APS Remains Open

March 17, 2020 Good morning! I wanted to take this opportunity to follow-up on my March 12th letter, “Corona Bear.”  In this time of market volatility and (social) media exhaustion, we continue to be steadfast in our fiduciary duty of providing you financial direction in this complex world.  Zig Ziglar stated “Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on … Read More

Corona Bear

March 12, 2020 As you are aware, yesterday the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.  This has jolted the stock market bear out of its 11-year hibernation.  As I write this, the S&P 500 is now down 25% from its all-time high that was set on February 19.  As we have shared at several WorldWatch programs, a … Read More

Thank You!

We sincerely thank all of those who have trusted us by referring their Merck colleagues to us over the past 35 years.  We have recently been blessed with more referrals than we can manage well, so we have no choice but to announce that we will be closed to new clients for the foreseeable future as we offer to serve … Read More

Erik Morris Appointed Chief Operating Officer of APS

March 3, 2020 APS is pleased to announce that Erik Morris, Chief Compliance Officer and Director of Operations, has been appointed Chief Operating Officer, a new position within APS. Erik will continue to report to Rick Volpe, President and Founder of APS. “Since joining the firm in March 2016, Erik has skillfully directed the Operations Department and leveraged our new … Read More

Anthony Scardelletti Joins APS

Anthony Scardelletti joined APS in January 2020 as a Wealth Management Operations Analyst on the Operations Team. Anthony is a 2018 graduate of James Madison University, where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. Prior to joining APS, Anthony completed internships with Forte Capitol Group and Northwestern Mutual.  Most recently, and upon graduation from James Madison University, Anthony … Read More

Jordan Shaw Completes First Marathon!

On October 6th of 2019, Jordan Shaw competed in his first marathon. Located in his hometown of Corning NY, the Guthrie Wineglass Marathon saw around 3,000 participants come out to enjoy the beautiful fall scenery. Jordan, who ran the entire race alongside his father, thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and plans to run many more.

Joseph Bates Earns Certified Financial PlannerTM (CFP®) Professional Certification

Please join us as we congratulate Joseph for successfully passing the CFP® examination in July!  Passing the CFP® examination was the final step for Joseph to earn the right to be called a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) professional.  CFP® certification requires years of study as well as years of experience to earn the right to use the CFP® mark.  We … Read More

Rick Visits the Top of the World

Rick and his wife Marge just returned from a 1,000 mile motorcycle road trip in Ecuador.  They are pictured standing in front of the Chimborazo Volcano in the Andes Mountains, the highest mountain peak in the world.  Wait!  Not Mt. Everest?  That’s correct.  Due to the squashed sphere bulge of our planet at the equator, the top of Chimborazo is … Read More

Jordan Shaw Passes Examination Requirement for Certified Financial Planner™ Professionals

Please join us as we congratulate Jordan for successfully passing the examination requirement on his journey to becoming a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) professional. To ultimately be awarded this designation, an individual must complete an instructor-led program of study, pass a certifying examination, and meet the work experience, ethics and continuing education requirements. The CFP® designation indicates a comprehensive understanding … Read More