized needs of the LGBTQ community and its allies, as well as a broader group of professionals and corporate executives. They previously managed approximately $365 million in client assets at Morgan Stanley. Joining the advisor duo are senior investment portfolio analyst Valerie Vinbaytel, with 12 years of industry experience, practice business manager Cassandra Biehl, with three years of experience and practice marketing associate Anthony Corcella.
“Moving to Raymond James will provide our group’s growing and diverse client base the perfect platform to flourish in today’s complex market and global economic environment,” said Schmitt, managing director. “Raymond James has a nurturing culture that stands to support our team with the resources and infrastructure to accelerate our vision, plus a value system that will benefit us all.”
Schmitt arrives at Raymond James with extensive knowledge of retirement planning, investment strategy and estate planning for LGBTQ clients that he earned over two decades working in the financial services industry. Early in his career, Schmitt worked the trading floor at Virginia Power and served as an energy analyst at Merrill Lynch. He later spent 12 years as a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors before transitioning to Morgan Stanley in 2016. Schmitt earned a Bachelor of Science in finance from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Business Administration from William Paterson University and holds several professional credentials, including the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM, Chartered Retirement Plans SpecialistTM , Certified Portfolio ManagerTM and Accredited Domestic Partnership AdvisorSM designations.
A native of New York, Belfor has been helping clients achieve financial independence since 2016 with a personalized approach that leverages his legal background and disciplined wealth management strategies. Belfor began his career in wealth management at Morgan Stanley, where he spent over six years as a financial advisor. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with a minor in legal studies from Bucknell University and a Juris Doctor degree from St. John’s University.
“Steven and Terence’s tailor-made and committed approach to serving clients aligns beautifully with a critically important tenet here at Raymond James: To be a financial services firm as unique as the people we serve – one that welcomes all individuals, embraces our unique backgrounds and respects our different perspectives,” said Anderson. “We are thrilled that this team of professionals selected Raymond James as their firm of choice to support their practice.”
About Raymond James & Associates
Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (RJA), member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC, is an industry leader in financial planning and wealth management services for individuals, high-net-worth families, corporations and municipalities. RJA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF), one of the nation’s premier diversified financial services companies with approximately 8,700 financial advisors throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Total client assets are approximately $1.09 trillion as of Sept. 30, 2022. Additional information is available at raymondjames.com.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM, CFP®, (with plaque design) and CFP®(with flame design) in the U.S. which it awards to individuals who successfully complete the CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.