Rick joined Ashton Thomas Private Wealth as a Managing Wealth Advisor in 2020. Previously, he was Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley.
“My goal is being an indispensable resource for my clients,” Rick says of his philosophy as a financial advisor. “It’s an elusive goal, but it’s my standard. Access, responsiveness, and authenticity while delivering intellectual capital: that’s what it’s all about.” This notable intentionality permeates every aspect of Rick’s life.
Originally from the Atlanta area, Rick spent most of his youth in southern Georgia, but moved back to Atlanta in 1992. He started his career in the financial services world as a young man with Federated Insurance, where he focused on developing estate planning strategies for clients. However, it was during his time with Lincoln National that he gravitated toward investment management and financial advisory work for clients, who began requesting these services from him. “I realized I really enjoyed it,” he says, so he decided to focus on the advisory business by moving to Smith Barney, where he experienced many years of success.
Due largely to this run of success, an opportunity to make a career shift presented itself in 2002. Over the next five years, Rick worked with financial advisors at major firms throughout the southeast to develop financial solutions for their clients, representing well-known companies like SunAmerica and Prudential Financial as a regional executive. “I owe much of my current success to this period in my career,” Rick states. “I learned a lot that impacted who I am as a financial advisor today.”
In 2007, he determined it was time to return to working one-on-one with wealth management clients, so he joined an established team at Merrill Lynch as the executive compensation specialist. Once he had reestablished a core client following, he moved to Morgan Stanley in 2012 to take his advisory practice to the next level. Since that time, Rick has enjoyed continuing success in developing deeper relationships with his clients. To stay at the forefront of his profession and to ensure his clients have access to the services they require going forward, he transitioned to Ashton Thomas Private Wealth in 2020. “I awake every morning with the goal of serving the needs of clients with unwavering advocacy,” says Rick. “I searched for and found a team of like-minded colleagues at Ashton Thomas who are willing to pursue that goal with me every day.”
To further his professional acumen, Rick obtained the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® designation in 2011 through a joint program offered by The Investments and Wealth Institute and the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
Rick has been married to his wife, Sonya, since 1989. On their tenth wedding anniversary, they visited Napa Valley, fell in love with the region, and by 2015, had purchased a vacation home there. More recently, they decided to call California’s wine country their new home. Given their love of Napa Valley, it likely comes as no surprise that Rick and Sonya enjoy fine wine and good food. Their other pastimes include staying fit, watching films, and caring for their beloved Shar Peis.
In keeping with his penchant for self-improvement, Rick recently took up playing guitar to “develop mental acuity and dexterity.” As his clients know well, Rick’s focus on attentiveness and responsiveness is not just relegated to the fretboard. It represents what they have come to rely on him for day-in and day-out as their trusted advisor.
Securities brokerage services provided by M.S. Howells & Co., Inc., a Registered Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA and SIPC. M.S. Howells & Co., Inc. is not affiliated with Ashton Thomas Private Wealth, LLC.
