Financial planning is my passion and life's work. Personally, there is no greater joy than helping my clients realize what's possible and guiding them towards achieving it. I am an endless student of the financial planning profession. I am a firm believer in the power of financial planning to transform one's life. 

It is my belief that financial planning should be more accessible to a broader range of individuals and families than we currently offer as a profession. To address this need, and through a relentless pursuit of efficiency, technology, and operations, I've developed a way to offer fiduciary-standard, high-quality hourly financial planning advice economically.  I also provide more traditional forms of financial planning and investment management such as retainer and full-service offerings. 

I put myself through Siena College, earning a degree in Finance while working at night. I then earned an M.B.A. while working full-time. In 2012, I achieved the coveted Certified Financial Planner Designation^TM. I am currently President-Elect of the Financial Planning Association of New England. 

My career in financial planning began at the Ayco Company (a Goldman Sachs Company) in their multi-family office practice, where I observed and learned the extraordinarily complex financial planning needs of some of the nation’s most affluent families. In 2006, I moved to Boston and began building a new practice at what was then known as Smith Barney. In 2016, I founded Breakwater Financial with the goal of creating a firm that delivers the ideal client experience. 

Today I live in Needham, Massachusetts with my wife Beth and sons Jack and Luke. When not advising clients or spending time with my family, I enjoy a variety of hobbies and pursuits, including mountain biking, golf, snowboarding, hiking, running, reading, CrossFit, maintaining local trails, woodworking, cooking, and writing.

Melinda Bradley is an operations and administrative pro with more than ten years of experience in the financial and lending world. She’s known for being organized, dependable, and the kind of person who’s always one step ahead.

Prior to joining Nifty, Melinda worked as a Client Service Manager, becoming the go-to person for clients and advisors. She’s great at building relationships and solving problems before they become problems. She also spent nearly a decade in operational leadership in the lending industry, running multi-branch operations, mentoring new leaders, and improving processes to make things easier and more efficient for both clients and staff.

Outside of work, Melinda is a proud Swiftie who loves spending time with her family, watching baseball, and exploring new parks with her dog.

Please note that Melinda is not an employee of Breakwater Financial, LLC. Melinda is an employee of Nifty Advisor Support, LLC. Nifty Advisor Support provides resources and talented individuals like Melinda to assist financial planners with their back office and client administrative duties.

Karl graduated from Texas Women's University with a Degree in History and a minor in Business Administration in 2018. He worked in brokerage operations at Fidelity Investments for four years before joining Nifty.

In his free time, he enjoys hiking, lifting weights, listening to podcasts, and watching sports.

Please note that Karl is not an employee of Breakwater Financial, LLC. Karl is an employee of Nifty Advisor Support, LLC. Nifty Advisor Support provides resources and talented individuals like Karl to assist financial planners with their back office and client administrative duties.