Sameer S. Somal is the Chief Financial Officer at Blue Ocean Global Wealth.
Blue Ocean Global Wealth is an investment advisory firm that strives to be a trusted partner and educational resource. They provide corporations and institutions with portfolio construction, investment due diligence, and risk management consulting. They deliver comprehensive financial planning and wealth management solutions to families, entrepreneurs, and executives. They embrace global diversity and steward the protection, growth, and distribution of their clients’ wealth.
Recognizing the ambiguity now facing Americans after an erosion of trust in the financial services industry, Blue Ocean Global Wealth develops impactful continuing education (CE) programs for professional advisors and clients. Through their sister company, Blue Ocean Global Strategy, they also offer technology education programs and workshops
Marguerita Cheng and Sameer Somal established Blue Ocean Global Wealth in recognition of four trends defining the financial planning and asset management industries.
“On behalf of the NYC Chapter of the SFSP, we would like to thank you for your articulate and insightful presentation to our membership on business succession planning. As was evident from the questions you received from the audience, your presentation was thought provoking and valuable to the business practices of our members.”
Victor Ngai, Manager, BRC Consultants, Business Resource Center for Advanced Markets
“Cecilia, I hope this finds you well. I had the pleasure of meeting Sameer on Wednesday. Please let him know that we greatly appreciated his time and presentation to our membership. He was very well received and I think the only issue was that I wish he had another hour to talk. Maybe at some point, we can have present again to our organization.”
Jay P. Schuman, VFP Relatipnship Manager, Horan Capital Management, LLC
“I just wanted to jot you a and THANK YOU for your powerful and articulate presentation at the FPA event earlier this week. My goodness, you are a smart.. and more important, a caring human being. It is worth noting that of all the presentations at the event, the one I really tried to explain to my wife was yours. The disconnect between the aging planners and the dearth of new planners was obvioulsly reflected in the demographics in the room you spoke to. There simply were almost NO yonuger folks in the room.
I wish I could figure out a reasonable long term transition fr our practice that would work well for both my wife and myself, as well as our clients. We have different timelines…mine is 10 or 15 years or more away… hers, less than five… to get out of the practice.”
Rudi
Sameer S. Somal is the Chief Financial Officer at Blue Ocean Global Wealth and Blue Ocean Global Technology. Prior to co-founding Blue Ocean Global Wealth, he was a Senior Investment Analyst at The Bank of Nova Scotia and a Financial Advisor and Intermediary at Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch & Co.
As part of the Investment Strategy Group at The Bank of Nova Scotia, Sameer actively contributed to the firm’s white paper and institutional business development efforts. He delivered keynote presentations and fostered education partnerships nationally. His fiduciary responsibility at Ernst & Young and Advisor Compliance Associates include helping asset management and alternative investment companies adapt to Sarbanes-Oxley.
Sameer is a CFA Charterholder, a CFP® professional, and a Chartered Alternative Investment AnalystSM. Sameer serves on the Financial Planning Association (FPA) National Diversity Committee and the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia/Tri-State FPA. A senior financial services leader on industry roundtable and panel discussions, Sameer serves on CFP Board’s Council on Education and is a Women’s Initiative (WIN) Advocate.
He is an active member at CFA Institute and a Board Advisor at the iPlan Education Institute in New Delhi, India. A member of the Speakers’ Series at the Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business, Sameer is a frequent speaker on succession planning, technology, diversity, retirement, financial planning, entrepreneurship, and leadership. He earned his B.S. in Finance and Accounting from Georgetown University and is a 2012 FPA Diversity Scholar.
Transition strategies and succession planning are predicated on a series of proactive decisions. A comprehensive succession plan encompasses issues beyond the obvious monetary ones, including ongoing control, ensuring that an entity or financial asset remains with a family, providing care for valued employees, establishing a legacy and intangible capital. Many business owners hand over the reins of their entities to a successor too late. Consequently, they may not maximize value, realize their intended vision of succession, or maintain their lifestyle in retirement.
The Case For Succession Planning explores several critical and relevant themes that help explain why succession planning is a complex and multidisciplinary ubiquitous challenge. Intuitively, entrepreneurs and business owners know that they need to plan for a sale, partnership or transfer of responsibility, but a latticework of tangible and intangible factors impedes progress. Blue Ocean Global Wealth believes this arduous challenge represents a compelling education opportunity.
Specific learning objectives that participants can expect as a result of the presentation:
Quantify and qualify the both the tangible and intangible ramifications of not evaluating the optimal business retirement plan
Successfully representing diversity is a significant and complex educational undertaking. Over the past few decades, leaders have started to embrace diversity because the business world has become more global.
The practice of work is now more team focused. Today, the United States is experiencing a profound demographic and economic shift in terms of age, gender, and race. Our country and global population is aging disproportionally. The emergence of women in terms of leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation is indisputable; women are an essential and integrated part of the American economy. The children of our increasingly diverse population represent America’s newest chapter of assimilation, progress, and opportunity.
Specific learning objectives that participants can expect as a result of the presentation:
Social Security is also known as the Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI) system.
Social Security provides a level of retirement security for the vast majority of Americans. Retirement age can be a decision reflecting when the client has sufficient financial capital to retire.
The lack of defined pension benefits and the emergence of the knowledge economy worker have changed the framework of retirement decisions.
The role of a financial advisor is to help clients address financial issues and personal values surrounding the decision when to claim Social Security. Advising clients when and how to claim Social Security benefits is one of the most important retirement income decisions.
A lack of retirement readiness in the United States is a major concern for current and future generations.
A confluence of factors, including market volatility, rising healthcare costs, uncertainty about Social Security benefits, low interest rates, and longevity magnify the importance of ensuring that individuals make the most informed retirement planning decisions.
Retirement plan design should incorporate the needs of an organization and its key decision makers. Retirement plans vary in terms of capability, transparency, and benefits.
Advanced Retirement Planning Strategies highlights the evolving retirement plan landscape, fiduciary responsibility, and unique plan design options.
When designed and implemented properly, retirement plans can prepare business owners for retirement, retain and attract talented employees, and support an organization’s sustainability.
Advisors are viewed as the qualified expert on matters related to financial planning, including the nuances of the financial markets, macroeconomics, Federal Reserve policy, and its effects on the portfolios they manage.
Having a more complete understanding of these issues, and the integration of these variables, is an integral part of a holistic approach to educating clients.
Effectively communicating key financial and macroeconomic concepts to clients prepares the financial advisor for the questions that may arise in discussions with clients and prospective clients.
Social media is a transformational platform for cultivating trust, increasing engagement, and expanding market share across both demographic and geographic boundaries.
Social media is not about selling, its about developing connections and communicating effectively. Great content drives engagement and marketing.
Participant learning objectives:
Participant learning objectives: