Thomas C. West, CLU®, ChFC®, AIF®, is a Senior Partner in SEIA’s Virginia office. Tom has a robust wealth management practice that emphasizes cash flow in all stages of retirement with an emphasis on planning and asset management for families facing the challenge of health-related dependency due to disability, illness, or death. Tom also has significant experience in issues related to suitable and ethical financial strategies pertaining to incapacitated seniors.
Tom was named the Advisor of the Year 2023, an award created by RIA Intel and the RIA Institute to recognize the top performers in the growing and innovative RIA industry. Tom has been interviewed by periodicals such as the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Investment News, and New York Times. He has also been published multiple times in peer-reviewed professional journals on best wealth management practices involving seniors facing health-related dependency. Tom is the creator of Lifecare Affordability Plan®, a proprietary healthcare-driven financial planning offering from SEIA. Tom regularly educates financial professionals, attorneys, tax professionals, and aging lifecare managers on the most appropriate financial planning techniques for families facing long-term care decisions. Tom has been in the investment management and insurance business since 1995 and was honored as a 2017 Signator/John Hancock Hall of Fame inductee*.
Tom’s community service in aging services has stretched for decades as well. Tom currently serves on the board of the Jewish Council for the Aging. He previously served in leadership positions on the boards of Insight Memory Care Center, the National Capital Alzheimer’s Association, and Goodwin Living Inc. Tom lives in Falls Church, Virginia, along with his spouse.
Tom received his Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia in 1992. Additionally, in 1994, he received a Master of Business Administration, Finance, and a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. Tom earned a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) certification from The American College in 2000. He has been a Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®) since 2002. In 2011, Tom earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) professional designation from Fiduciary360, receiving formal training in investment fiduciary responsibility. He is also a licensed insurance agent (VA Ins. License #575925).
*The Hall of Fame was an elite group of financial representatives of former broker-dealer Signator Investors, Inc. and the John Hancock family of companies. To be included in the HOF, inductees need to qualify for the Achieving Client Excellence award 15 times. The ACE award is granted to the top 250 advisors each year based on total weighted premium from the sale of both proprietary and non-proprietary protection and wealth products. No other factors are considered. Third-party rankings and recognitions are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a client or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance or results. These ratings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor by any client nor are they representative of any one client’s evaluation.
The RIA Intel Advisor of the Year 2023 Award is issued by RIA Intel, an Institutional Investor Publication. Nominations were accepted via self nominations, nominations by peers, and nominations by the editors of RIA Intel and/or directors of the RIA Institute. Finalists were chosen by the RIA Intel editorial team with help from the RIA Institute’s advisory board based the criteria of who accomplished, overcome, or contributed something that stands out in the industry. The financial professional did not pay a fee for this award and clients were not consulted for this award. For more information please visit https://www.riaintel.com/article/2b6pu66lv7nod7qw0h14w/riaintel-awards/open-call-for-nominations-the-2023-ria-intelawards. Third-party rankings and recognitions are no guarantee of future investment success, do not ensure that a client or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance or results, and should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor by any entity. Methodology: There are three types of nominations for the RIA Intel Awards: Self-nominations, nominations by peers, and nominations by the editors of RIA Intel and/or directors of the RIA Institute. Nominations for the same firm or individual in multiple categories are accepted. You can nominate yourself and/or your firm. You can nominate others in your firm or outside your firm. Finalists will be chosen by the RIA Intel editorial team with help from the RIA Institute’s advisory board, a 24-member group of professionals from some of the most successful RIAs. Winners are selected at the discretion of the editors of RIA Intel, informed by our own reporting, conversations with peers and industry leaders, and the RIA Institute advisory board.