John D’Annunzio
- CFP
- CPM
- Senior Vice President - Investments
- PIM Portfolio Manager
John D’Annunzio
- CFP
- CPM
- Senior Vice President - Investments
- PIM Portfolio Manager
John’s knowledge in investment planning allows him to bring structure and clarity to the process of building and preserving wealth. In July 2018, John was recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of America's “Top Millennial Financial Advisors”.
John is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (CFP®) as authorized by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP® Board). He also holds the CERTIFIED PORTFOLIO MANAGER (CPM®) designation from Columbia University in conjunction with the Academy of Certified Portfolio Managers.
John graduated from Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration with Honors, earning a Bachelor’s degree in finance. He joined Wells Fargo Advisors in October of 2018, after previously spending eight years with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.
When out of the office, John enjoys spending time with his wife Carol and two sons Lucas and Benjamin. He is an active member of his Church and an auto enthusiast.
The Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors ranking algorithm is a 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, which does not receive compensation from the advisors or their firms in exchange for placement on a rating. 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.
Additionally, when applicable, disclosure should include "Fee paid for use of logo" and/or "Fee paid for use of marketing materials"
CA Insurance License Number 4014700. Resident State TX.
Paul Bender
- Managing Director - Investments
- PIM Portfolio Manager
Paul Bender
- Managing Director - Investments
- PIM Portfolio Manager
Prior to joining Wells Fargo Advisors in 2018, Paul was a Financial Advisor at both Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch with more than 30 years of industry experience.
Since 1985, Paul has guided affluent investors through every life and wealth stage. When advising clients his goal is to apply a positive, optimistic, and realistic investment perspective to help investors create predictable retirement income or legacy value while preserving capital and pursuing their goals.
Paul is committed to client service, informed investing, and long term planning. His vast experience and firsthand knowledge of all securities markets, has allowed him to support investors through multiple generations and across multiple market cycles.
Prior to his career in the financial service industry, he spent 6 years in the oil and gas industry as a senior financial executive for a Fortune 500 company and 4 years as a Certified Public Accountant with Deloitte, Haskins, Sells (a predecessor company to today’s Deloitte and Touché LLP).
Paul enjoys fishing, hunting, traveling to Italy, and spending time with his family.
CA Insurance License Number 4014587. Resident State TX.
J. Dan Heard
- Managing Director - Investments
- PIM Portfolio Manager
J. Dan Heard
- Managing Director - Investments
- PIM Portfolio Manager
After earning his Master’s degree from Stanford University, Dan began his professional career with Texas Instruments in 1983 as a Software Engineer. He worked to integrate Microsoft software to run on TI hardware. His entrepreneurship spirit then led him to join a consumer products company, The Bonneau Company, where he ran both Operations, and eventually became Exec VP handling both logistics and the Wal-Mart sales relationship. This eventually led to an appointment on the company board, and he engineered the company’s buyout of Foster Grant and subsequent sale to Benson Eyewear.
From there, he joined Fossil Group, Inc., the publicly-traded and internationally known watch, leather goods and jewelry. He led as SVP Operations a group of 300 team members running IT, Operations, Warehousing and Logistics for the company. As Dan grew in business knowledge, he found his true passion —working with individuals and families in achieving their personal financial goals.
His experiences as a former executive, board member, and software programmer make him uniquely suited as a financial advisor and portfolio manager. Dan uses his knowledge of Information Technology and Logistics as a springboard to understanding how our global economy works, and how it relates to building successful portfolios.
He is married almost 40 years to his college sweetheart, Kelly, and has four children and four grandchildren. He is involved with a local non-profit providing after-school education to at risk children, and is active at The Branch Church. Also he is an avid golfer, hiker and spends time often in Estes Park, Colorado.
Resident State TX
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Danna Schmidt
- FPQP™
- Financial Advisor
Danna Schmidt
- FPQP™
- Financial Advisor
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa in the late 1970’s, immigrated to the USA and became a citizen in 1992. As a young woman Danna earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees in the fine arts and had rare opportunities to perform as a professional classical ballerina both nationally and internationally. She spent a decade teaching at Southern Methodist University Meadows School of the Arts and wrote extensively as dance critic for D Magazine, and other online publications.
An experienced, registered, and trustworthy financial advisor with over a decade working in the country’s largest wealth management firms. Danna has stood hand in hand with clients through windfalls and losses; unexpected deaths, weddings, births, graduations, illnesses, starting and exiting businesses and so many exceptional moments shared. She has intimate knowledge of industry compliance and processes, as well as the complexities of managing money for high net worth families. Danna is known for exhibiting a combination of outstanding work ethic and resilience to stresses of the job with a positive, happy personae.
Danna’s favorite indulgence is quiet time with a good book (the kind with paper in it.) In her free time she likes to journal, focus on health and fitness, patron the performing arts, bake and cook, and travel the world! Most of all she enjoys spending time with family: husband, 4 adult offspring and one sweet granddaughter.
Danna Schmidt
- FPQP™
- Financial Advisor
Danna Schmidt
- FPQP™
- Financial Advisor
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa in the late 1970’s, immigrated to the USA and became a citizen in 1992. As a young woman Danna earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees in the fine arts and had rare opportunities to perform as a professional classical ballerina both nationally and internationally. She spent a decade teaching at Southern Methodist University Meadows School of the Arts and wrote extensively as dance critic for D Magazine, and other online publications.
An experienced, registered, and trustworthy financial advisor with over a decade working in the country’s largest wealth management firms. Danna has stood hand in hand with clients through windfalls and losses; unexpected deaths, weddings, births, graduations, illnesses, starting and exiting businesses and so many exceptional moments shared. She has intimate knowledge of industry compliance and processes, as well as the complexities of managing money for high net worth families. Danna is known for exhibiting a combination of outstanding work ethic and resilience to stresses of the job with a positive, happy personae.
Danna’s favorite indulgence is quiet time with a good book (the kind with paper in it.) In her free time she likes to journal, focus on health and fitness, patron the performing arts, bake and cook, and travel the world! Most of all she enjoys spending time with family: husband, 4 adult offspring and one sweet granddaughter.
Yolanda Meza
- Senior Client Associate
Yolanda Meza
- Senior Client Associate
Yolanda assists in all facets including wealth management, investment accounts, estate planning strategies, multi-generational legacy creation, charitable giving, life and disability insurance, annuities, long-term care planning, and corporate investment management. Her favorite part of the business is being able to watch clients go through their various stages of life, helping them accomplish their financial goals.
Outside of work Yolanda enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with her husband Joe and seven grandkids.
Kenny Craven
- Senior Registered Client Associate
Kenny Craven
- Senior Registered Client Associate
In his spare time, Kenny enjoys traveling the back roads of Texas and hiking in the outdoors. At home, he enjoys working in the garden and kitchen with his wife. He has two sons in college.
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Christina Hopkins
- Client Associate
Christina Hopkins
- Client Associate
Along with two decades of industry experience, Christina brings her own unique style of situational awareness, clarity of thought and a caring approach to communicating with clients. She is an avid volunteer within her local community, with a positive “can-do” attitude. Christina’s pride and joy, her son, Brendon, is attending University of North Texas in Denton.
Investment Management
Investment Management
We serve a diverse range of clients including business owners, c-suite executives, corporate attorneys, and medical professionals– who trust us to help them save, protect and grow their capital to meet their financial and legacy goals. Our holistic approach allows us to be a resource not only for our clients, but also their family, friends, foundations, and endowments.
We build client portfolios across a broad range of asset classes including equities, fixed income, alternatives investments, and real estate. We construct portfolios with a disciplined approach to investing using a combination of internal research and third-party research to develop both a long-term strategic policy and a shorter term tactical policy for each client with the goal of managing risk and seeking returns throughout market cycles.
Investment Planning
Investment Planning
An investment plan is an assessment of each client's unique current financial condition, a summary of their goals and a roadmap to help them get from the present to the financial future they want. A thorough investment plan will address current savings, budgeting, insurance, investments, taxes, estate planning strategies and retirement. When mapping out an investment plan, we will consider future income needs, vacation allotment, future asset purchases, and basically anything else that will significantly impact our client’s financial life to make sure that their current financial state will keep them on track to achieve their goals. Comprehensive investment plans prepared by our team’s CFP® will be periodically updated to reflect any changes that will affect the client’s financial life.
Wells Fargo Advisors is not a legal or tax advisor. Any estate plan should be reviewed by an attorney who specializes in estate planning and is licensed to practice law in your state. Insurance products are available through non-bank insurance agency affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company and underwritten by non-affiliated Insurance Companies. Not available in all states.
Risk Management
Risk Management
Benjamin Franklin once said "Those who fail to plan, are planning to fail". We believe this is especially true for asset management. Every investor should have a plan that guides him/her through different market environments and helps them prepare for the unexpected. Outlining financial goals, risk appetite, time frame, and customization requirements are all part of the disciplined process that we recommend for investors. This outline should be achieved through a written investment plan that is reviewed and updated.
Investing is more about managing risk than any other aspect of the complicated investment process. Risk management is not a consequence of a disciplined investment process- it IS the disciplined investment process.
Open Discussion
Open Discussion
The Open Discussion meeting usually lasts 45 minutes. We learn about all things that are important to the client including their family, occupation, and recreational aspirations.
We help clients define their personal and financial goals, understand their time frame for results, and their comfort with risk. It is our goal tofully understand our client’s goals and objectives.
Open Discussion
Open Discussion
The Open Discussion meeting usually lasts 45 minutes. We learn about all things that are important to the client including their family, occupation, and recreational aspirations.
We help clients define their personal and financial goals, understand their time frame for results, and their comfort with risk. It is our goal tofully understand our client’s goals and objectives.
Assessment
Assessment
Once the Open Discussion is complete, we meet as a team to collectively assess all of the information. We create a written investment plan alongside a set of investment recommendations to help achieve the client’s goals and objectives.
This step of the process includes analyzing assets, liabilities, cash flow, risk management, current investments and strategies related
to tax issues.
Assessment
Assessment
Once the Open Discussion is complete, we meet as a team to collectively assess all of the information. We create a written investment plan alongside a set of investment recommendations to help achieve the client’s goals and objectives.
This step of the process includes analyzing assets, liabilities, cash flow, risk management, current investments and strategies related
to tax issues.
Knowledge
Knowledge
During the knowledge meeting we walk through the comprehensive investment plan and investment recommendations.
All recommendations are presented to the client for review and approval. These recommendations address each client’s individual goals and objectives. Extra care is taken to be sure that each client thoroughly understands the recommendations and alternatives so they can make informed decisions.
Our Business Philosophy
Our Business Philosophy
The Piedmont Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors philosophy is total client engagement. We believe that it is in our client’s best interest for us to understand all parts of their financial well-being. We want to make sure that we know not only about our client’s assets, liabilities, and risks, but also about their family and family legacy, occupational goals, and recreational aspirations.
We never lose sight of what matters most to our client as it relates to their family. We work with our clients to ensure that their loved ones are taken care of.
We never lose sight of what matters most to our clients as it relates to occupational goals. Many times our clients have a set retirement date to plan towards, whiles others just want a "work optional" lifestyle.
We never lose sight of what matters most to our clients as it relates to recreational aspirations. Everyone has a bucket list, and we take pride in helping our clients achieve those goals.
Our Investment Discipline
Our Investment Discipline
Our Investment discipline isn’t easy. In spite of best intentions and claims to the contrary, many investors chase performance, react emotionally to market noise, and generally incur far more trading costs than would be the case with more disciplined approach. Even when there is a long-term plan in place, if it’s not followed, the plan has value. Over the years we have had success and gained our clients trust by following a disciplined investment strategy.
Our disciplined investment strategy includes:
1. Each client’s goals and objectives
2. Designing a prudent asset allocation based on this philosophy
3. Sustaining the asset allocation through market volatility
4. Not changing the asset allocation due to recentmarket activity
5. Maximizing tax efficiency in the investment portfolio
Our Investment Process
Our Investment Process
Over our 60 years, we have developed and refined a wealth management process. We have given this process a name, we call it the OAK process. OAK stands for Open Discussion, Assessment, and Knowledge and it is the cornerstone of every decisionwe make.
Our goal is to work with our clients to help them make smart financial decisions. In order to do so, we begin with understanding the individual, family, business, or endowment we are working with. The goal of the Open Discussion meeting is to obtain information regarding all aspects of the client’s financial well-being. We gather this information and put together a complete investment plan which we will use as the basis for our investment recommendations. Only when we fully understand the client’s goals and finances can we begin working on a plan, and subsequently provide appropriate investment recommendations.
We guide our clients through each step in our process and we set time aside to answer any questions. We believe that working with informed clients brings confidence in knowing their investments are working towards their goals.
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