Jim Oliver, CPA/PFS, CFP®
With over 20 years of building and running a successful CPA practice, founded Financial Advisor for Life in August 2003, and the firm received state approval as a Registered Investment Advisor later that year. Jim realized his breadth of experience could expand to meet the growing requests for more involvement from his clients, bringing insightful professional financial services to his clients. Jim also received the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER(tm) certification in 2003 and the Personal Financial Specialist designation in 2006. He has been a licensed NASD (now FINRA) securities broker since 2001 and a licensed Texas insurance agent since 2000.
Areas of Service:
As the firm’s chairman, Jim focuses
his experience and talents on:
• Financial, estate and lifetime income planning
• Investment advisory services
• Retirement plan evaluation and selection
• Asset protection and tax reduction strategies
• Regulatory compliance issues
Business Related Activities:
Jim has actively contributed to his profession and the financial community through activities beyond the typical scope of most financial service professionals.
As the local CBS television affiliate’s morning show business correspondent for nearly 10 years, he provided analysis, commentary and advice on breaking stories affecting viewers.
As the “Money Man” regularly heard on three local radio stations, Jim has delivered commentary and perspective on various business and financial topics, often with a humorous twist. Numerous local and national newspapers, business journals and magazines (including Money, Forbes, Accounting today, Secure and Today’s CPA) have profiled and quoted him.
For three years, he served as technical editor of Today’s CPA, and provided his unique viewpoint commentary in his column “The Closing Entry”.
His service to the San Antonio CPA society has included election as President, Treasurer and Secretary, chair of several committees, and current membership on the PAC committee. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Texas Society of CPAs for over fifteen years and as a spokesperson on Society matters. He has also chaired nearly a dozen committees, including the Advanced Estate Planning Conference and the Relations with IRS.
Jim is an active member of both the Financial Planning Association and the San Antonio Estate Planning Council.
Personal:
Jim actively participates in church, school and community activities. He currently serves as a discussion leader for Bible Study Fellowship and a substitute leader for his church life group. He has volunteered for various church and community projects. He chaired the Bexar County Child Welfare Board for two years, which led to the Bexar County Commissioners awarding him the “Hidalgo de San Antonio de Bejar”. As part of his volunteer work, Jim worked on a ten-day water project for a village in the Guatemalan jungles. His hobbies include travel, reading, working out and discovering new restaurants with his wife Tavia.
Ben Gurwitz, CFP®
Ben Gurwitz joined Financial Life Advisors in 2008 as a Financial Planner. Ben is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER(tm) practitioner, Texas Life and Health Insurance Counselor and Risk Manager. Ben has over 7 ears of experience in the financial services industry. Ben was attracted to Financial Life Advisors because of the clientcentric culture and firm's independence.
Areas of Service:
• Comprehensive financial planning
-Social Security analysis
-Retirement projections
-Goal setting & budgeting
• Investment advisory
• Insurance analysis
Business Related Activities:
• Managed a regional office overseeing insurance & investment sales agents
• Worked as a benefit and financial services consultant for a firm providing pension, investment, and executive
compensation services
Ben is an active member of both the Financial Planning Association and the San Antonio Estate Planning Council. Ben regularly attends conferences and workshops to stay up to date with relevant changes in tax, insurance, and investments.
Personal:
Born in San Francisco, Ben moved to San Antonio in 1998 to attend college. He grew to appreciate the slower pace of life and excellent food here in South Texas. He met his wife, Shana, at Trinity University, and they have a feisty Chihuahua named Chispa. Shana is a middle school English teacher in the Northside Independent School District.
Mary Jane Cantu
Mary Jane has been assisting clients of Financial Life Advisors since September 2005. She is the Client Relations Manager.
Areas of Service:
• Preparation & assistance
in financial planning meetings
• Building a strong business
relationship with clients &
maintaining a constant
communication of information
of their financial portfolios
• Administrative support
Business related Activities:
Mary Jane has had employment in the career of finances for more than 15 years, with seven of those years as a financial administrator for a non-profit organization, The Community Food Bank of Victoria.
She has been active in furthering her training in the career of financial planning & enriching her marketing knowledge:
• Attended Series 7 training at Kaplan Financial
• Variety of webinars offered by Pershing A BNY Securities Group Co.
• Advent SEC Compliance Webinar
Personal:
Mary Jane is a mother of three boys and also a student enrolled at UTSA pursing a degree in Science. She and her boys moved from Victoria, Texas to San Antonio in 2005 to be closer to family and are enjoying the Hispanic culture and traditions that San Antonio is so proud of.
This firm is not a CPA firm.
Financial Life Advisors (FLA), a Registered Investment Adviser, and Jim Oliver & Associates, P.C. (JOA) are under common ownership and control. Team Oliver is used to describe collaborative services of both firms. Professional tax services are provided by JOA and investment advisory services are provided by FLA, each under separate agreements.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP(R), CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER(tm) and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.
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