Faculty:
Executive Certificate in Financial Planning

James J. McHale, MBA, CFP®, CPA is an experienced financial and operations professional with expertise in tax, auditing, financial planning, treasury, collections, budgeting, administration, and systems. In addition to owning his own insurance services/comprehensive financial planning practice, Jim has four years senior-level management experience with small and /start-up companies. He encompasses five years of middle management experience with large health-care firms and Big Five audit and tax experience. Jim is one of five instructors nationwide to teach accelerated curriculum for A.G. Edwards and has also taught private courses for Mass Mutual, UBS and Merrill Lynch. He has been teaching around the country for Kaplan Professional/Kaplan University since 2002.

Mark J. Jacobs, J.D. B.S., CFP®, has over 25 years complex legal and operations management experience, some of which includes investment management; financial planning; tactical and strategic planning; and risk management. He is also the founder of an investment advisory and tax planning firm. Mark has served as Chief Planning Officer, Investment Analyst, Tax Director, President, Shareholder, Tax Analyst, Administrator, and Income Partner at various law firms and companies. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association; American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois Certified Public Accountants Society.

Ralph Hochstein, J.D., B.A., is a financial services executive and nationally recognized estate planning expert, with 17 years of experience at a premier financial services company and as an independent consultant. His law degree was achieved at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He has demonstrated success using leadership and industry expertise to educate and motivate investors and sales executives to buy and sell estate planning products and services. As an executive for American Express Financial Advisors and as an independent consultant, Ralph trained investment advisors and managers to identify prospects for estate planning, motivate clients and take sales from presentation to completion. Ralph has presented many seminars, including: Estate Planning Made Simple: Tax Avoidance Techniques and Strategies; Using A Financial Analysis To Determine Your Client's Estate Plan; Motivating Your Clients To Do Estate Planning (live television presentation for American Express Planners) and Estate Planning For Advanced Planners (approved for CFP® Certification continuing education).

Ira H. Fateman, M.Ed, CFP®, is a member in SAS Financial Advisors, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor firm and an independent comprehensive financial planning and investment advisor firm. He is also a past President of Fillmore Associates, Inc., an independent Registered Investment advisor offering investment management and comprehensive financial planning. He has participated in many teaching conferences over the years. Ira is a member of the Financial Planning Association, SF Chapter, and is bringing many years of teaching and financial planning experience to the ECFP program.