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Christopher Ray Files

Advisor at Van Ray Wealth Management — Edmonds, WA

Updated today

Credentials

Series 65, Series 66

Experience

7 years

Location

Edmonds, WA 98020

Van Ray Wealth Management logo

Van Ray Wealth Management

Independent

Total advisors

1

Clients per advisor

22 Typical

Avg AUM per client

$280,654 Low

HNW client ratio

9% Typical

About

Christopher Files is a financial advisor at Van Ray Wealth Management in Edmonds, WA, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses with seven years of industry experience. He has worked at Van Ray Wealth Management since 2019 and concurrently manages the Van Winkle Agency, an insurance brokerage. Van Ray Wealth Management serves individual and high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, corporations, and charitable entities with portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation with periodic rebalancing, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary management while frequently recommending third-party advisers and combining financial planning with insurance services.

Client services

Based on Van Ray Wealth Management

Financial planning Portfolio management Pension consulting Selection of other advisers

Expertise

Based on Van Ray Wealth Management

Cash flow / budgeting Debt management College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) General estate planning guidance Retirement income strategy

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Fee options

Fixed

Comprehensive financial planning fixed fees range from $1,000 to $5,000; ongoing financial advising fixed fees $1,000 to $2,400 annually.

Percentage

$0 - $500,000: 1.00% $500,001 - $3,000,000: 0.75% $3,000,001 - $5,000,000: 0.50% $5,000,001 - $10,000,000: 0.40% $10,000,001+: Negotiable

Project-based

$200 per hour for financial planning and reviews; negotiable.

Other

Fee-only: Comprehensive financial planning fixed fees range from $1,000 to $5,000; hourly fee $200 per hour; ongoing financial advising fixed fees $1,000 to $2,400 annually.

Location

Edmonds, WA

120 West Dayton Street, Suite B 6

Edmonds WA 98020

Advisors at this office

1

Most active in

Washington

Work history

7 years of industry experience

Van Ray Wealth Management

2019 - Present • 7 years

Edmonds, WA

Van Winkle Agency

2011 - Present • 15 years

Lynnwood, WA

Disclosures

Exclamation point means they have disclosures of this type. Check mark means no disclosures of this type were found.

Business activities & affiliations

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Evan S

CFP®, Series 65

Kirkland, WA

Schmidt Financial Management

Evan Schmidt is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Schmidt Financial Management since 2019 and previously worked at Schmidt Financial Group, Inc. from 2009 to 2024. Schmidt Financial Management provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth households, including trusts, estates, and retirement accounts. The firm uses a customized, non-model portfolio approach combining fundamental and technical analysis, delegating manager due diligence to an external provider while conducting regular account reviews and financial planning updates.

Equity Recipients (RS/RSU, SOP, ESPP) Equity compensation tax strategy Liquidity event planning Wealth management Exec comp design Technology Professional Established Professionals

Samuel S

Series 66, Series 7

Everett, WA

Edward Jones

What’s most important to you? That simple (but not always easy) question guides everything I do when I meet with clients. What matters most in your family, health, purpose and finances should shape nearly every financial decision you make. My role is to help bring clarity to those priorities and align them with a thoughtful strategy so your resources support the life you want to live. My name is Samuel (Sam) Stanton, and I am an Edward Jones financial advisor. I chose to join Edward Jones because of the firm’s commitment to long-term, personal relationships and its focus on helping clients, their families, friends, and even future generations use their time, talents and treasures in ways that reflect what matters most to them. I grew up in Stanwood, WA, just down the road from my office in Everett, and I take pride in serving my local community. I work face-to-face with clients throughout the I-5 corridor, as well as with families and individuals across the country through virtual, but still highly personal, relationships. Regardless of location, my focus remains the same: being accessible, intentional and responsive as life evolves. When we work together, we use a combination of investments, cash management, tax-aware strategies, financial planning tools and insurance solutions to plan for what you want your money to do for you, both today and in the future. Each strategy we implement is rooted in your goals and adjusted as your circumstances change. If you are seeking a long-term resource to help guide you through life’s financial decisions, I welcome the opportunity to meet and explore how I may be able to help you achieve your goals. My objective is not just to manage finances, but to help you move forward with greater confidence toward what you want to achieve. With gratitude, Samuel Stanton

Wealth management Inherited wealth Liquidity event planning Retirement income strategy RSUs / ISOs / NSOs Sales Professional Self-Employed Retired Technology Professional Religious/faith focused HENRY (High Earners, Not Rich Yet) Married/Couples/Partners Intergenerational Families
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Sean G

Series 66

Everett, WA

Elderrock Financial LLC

Sean George is a financial advisor at Elderrock Financial LLC with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, and Berknell Financial Group prior to joining Elderrock in 2018. Sean participates in community and networking groups, including the Rotary Club of Everett and the Everett Rotary Youth Foundation, where he serves as secretary. Elderrock Financial provides financial planning, consulting, and portfolio management to individuals and sponsors of employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm offers ERISA-focused fiduciary and administrative services for retirement plans alongside individual wealth management, using a blend of fundamental and technical analysis as well as modern portfolio theory to tailor investment strategies.

Equity compensation tax strategy Retirement income strategy Cash flow / budgeting College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.) Wealth management Retired Founder/Business Owner
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Shai W

Series 65

Suquamish, WA

Shai Weinbaum Investment Management

Shai Weinbaum is the sole advisor at Shai Weinbaum Investment Management in Poulsbo, WA, holding a Series 65 designation with five years of industry experience. He has operated his independent firm since 2013. The firm provides discretionary investment management services primarily to individual clients, high-net-worth individuals, and small businesses. It customizes portfolios based on bottom-up fundamental analysis focused on intrinsic value and long-term outperformance, avoiding margin, debt, derivatives, and technical or cyclical analysis.

Active portfolio management
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Ronald C

CFA®

Kirkland, WA

Lakeside Financial Inc.

Ronald Chan is a CFA® charterholder and the sole advisor at Lakeside Financial Inc. in Kirkland, WA, with 13 years of industry experience. He has been with Lakeside Financial since 2015. Outside of investment advisory, he spends significant time providing management consulting services, including financial analysis and strategic recommendations, notably for a corporate client in the furniture industry. Lakeside Financial is an independent, state-registered firm managing approximately $35 million for around 34 clients. The firm serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, and business entities, offering investment management, financial planning, and management consulting. Its investment approach incorporates intrinsic-value, quantitative, and qualitative analysis across multiple asset classes and geographies, with features such as the use of margin, securities lending, and performance-based fee arrangements.

Options & derivatives strategies Concentrated stock management Private / alternative investments
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Dwayne R

CFP®, ChFC®, Series 66

Kirkland, WA

Valiant Financial Planning, LLC

Dwayne Reinike is a CFP® and ChFC® credentialed financial advisor at Valiant Financial Planning, LLC with six years of industry experience. His background includes roles at Edward Jones and prior service in the United States Navy. Valiant Financial Planning, LLC is a fee-only, independent firm that provides financial planning and discretionary investment management to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm employs customized asset allocation strategies combining passive and active investments and uses a tiered, fixed annual fee structure rather than a percentage of assets.

Business exit / sale strategy Cash flow / budgeting College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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