Greetings to our current and prospective Chapter Members and welcome to the American Financial Education Alliance (AFEA) chapter website for Greater Grand Rapids, MI #4849!

As an IRS approved, 501(c)(3) NonProfit Organization, our mission is to empower Americans to take control of their finances by providing local communities with objective financial education. It is our pleasure to educate our local communities and share how AFEA works to provide all Americans the education and experience they need to enhance their financial understanding and management.

AFEA specializes in providing high-level financial education classes and events at establishments of all types:

Libraries  ♦  Universities, Colleges, Junior Colleges  ♦  Businesses  ♦  Nonprofit and Fundraising Organizations

Class offerings include:

A Guide to 401k Rollovers  ♦ The ABCD’s of Medicare ♦  Advanced Estate Planning ♦ An Introduction to Annuities  ♦ Business Continuation Planning ♦ College Planning ♦ The Essentials of Estate Planning  ♦ Financial Planning Basics ♦ Investing for Women ♦ IRAs, Annuities, and Other Sources of Retirement Income  ♦ Living a Tax-Free Retirement ♦ Most Common Financial Mistakes ♦ Myths and Facts About Annuities ♦ Planning for Long-Term Care  ♦ Retirement Basics ♦ Retirement Income Planning ♦ Roth IRA Conversions ♦ Safe Money Principles of Retirement Planning ♦ Social Security Benefit Options  ♦ Special Needs Planning ♦ Understanding Your IRA ♦ Understanding Your Roth IRA ♦ Variable Annuities ♦ Women and Money ♦ Your Employee-Sponsored Retirement Plan

We invite you to attend our local workshops and become an active member by participating in our educational events throughout the community.

Thank you for visiting your local Chapter’s website; we look forward to seeing you in a class soon!

Joe’s primary focus is in putting people back in control of their money. His passion for educating people on how money truly works has helped his clients relieve financial pressure, realize lifelong goals and create lasting legacies.

Joe specializes in helping people find money they are losing unknowingly and unnecessarily and bringing those found dollars back to help solidify their retirement. One common area where people transfer money away is in paying for college. As part of his comprehensive retirement process, Joe works with families in developing efficient strategies to pay the college tolls as wisely as possible so that they can cruise through the EZ Pass lane and stay up to speed for retirement. 

He has been featured by the Michigan Association for College Admission Counseling and the West Michigan Counseling Association, and partners with West Michigan area high schools. Joe holds the Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®) designation. He is also a Master Mentor with MoneyTrax, a wealth planning organization that has been nationally recognized for its unique financial planning approach and advanced training.

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Joe’s financial career started at The Northern Trust Company in 2006. He went on to become technical coordinator of the team responsible for the daily valuation of multi-national pension funds. In 2011, with his aspiration to help individuals and families achieve their own meaningful definition of financial success, he joined a major Wall Street firm as a financial advisor. He eventually started his own independent financial firm in 2013 before joining Retirement Capital Planners in 2021.

Joe enjoys spending quality time with his two children, attending and serving the St. Paul the Apostle Parish & School Community, playing the bagpipes and cheering on his beloved Fightin' Irish.