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Michael Howard Samuels

Advisor at BFC PLANNING, Inc. — Pittsburgh, PA

Updated today

Credentials

Series 63, Series 65

Experience

44 years

Location

Pittsburgh, PA

BFC PLANNING, Inc. logo

BFC PLANNING, Inc.

Multi-team

Total advisors

185

Across 85 offices

Clients per advisor

61 Typical

Avg AUM per client

$325,935 Low

HNW client ratio

5% Very Low

About

Michael Samuels is a financial advisor at BFC Planning, Inc. in Pittsburgh, PA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 43 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Cambridge Investment Research Advisor, Inc. and Berthel Fisher & Company Financial Services, Inc. Outside of his advisory work, Samuels serves as Treasurer for the Graham Place Community Association and holds several nonprofit board and committee roles focused on scholarship distribution and services for disabled individuals. BFC Planning, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, pension plans, and trusts through a network of approximately 200 investment adviser representatives. The firm provides financial planning, portfolio management, and referrals to external managers, employing a range of investment strategies across stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs.

Client services

Based on BFC PLANNING, Inc.

Financial planning Portfolio management Selection of other advisers

Expertise

Based on BFC PLANNING, Inc.

Concentrated stock management Options & derivatives strategies Real estate investing

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Fee options

Fixed

Fixed fees for financial planning services generally range from $100 to $15,000; flat annual fees for ongoing planning services.

Percentage

$0+: up to 2.5% annually $0+: up to 1.5% annually (Held Away Account Management)

Commissions

Commissions on insurance and brokerage products if implemented through affiliated broker-dealers; may be offset against advisory fees.

Project-based

$150 to $400 per hour for financial planning and consulting services.

Other

Account minimum: $25,000 Fee-only: Financial planning hourly fees $150 to $400 per hour; fixed fees $100 to $15,000; flat annual fees for ongoing planning services.

Location

See office

Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh PA

Advisors at this office

1

Most active in

Pennsylvania

Work history

44 years of industry experience

BFC Planning, Inc.

2017 - Present • 9 years

Pittsburgh, PA

Berthel Fisher & Company Financial Services, Inc.

2017 - Present • 9 years

Pittsburgh, PA

Cambridge Investment Research Advisor, Inc

2013 - 2017 • 4 years

Fairfield, IA

Cambridge investment Research, Inc

2013 - 2017 • 4 years

Fairfield, IA

Disclosures

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

Business activities & affiliations

user avatar

Christopher C

Series 66

Monroeville, PA

PNC Wealth Management

Christopher Conrad is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at PNC Investments since 2019, following four years at Edward Jones. Outside of his advisory role, he owns Conrad Data Consulting LLC, a non-investment related business. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital offering for employees that uses algorithm-driven risk assessment to select investment models implemented via mutual funds and ETFs.

Passive / index investing Active portfolio management Wealth management Executive
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Keith E

CFP®

Pittsburgh, PA

Keith L. Eliou, CFP

Keith Eliou is the principal of Keith L. Eliou, CFP, an investment management firm based in Pittsburgh, PA. He holds the CFP® designation and has one year of experience as a financial advisor. In addition to his advisory role, he practices law focusing on elder law and real estate and is involved in insurance, mortgage lending, and real estate brokerage businesses. The firm primarily serves pooled vehicles and institutional accounts, offering portfolio management, retirement plan services, and financial planning. It utilizes an open-architecture investment approach with third-party money managers and employs multiple analytical methods and strategies, conducting annual account reviews.

Social Security optimization Retirement income strategy Cash flow / budgeting Charitable giving tax strategies Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner
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Arlene N

Series 63

Pittsburgh, PA

A. Neff Associates LLC

Arlene Neff is the principal and sole proprietor of A. Neff Associates LLC in Pittsburgh, PA, holding a Series 63 designation and bringing 43 years of industry experience. She has operated her independent advisory firm since 1987 and previously worked at Elish & Elish, Inc. from 2014 to 2017. A. Neff Associates LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, businesses, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm manages assets on a non-discretionary basis, combining fundamental and technical analysis with asset-allocation considerations, and offers retirement-plan consulting including participant education and plan-sponsor liaison support.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) General retirement planning Cash flow / budgeting
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Christopher B

Series 65

Sewickley, PA

Block House Investments, LLC

Christopher Barto is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with three years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Block House Investments, LLC, where he has worked since 2025. His prior work includes roles at Kovitz Investment Group Partners, Fort Pitt Capital Group, Fiducia Investment Research, and Oak Grove Capital. Block House Investments, LLC provides discretionary portfolio management services primarily focused on equities for individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis and long-term investment horizons, operating under a single-advisor model with monthly account reviews.

Active portfolio management Wealth management
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Jay P

Series 66

Pittsburgh, PA

ClearPeak Capital Management

Jay Patel is a financial advisor with ClearPeak Capital Management in Pittsburgh, PA, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. Prior to founding ClearPeak Capital Management in 2021, he held various roles at Federated Global Investment Management and related firms. Outside of advisory services, Patel is the managing member and president of JM Metal Merchants, a business involved in domestic and international scrap metal trading. ClearPeak Capital Management provides discretionary asset management to individual and high-net-worth clients, using fundamental, cyclical, and macro analysis to guide investment decisions tailored to client objectives and risk tolerance. The firm manages approximately $2.73 million across about 26 accounts.

Options & derivatives strategies
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Patrick D

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Wexford, PA

Drazga Wealth Advisors, LLC

Patrick Drazga is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with 28 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Drazga Wealth Advisors, LLC, an independent firm he founded in 2009. He maintains life and health insurance licenses, allowing him to offer insurance and annuity products to clients. Drazga Wealth Advisors provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning primarily for individuals and small businesses. The firm employs a strategic and tactical asset allocation approach, customizing portfolios across various investment vehicles and adjusting them based on client needs and market conditions.

General retirement planning Income planning Charitable giving tax strategies General estate planning guidance College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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