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DALTON — Berkshire Money Management, a financial and retirement planning firm with offices in Dalton and Great Barrington, congratulates Nate Tomkiewicz on becoming a certified financial planner (CFP) professional. He is also a licensed financial advisor and chartered retirement planning counselor.

Tomkiewicz specializes in retirement planning and maximizing employee benefits for people who have worked hard for their money and want to pass it on to children or charity. He is skilled at identifying opportunities within 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans. With this knowledge, he helps nurses, doctors, and other professionals in the Berkshires find opportunities they didn’t know they had.

With his new CFP certification, Tomkiewicz is looks forward to tackling a broader set of challenges for his clients, including helping them reduce their tax liabilities, secure their estate for the next generation, and plan a fulfilling retirement.

“Nate understands that retirement readiness goes beyond making the best investments,” said Allen Harris, CEO and chief investment officer at Berkshire Money Management. “Clients seek proactive advice, organization, and implementation, and I am proud of Nate for attaining this credential to help him do these things for our clients.”

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GREAT BARRINGTON — Berkshire Money Management (BMM), a full-service financial-advising firm with offices in Dalton and Great Barrington, announced the expansion of its Great Barrington team with the addition of Airen Wadsworth as front office coordinator.

In that role, he is the first person to welcome guests to the new Great Barrington office at 72 Stockbridge Road. His goal is to help every client and visitor feel comfortable, at home, and part of the BMM culture. He will also support the firm with scheduling, data entry, and other vital tasks. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from MCLA in 2018.

“Our decision to invest in a dedicated front office coordinator in our Great Barrington office underscores our commitment to ensuring exceptional service and efficiency in all aspects of our business,” said Natalie Wheeler, Berkshire Money Management’s chief operating officer. “Airen’s proven ability to manage complex tasks and create a welcoming atmosphere aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering top-notch service to our clients.”

Berkshire Money Management also bid farewell to its summer intern, Marlon Binns. A graduate of Pittsfield High School, Binns returns this month to the University of California, where he is studying business administration with the aim of pursuing a career in wealth management, investment banking, or financial consulting. He joined the BMM team earlier this summer to learn through firsthand experience what it’s like to work in the wealth-management industry and what aspects he might enjoy most.

During his time with BMM, Binns assisted the team with a variety of tasks, attended meetings, and shadowed colleagues to learn the fundamentals of team operations and client services.

“Hosting interns is a great opportunity to not only support the development of upcoming financial advisors but also to ensure the relevance of BMM in the years to come. Adding fresh eyes helps to identify new technologies and ideas to connect with younger and more diverse clients,” Chief Operating Officer Natalie Wheeler said. “Marlon challenged us to improve every time he asked, ‘why do you do it this way?’ or ‘what does that mean?’ If he didn’t know the answer, our clients may not know either. We are grateful for his time with us and wish him the best as he returns to his studies.”

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DALTON — Berkshire Money Management (BMM) announced that Scott Little, financial advisor and vice president at the firm, has earned the behavioral financial advisor (BFA) designation. Behavioral financial advisors combine financial knowledge with psychology and neuroscience to increase their ability to coach clients in making rational, values-based decisions.

“I wanted to be in a better position to help our clients identify, understand, and manage the emotions surrounding their finances in a way that puts them in the best possible position to achieve their goals,” Little said

Behavioral finance acknowledges that, while numbers are rational, people are not, which can make carrying out financial plans challenging for client and advisor alike. The BFA program was developed by Think 2 Perform to teach advisors to recognize their clients’ emotions and help them stick with their plans, even when those emotions run high. To earn the certification, advisors must complete two multi-part courses on behavioral finance, pass an online proctored exam, and complete 20 hours of continuing education to renew their status every two years.

Little has been helping BMM clients build secure retirements for more than 20 years. He is a licensed financial advisor, a certified elder planning specialist, and now a behavioral financial advisor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics from MCLA.

“Delivering financial advice isn’t all about numbers anymore, if it ever was,” Berkshire Money Management CEO Allen Harris said. “The way we and others in our industry serve our clients has undergone radical transformation over the last two decades. In the next two, the BMM team will continue to adapt with our clients’ needs.”

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DALTON — Berkshire Money Management (BMM), a boutique advisory firm with offices in Dalton and Great Barrington, recently welcomed Brenda Bailly and Tina Archambault as client care specialists. The two new hires join the client care team led by Chelsea Smith, recently promoted to the role of client specialist leader. All three employees play a vital role in providing attentive, personalized service to the clients of Berkshire Money Management.

Bailly, based in the company’s downtown Great Barrington office, brings more than 24 years of experience in financial services and wealth-management operations to her role as client care specialist. Before joining the BMM team, she was a wealth management senior operations specialist at Berkshire Bank, where her responsibilities included client care, opening and closing accounts, audit assistance, system configurations, and more.

A notary, Berkshire Community College graduate, and experienced customer-service professional, Archambault joins the Berkshire Money Management team as client care specialist at the Dalton office. She brings to her new role 25 years in customer service and 16 years of experience in trusts. In her previous role as wealth management operations specialist at Berkshire Bank, she worked with various accounts, including IRAs, trusts, and investment and estate accounts, and was responsible for the opening of new accounts, asset transfers, and other operational tasks.

As part of the client care team, both Bailly and Archambault will assist with client onboarding, scheduling, opening and servicing accounts, facilitating account transactions, building strong relationships, and helping clients with their day-to-day service needs.

“We are proud to celebrate two experienced client care specialists joining our team,” Chief Operating Officer Natalie Wheeler said. “Both Tina and Brenda demonstrate deep client-care expertise, have extensive knowledge, and bring the essentials to the firm’s success moving forward. And, coincidentally, the two worked together for years before joining the BMM family.”

Berkshire Money Management also congratulates Smith on her recent promotion to client specialist leader. She joined BMM in 2021 as a client care specialist. In her new role, she is focused on strengthening BMM’s client care team through coaching, developing new standards and practices, and leading the team in providing exceptional client service. She is a veteran customer-service professional and notary public and has an associate degree from Berkshire Community College in liberal arts with a concentration in business administration.

“Chelsea has shown what an outstanding, versatile leader she is from day one,” said Allen Harris, CEO and founder of Berkshire Money Management. “She not only knows the work, but she recognizes the value of collaboration and continued improvement.

“Our client care specialists and financial planners are equal partners in service of the client, working on a one-to-one ratio,” Harris added. “The client care team is a true business department that, thanks to Chelsea, now has the best leadership.”

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DALTON — Berkshire Money Management (BMM) recently welcomed Julia Lewis to a new position of compliance professional. Her arrival adds internal compliance capacity to the firm’s operations team.

As compliance professional, Lewis is responsible for Berkshire Money Management’s internal compliance program, employee training, and processes and procedures. She brings to the team eight years of experience in the finance industry across the retirement, home-lending, and insurance sectors. Prior to joining Berkshire Money Management, she was the Technical Operations manager at PCS Retirement. She is happy to join the BMM team, where she can be a part of giving back to the community and supporting local growth.

“Julia represents the high caliber of talent and leadership we are building to support the future of our firm and our clients,” Chief Operating Officer Natalie Wheeler said. “Evolving our strategy and fostering a culture of compliance to enable growth are key elements to our strategy, and we’re thrilled to have a wonderful team member like Julia blazing that path for us.”

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DALTON — Berkshire Money Management has welcomed two new members to its team. Angela Elzner joins the firm as a paraplanner in the financial planning department, and Kyle Lyman steps into the role of financial associate.   

Before joining the Berkshire Money Management team, Elzner gained experience serving clients at Wellesley Financial (later known as the Bullfinch Group) and Greylock Investment Group. While at Greylock, she obtained a securities license. Elzner attended MCLA, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. In her role as a paraplanner, Elzner will expand Berkshire Money Management’s capacity to serve its clients and help to improve the financial planning process.  

After graduating from Bryant University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Lyman gained experience at the Bullfinch Group and MDS Wealth Advisors. In his new role as financial associate, he will support the financial advising team in their efforts to provide clients with quality service as he works toward becoming a licensed investment advisor.  

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DALTON — Berkshire Money Management (BMM) recently welcomed Tammy Gaherty to its fast-growing team. Gaherty is the second hire for 2020 and will be handling scheduling for advisors, managing content distribution, and helping with the flow of operations throughout the firm. Prior to joining BMM, she worked for nearly two decades as an administrative assistant with the Dalton Housing Authority.

“Everyone is going through a difficult time right now,” BMM president Barbara Schmick said. “We are hiring in order to better service our clients now and in the future. We are getting far more requests and questions during this pandemic. At this time, our clients need more services than ever, and Tammy is our answer to that growing need.”

Gaherty is a Berkshire native and graduate of Monument Mountain Regional High School. She has been the volunteer secretary and president of the Friends of the Lanesborough Public Library, and an active participant there for fundraisers to support library programming.