Our Firm
Aurelius Family Office is a Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm that specializes in generational wealth and in-depth financial planning and analysis. As a team, we pride ourselves in going above and beyond client expectations to recognize hidden financial issues and opportunities. We’re your partners in financial planning for every stage of life.
Our Team
Mark Witaschek
Founder & Managing Principal
Education
Plymouth State College
Professional History
An enthusiastic part of the Financial Planning profession since its early days in 1982, Mark most recently directed the New Hampshire team of McLean Asset Management Corporation as Senior Vice President of Financial Planning for more than 13 years. Working with many lifelong clients and a long-term, seasoned team of financial planning experts at Aurelius Family Office will optimize the goal helping clients execute “Financial Planning for Every Stage of Life”.
Professional Certifications & Affiliations
Member, Financial Planning Association and New Hampshire Estate Planning Council
Greatest Professional Satisfaction
Having a client walk out of a meeting and say to me, “Working with you has made my life better.”
Community Involvement
Mark has served as a board member of a number of community organizations including Breathe NH, the Manchester Historic Association, the Allocations Committee of Granite United Way and Stage One Productions as president. He is an alumnus of the Leadership Greater Manchester program. Mark serves as a Eucharistic Minister at his parish, St. Elizabeth Seton. A former Emergency Medical Technician, he combined service with a passion for skiing as a ski patroller for a number of years.
Greatest Personal Satisfaction
Growing with my family, teaching and learning with them; my wife and seven children are such an incredible blessing. Our youngest has more to love, an extra chromosome, along with medical challenges; our entire family is richer for the gifts she offers daily!
Brenda Winslow, AIF®, GPHR®
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer
Education
Walsh University; Bachelor of Arts in Management
Professional History
Brenda began her career with a regional broker-dealer in Ohio, working as a licensed sales assistant for 9 years until joining a Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm. She has served in various capacities with several Ohio RIA firms including Operations Manager, Human Resources Manager, and Chief Compliance Officer. As a consultant, she has advised RIA firms in the areas of operations, information technology, human resources, and compliance.
Professional Certifications & Affiliations
- Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®)
- Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR®)
Greatest Professional Satisfaction
Providing the resources needed by our advisory teams that make their work lives less stressful, which ultimately means they can provide a higher level of service to our clients.
Greatest Personal Satisfaction
My husband and I love to travel internationally and treasure our experiences with new cultures, new foods, and great wine.
Morgan Rogers, CFA, CAIA
Director, Investment Operations
Education
University of Florida, Bachelor’s degree in Business Management
Professional History
Morgan began his career with a national broker-dealer in Florida, working as a licensed financial advisor. He is a former Signals Intelligence Analyst in the U.S. Army, serving two combat deployments with the Central Command Crisis Response Force. He has managed trading operations and served on the investment committee for a registered investment advisory firm in Colorado.
Professional Certifications & Affiliations
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder
Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) charterholder
Greatest Professional Satisfaction
Working alongside our advisory team to tailor investment solutions and navigate markets so clients can reach their financial goals.
Greatest Personal Satisfaction
My wife and I enjoy watching our daughter grow and experience the many mountain adventures Colorado has to offer, whether it is hiking, skiing, or rock climbing.
Jake Alden
Investment Operations Associate
Education
Jake earned a B.S. in Business Administration degree at Southern New Hampshire University.
Professional Satisfaction
Working alongside a highly talented team focused on creating and executing tailored solutions for each client’s unique financial circumstances.
Community Involvement
Jakes volunteers his time helping maintain his local hiking and mountain biking trail networks.
Greatest Personal Satisfaction
I love to spend time with family and friends, Camping & Hiking in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, or depending on the season, mountain biking, skiing, fly fishing or hunting throughout New England.
Gordon L. Nelson, CPA, CFP®
Director, Financial Planning
Education
Utah State University, Master’s degree in accounting with an emphasis in tax.
Professional History
Gordon began his career in public accounting, including time as a partner in a CPA firm, providing tax planning and preparation, business accounting and consulting, and estate and charitable giving planning. After several years in public accounting, he spent the next 20 years as a financial advisor helping people with financial, tax, estate, and charitable gift planning along with investment management.
Professional Certifications & Affiliations
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
Greatest Professional Satisfaction
Using the skills and life experiences I have to help other people find peace of mind in dealing with the sometimes-stressful situations life and financial markets can bring.
Greatest Personal Satisfaction
My wife and I enjoy being parents to and spending time with five wonderful daughters and our entire family. I’m passionate about spending time in wild and remote places either pursuing large fish with a fly rod in hand or hunting big game.
Greg Barishian, CPA, CFP®
Director, Tax Planning
Education
Bryant University, Bachelor of Science in Finance and Master of Science in Taxation.
Professional Certifications and Affiliations
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®)
Professional Satisfaction
Working on financial plans that allow clients to see how to achieve their financial goals and can be confident the Aurelius Family Office will be there to help them through their journey. It is very satisfying to know that our guidance is objective and that recommended decisions are in the client’s best interest.
Community Involvement
While Greg is willing to volunteer for different organizations, more recently has become involved with the non-profit, Dorcas International. Greg’s involvement includes assisting refugee families with resettlement in R.I. Greg is also part of a group of volunteers in his town of Glocester, providing maintenance to historic cemeteries.
Greatest Personal Satisfaction
Striking a work/life balance. Enjoy working on home projects, spending time with family and friends and making time to volunteer.
Heather Wolfe, FPQP™
Managing Director, Operations
Greatest Professional Satisfaction
Operations is a unique position within a firm in that we interface with so many aspects of a client’s financial life including the custodians, banks, attorneys, accountants, family members and of course, the clients themselves. We also work closely with the advisors to help their visions for the client come to light. I take personal satisfaction from being part of the team who’s goal each day is to help someone else work towards achieving their goals. I also take great satisfaction from being able to help and support my team members within the Aurelius Family Office.
Professional Certifications & Associations
Financial Paraplanner Qualified ProfessionalSM (FPQP®)
Greatest Personal Satisfaction
Having two high school age children, life can be chaotic and hectic. I find personal satisfaction sitting down to dinner with my children, listening to how their day has been and what kinds of plans they have for the future. When I find time, I enjoy hiking but most days I at least try to squeeze in a quick walk around my neighborhood with my dog.
Billie Jo McDermott
Operations Associate
Professional History
Billie Jo has built a strong client service background over the years in a variety of industries. She started her career in telecommunications as a Customer Service Rep for a large corporation. During the years that her children were young, she changed direction and took on client support roles for a lender and a financial software company. Billie Jo has also held various positions contributing to the growth of a New Hampshire based all-natural personal care company, including customer service, office management, and business development. More recently she worked for a busy Southern New Hampshire real estate attorney prior to joining Aurelius Family Office.
Professional Satisfaction
Having worked for companies large and small I have found the most satisfaction when working with a close-knit team that shares the desire to succeed. I enjoy developing new skills and contributing to the success of a company through client relations and support.
Personal Satisfaction
I love spending time with my two teenage sons and my husband, whether it be running around with the kid’s busy schedules or just relaxing at home. When I’m not busy with family or working, I like to get away to the beach. I find nothing more energizing than the warm sunshine and the salt water.
*For additional details on the credentials mentioned, please visit this link.
Our Process
Get Acquainted
We take a truly customized approach to financial planning, which is why we take the time to understand your current financial situation, as well as your goals for the future.
Discovery Meeting
Mutual Commitment Meeting
Advanced Planning Overview
Our written initial plan includes an outline for the full development of a comprehensive financial plan, generally completed within 6 months of the beginning of our relationship.
Recurring Planning Meetings
45 days following the mutual commitment meeting, we follow up with additional steps of the financial planning process, including implementation. We continue that until your plan is complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
We do not have a minimum asset level but our services may not be best suited for everyone. Our typical client has between $2 million and $5 million of investable assets, but we also serve clients below and well above those levels. During our discovery process we can assess your current financial situation and then provide insight as to how we might manage your portfolio after we have prepared a detailed financial plan that will cover many aspects of your financial life including asset allocation, investment management, retirement and goal funding projections, tax planning, estate planning, cash flow and distribution planning, debt and risk management, and charitable gifting.
Our fees are negotiable depending upon the depth and complexity of your personal financial situation. We will discuss fees with you in our initial conversations and then outline those fees in your Wealth Management Agreement.
Most clients prefer that we deduct our fees directly from their investment accounts. If that is not an option, we can send you an invoice quarterly.
We believe in a well-diversified, passively indexed portfolio that takes into account your comfort level with risk versus the need for portfolio growth to meet your future financial goals. We primarily use a mix of mutual funds, exchange traded funds (ETFs), and cash reserves to develop your portfolio. As you enter new life stages, your portfolio will be adjusted as your time horizon and financial circumstances change. For clients with well funded goals, we utilize a unique approach to reducing investment risk that stages retirement income to significantly lower the risk during the initial period of retirement, extending higher risk growth investments to later years. This unique “two tier” retirement structure puts long standing academic theories about reduced retirement risk into practice.
Yes, we do! Clients have the choice of in-person or virtual meetings as well as telephone consultations whether you are local to our New Hampshire or Virginia offices or anywhere across the United States or abroad.
We recommend that you use one of the custodians we work with directly as we have access to more favorable custodial pricing and mutual fund classes than you would typically receive on the retail side. Working with our custodians also allows us to place trades and deduct fees directly from your investment accounts. If you decide to remain with your current custodian, we have options that we can discuss for your advisor to manage your accounts most effectively.
We do not provide legal advice, but we can provide analysis on various matters related to real estate investments such as mortgages, tax implications, and cash flows.
While we do not prepare tax returns, we do review returns and prepare annual tax projections looking for ways to minimize your tax obligation. We will work closely with your tax preparer to identify overlooked tax savings opportunities. If desired, we can refer you to a tax preparer with whom we have a close working relationship.
