Trusted advice to help build, manage, preserve and transition your wealth.

Ridgedale Financial Strategies Group of Wells Fargo Advisors
Pictured from left to right:


Michael Sayther, CFP®
Senior Financial Advisor
Senior Vice President - Investments


Jeri Cohen
Senior Financial Advisor
Senior Vice President - Investments


James A. Hofmann, MBA, CRPC®, CFP®
Senior Financial Advisor
Managing Director – Investments


Meet Our Team

Team Approach 

With over 80 years of combined experience, we help you build a financial foundation for the future. Our team takes the time to listen to your most important values and draws on the strengths and experience of each team member to help you define clear objectives and implement thoughtful strategies so you can live the life you choose and pursue your most important goals. Meet Our Team



Building and Protecting Your Wealth

We take a comprehensive approach and tailor each strategy to your specific goals and risk profile. Your plan will cover the four cornerstones of wealth planning including, investments, asset protection, liability management and legacy and estate planning strategies.  Planning Your Future



Collaborative planning

Our planning process is a collaboration with you. We talk about what will happen over the next year, the next ten years, and beyond. We simply ask, “What do you want to have happen? What do you want your success to translate into?” Then we build a structure and strategies to allow that to happen. Since planning is an ongoing process, we make adjustments as your needs change. Learn About Our Process



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Our goal is to take the success that you have achieved and create strategies to extend it forward.

Credentials & Accolades

James Hofmann, Managing Director – Investments
Jeri Cohen, Senior Vice President - Investments
Michael Sayther, Senior Vice President - Investments


CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®)

James Hofmann, Managing Director – Investments and Michael Sayther, First Vice President - Investments are CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals. To earn their CFP® credential, James and Michael have completed hundreds of hours of rigorous courses and examinations. These courses are then followed by a 10-hour comprehensive examination administered according to the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. The qualification process is comprehensive array of advice and skill-based approach that distinguishes CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) practitioners from other professional advisors, who typically focus on only one area of a client's financial life.

 

Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® (CRPC®)

James Hofmann, Managing Director – Investments has earned the designation of Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor®. This designation focuses on building an in-depth knowledge of clients' needs both before and after retirement. As a Chartered Retirement Plan Counselor, James focuses on client centric problem solving as they assist clients planning for the entire retirement planning process, including planning for multiple financial objectives, identifying sources of retirement income, building personal savings, taking advantage of employer-sponsored retirement plans, planning for tax efficient investing, projecting and meeting retirement cash flow needs, asset management and estate investment planning.



2021 Wells Fargo Advisors Platinum Council

In 2021, Jeri Cohen, Senior Vice President - Investments was recognized as Platinum Council Advisors for Wells Fargo Advisors. In 2021 and 2023, James Hofmann, Managing Director – Investments was recognized as Platinum Council Advisors for Wells Fargo Advisors. The Platinum Council (previously known as Premier Advisor) distinction is held by a select group of Financial Advisors within Wells Fargo Advisors as measured by completion of educational components, business production based on the past year, and professionalism. Additional criteria, best practices and team structure, may also be used to determine recipients.

 

Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors

James Hofmann, Managing Director – Investments has been recognized as a Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors for 2023. The Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors rating algorithm is based on the previous year’s industry experience, interviews, compliance records, assets under management, revenue and other criteria by SHOOK Research, LLC. Investment
performance is not a criterion. Self-completed survey was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. Click here to learn more



Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors

James Hofmann, Managing Director – Investments has been recognized as a Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisor for 2022 and 2023. The Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors Best-in-State rating algorithm is based on the previous year’s industry experience, interviews, compliance records, assets under management, revenue and other criteria by SHOOK Research, LLC. Investment performance is not a criterion. Self-completed survey was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria.

 

Five Star Wealth Manager

Both Jeri Cohen, Senior Vice President - Investments and James Hofmann, Managing Director – Investments have earned the Five Star Wealth Manager award. Jeri Cohen has earned the Five Star Wealth Manager Award for 10 years; 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023. James Hofmann has earned the Five Star Wealth Manager Award for 6 years; 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023.





Five Star Wealth Manager 2023. This award was issued on 12/01/2022 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 03/21/2022 through 10/18/2022. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 6,606 New Jersey-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 407 (6% of candidates) were named 2023 Five Star Wealth Managers. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria-required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as an RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP's consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP's consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client's experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria-considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager's future performance . Wealth Managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients' assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com. 2022 Award issued on 12/1/21 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 04/12/2021 through 10/15/2021. 6380 New Jersey-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 431 (7% of candidates) were named 2022 Five Star Wealth Managers. 2021 Award issued on 12/1/20 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 3/30/20 through 10/23/20. 6123 New Jersey wealth managers were considered for the award; 459 (7 % of candidates) were named Five Star Wealth Managers. 2020 Award issued on 12/1/19 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 3/1/19 through 10/16/19. 6210 New Jersey wealth managers were considered for the award; 480 (8 % of candidates) were named Five Star Wealth Managers. 2019 Award issued on 12/1/18 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 3/21/18 through 10/12/18. 6097 New Jersey wealth managers were considered for the award; 477 (8 % of candidates) were named Five Star Wealth Managers. 2018 Award issued on 12/1/17 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 2/21/17 through 10/12/17. 4383 wealth managers were considered for the award; 415 (9 % of candidates) were named Five Star Wealth Managers. 2017 Award issued on 12/1/16 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 2/21/16 through 10/12/16 3,868 New Jersey wealth managers were considered for the award; 664 (18% of candidates) were named 2017 Five Star Wealth Managers. 2016 Award issued on 12/1/15 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 2/21/15 through 10/12/15 4143 wealth managers were considered for the award; 626 (15% of candidates) were named 2016 Five Star Wealth Managers. 2015 Award issued on 12/1/14 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 2/21/14 through 10/12/14 5063 wealth managers were considered for the award; 672 (13% of candidates) were named 2015 Five Star Wealth Managers. 2014 Award issued on 12/1/13 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 2/21/13 through 10/12/13 3315 wealth managers were considered for the award; 646 (19% of candidates) were named 2014 Five Star Wealth Managers.