Wilton, CT
Our Story:
Lori R. Price, CFP® is the Founder, President, and CEO of Price Financial Group. She has been providing financial, retirement, estate planning, and wealth management services to her clients in Connecticut, Florida, and across the country. After earning a certification as a divorce financial planner in 1998, she developed a more specialized focus on guiding affluent women through the transition of divorce or losing a loved one.
Lori has been welcomed as a guest speaker at national conferences and has conducted over 350 workshops covering all aspects of financial and estate planning. She has been widely recognized in the industry by Barron’s, Connecticut Magazine, and Wealth Manager Magazine among others.
Price Financial Group joined Merit Financial Advisors in November 2019 as an affiliated office replacing our relationship with Private Advisor Group for compliance support and supervision while maintaining our broker-dealer and custodian relationships with LPL Financial and Fidelity. It became clear to us that Merit had so much more to offer our team and clients as a partner firm and we decided to take the step and complete a full merger with Merit in 2020. By partnering with Merit, we have gained access to numerous resources ranging from strong compliance oversight, a top-notch internal financial planning department, an excellent marketing team, administrative and operations support, and a fantastic bench of investment professionals.
Upcoming Events
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Our Mission:
We empower our clients to embrace their financial future with optimism and the confidence of knowing they have a plan in place to not outlive their money.
Life is full of changes, and each comes with its own unique challenges. We provide a caring, comfortable atmosphere for our clients, many of whom first come to us during an important transition in their life. Whether you are working through a divorce, the loss of a loved one, or dealing with the challenges that accompany retirement, we are ready to guide you through the process, helping you to confidently pursue financial independence.
We are committed to guiding and empowering you to make knowledgeable decisions as we collaborate in pursuit of your personal goals, your financial well-being, and the welfare of the people and causes most important to you.
Our Team:
Lori Price
Founder of Price Financial Group
Lori R. Price
CFP®
Founder of Price Financial Group
Lori R. Price, CFP® founded Price Financial Group in 1990 as a boutique independent wealth management firm serving clients in Connecticut, Florida and throughout the country.
For over 35 years, Lori has been providing financial, retirement, estate planning and wealth management services. In February 2021, Lori was again named to the Forbes list of Best in State Wealth Advisors in Connecticut and named one of America’s Top Women Advisors.
After earning a certification as a divorce financial planner in 1998, she developed a more specialized focus guiding affluent women through the transition of divorce or losing a loved one. As an acknowledgement for her focus on educating women and helping guide them through transitions, Lori is proud to have earned Women’s Choice Award® for Financial Advisors every year since 2014 [1].
Lori and her team of advisors and professional staff also work with clients who are near or in retirement, helping guide their transition from a paycheck to having a plan in place so they will not outlive their money.
The demands of managing a small financial services firm became more time-consuming and complex. Lori merged Price Financial Group with Merit Financial Advisors in January of 2020 in order to gain access to numerous resources ranging from strong compliance oversight, dedicated technology support, a top-notch financial planning department, an excellent marketing team, administrative and operations support, and a fantastic bench of investment professionals.
Lori has been welcomed as a guest speaker at national conferences and has conducted over 350 workshops covering all aspects of financial and estate planning. She has been widely recognized in the industry by Barron’s, Forbes, Connecticut Magazine and Wealth Manager Magazine among others.
Acting on her strong belief in the importance of giving back to the community, Lori has presented special programs on “Creative Alternatives for Charitable Giving” and “Empowering Women in Philanthropy.” She actively supports several local charities including: Feeding America and local food banks, Alzheimer's Research, The Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Relay for Life, Fairfield County Foundation Fund for Women and Girls, Rock the Street Wall Street, & Special Olympics.
Lori has an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and a BA in Business from Rutgers University. She now resides in Palm Beach Gardens, FL and Old Saybrook, CT. For fun, Lori is a competitive pickleball player and sports enthusiast and enjoys wine tastings, travel, golf, cycling, kayaking and hiking.
Industry Recognition:
- 2019-2022: Named to Forbes list of BEST IN STATE Financial Advisors[2]
- 2019-2021: Named to Forbes list of America’s Top Women Advisors.[2]
- 2014-2023: Women’s Choice Award for Financial Advisors by Women Certified.[1]
- 2012-2020: Connecticut Magazine “FIVE Star Wealth Manager”[3]
[1] The Women’s Choice Award® by Women Certified Inc. is the premier recognition award for advisors who provide quality service to their female clients. The Award is based on 17 objective criteria associated with providing quality service to women clients such as credentials, experience, and a favorable regulatory history. Financial advisors may have paid a basic program fee to cover the cost of comprehensive review and client survey.
[2] Based on assets under management, revenue produced for the firm, regulatory record, quality of practice and philanthropic work.
[3] In year 2012-2017 the award based on 10 objective criteria associated with providing quality services to clients such as credentials, experience, and assets under management among other factors. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. for fee charge and overall satisfaction. The overall score is based on an average of all respondents and may not be representative of any one client’s experience.
Emily Boothroyd
Wealth Advisor & Partner
Emily Boothroyd
JD, CFP®, CPWA®
Wealth Advisor & Partner
Emily Boothroyd, JD, CFP®, CPWA® is a Partner and Wealth Manager in the Wilton, CT branch of Merit Financial Advisors/Price Financial Group. She has been dedicated to helping her clients to create financial plans that reflect their individual needs for over a decade. Emily has a background in trusts and estates law, as well as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation, and holds a certificate in Behavioral Finance from the Investments and Wealth Institute.
Emily has a strong focus on education and coaching and strives to empower her clients to sit in the driver’s seat when it comes to their financial lives. Her planning focuses on the articulation of goals and the methods of working towards them while maintaining a strong emphasis on risk management.
Whether her clients are moving forward to start a new chapter after a divorce, focusing on understanding financial management after the loss of a loved one, or seeking advice on how to optimize their executive compensation and stock options strategies, Emily enjoys connecting with each of her clients in a caring and compassionate manner.
She started her career as a legal counsel to the Congress of the Republic of Palau, then moved into estate planning as an attorney with the firm of Bishop, Jackson & Kelly, LLC. Emily transitioned to holistic financial planning and wealth management in 2009 as a natural progression from her experience as an estate planner.
Emily lives in Easton, Connecticut with her family. When she is not with her clients or team at Merit, you can find her at the barn or cooking with her two daughters. She also loves traveling and yoga.
Hollis Hardiman
Wealth Advisor & Partner
Hollis Hardiman
CDFA™
Wealth Advisor & Partner
Hollis Hardiman is a Private Wealth Advisor who joined Price Financial Group in January of 2015. A Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA™), Hollis specializes in helping clients navigate periods of transition such as divorce, the loss of a spouse, and the sometimes complex period leading up to a much-anticipated retirement. Her expertise includes all areas of financial planning, including investment management, tax strategy, risk management, and estate plan design.
Hollis graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. Upon graduation, she began a 12-year career at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, rising through the ranks to eventually manage six retail locations in Fairfield County. In her management role, Hollis oversaw all aspects of sales operations, including developing an ever-growing sales team, expansion of her territory, as well as profit and loss management for her six locations.
Capitalizing on the skills she acquired in this role, especially those related to budgeting and sound fiscal management, Hollis then transitioned to the world of private wealth management by joining Wells Fargo Advisors in Westport, CT, in October of 2013. In the time since, both at Wells Fargo and now at Merit, Hollis has considered it a privilege to utilize her hands-on experience, practical financial expertise, and passion for exceptional service to help her clients pursue their lifestyle retirement goals.
Hollis was born and raised in Fairfield, CT, and now splits her time between Fairfield and Palm City, FL. She enjoys spending time with her husband and extended family, walking her two dogs, and playing tennis in her free time.
Certifications
- Series 7 – General Securities Representative
- Series 66 - Uniform Combined State Law Examination*
- Series 65 –Uniform Investment Advisor registrations*
- Life, Accident and Health Insurance License Long-Term Care Certified by the state of Connecticut
Phone: 203.423.5985
E-mail: hhardiman@meritfa.com
Marni Handel
Client Relationship Manager
Marni Handel
Client Relationship Manager
Marni A Handel, Client Relationship Manager, joined Price Financial Group in 2019. Marni comes to PFG from Merrill Lynch in Ridgefield, CT. She began her career in the financial services industry in 1991 starting in operations and then in various sales, marketing and trading roles at several small-mid size firms including Lebenthal & Co. and Advest Inc in New York City as well as Vision Financial Markets in Stamford, CT.
Marni graduated from Emory University in 1990 with a BA degree in History. She holds the Series 7, 63 & 66 registrations with LPL Financial as well as life, accident and health insurance licenses. She grew up in Riverdale, NY and is now married with 2 daughters living in Wilton, CT. Her interests include playing tennis, running, travelling, cooking and cheering on her daughter’s soccer games.
Karra DeBowes
Branch Operations Manager
Karra DeBowes
Branch Operations Manager
Karra DeBowes, the newest member of the Price Financial Group, joined the team in September 2020. As the Branch Operations Manager, Karra splits her time working with current clients, marketing to potential clients and ensuring the office is compliant and running smoothly day-to-day.
After graduating from Fordham University in 2006 with a BS in Business Administration, Karra started her career in financial services but soon transitioned to the entertainment industry. She worked for Viacom Media Networks and, most recently, for WWE as Director of Operations.
Karra grew up in New Jersey and moved to Connecticut in 2012 with her husband, Kevin. In early 2020, Karra decided to make a career change to be closer to home and found the opportunity at Price Financial Group on the local Working Mom’s Facebook Group.
Karra lives in Wilton with her family and in her spare time, she enjoys cooking, hiking, listening to podcasts, and reading.
Julia Murphy
Client Service Manager
Julia Murphy
Client Service Manager
Julia Murphy is the Client Service Manager for Merit, focusing on supporting the Wilton Advisors and creating efficiencies related to clients' information and data management. Julia enjoys directly helping our Merit clients, making sure to develop a comfortable and long-lasting relationship with them. Julia received her bachelor's degree from her university in Brazil -UFRRJ and is currently pursuing her second bachelor's degree in Accounting. Julia likes to spend her free time with her daughters and their dog. She loves hiking, going to the beach, and attending family events. Julia grew up in Brazil and decided to move to the USA to improve her career.
A fun summer outing for the Merit Financial Advisors – Wilton team!
Our Location:
Wilton, CT
15 River Road, Suite 15B
Wilton, CT 06897
Phone: 203.762.8499
Fax: 203.762.8404
Our Investment Philosophy and Process:
We believe the following...
- We must realize we are in extraordinary times
- It is difficult to be a successful investor over the long term
- Someone has to be non-emotional, disciplined, and systematic to actually make money over time.
- Investors are going to have to moderate expectations and lengthen time frames.
- We must be honest with our clients and realize we cannot give them something the financial markets do not provide.
- We must ascertain if the client is more fearful of losing a dollar of principal or a dollar of profit.
...to be true
- Winning by not losing is paramount. Caution is the order of the day.
- Every investment choice risks being wrong hence the need to hedge your choices.
- There is a high price one pays for mistakes these days, therefore we do not want to make big bets or bold decisions.
- We have researched and located a pool of experienced managers with broad, flexible mandates with strong track records who are good stewards of invested capital.
- We are willing to cede capital allocation decisions to managers who are better able to navigate the current macroeconomic uncertainty
Portfolio Construction
- We use a pool of managers in whom we trust, depending on the needs of the client.
- We will structure the portfolio to meet their risk tolerance, investment time frame, and investment objective of individual clients.
- Their portfolio will be monitored to ensure portfolio is performing to our expectations.