PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE
FOR HELPING YOU ADDRESS YOUR CLIENTS’ LIFE INSURANCE CHALLENGES
After a three-decade career in the life insurance profession, including serving as Vice President of Wealth Management Services at USI, the nation’s third largest* property and casualty broker, Tom Fay established Stone Point Financial Group in 2013 as an independent insurance planning practice to assist High Net Worth Advisors with their clients’ life insurance challenges.
Having spent his career providing insurance planning services to some of America’s most affluent families and business owners, Tom has been intimately involved in the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars of life insurance involving complex, multi-million dollar policies.
A Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant, Tom has worked closely with professional advisors throughout his career. His background has given him a unique understanding of your needs and concerns as well as the ability to speak your language in supporting and assisting you and your clients.
OBJECTIVE ADVICE, COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES
Stone Point Financial Group is independently-owned and is not tied to any one company, product or provider. We guide you and your clients according to the priorities you establish and then help you tailor and integrate the right strategies and tools to fit your client’s objectives.
Through our independent relationships with Valmark Financial Group and other industry leaders, we have access to some of the top echelon of global resources available. As your personal advocate, we bring together the necessary resources based on your client’s unique needs and deliver them with objectivity and superior personal service.
*Insurance Journal, 2019 Top Firms
OUR MISSION
HELPING YOU AND YOUR CLIENTS DETERMINE THE BEST PATH
We are at a crossroads in the life insurance profession today. Interest rates have been so low for so long that insurance companies have been seeking other ways to profit. Recently, one company after another has decided to increase their costs of insurance on policies that have been in existence for as many as 20 years.
The net result is that premiums on existing insurance policies are multiplying way beyond your clients’ expectations, and it is critical that you, as their trusted advisor, be in front of this matter.
Stone Point’s services provide solutions to these issues— whether it is advising your clients regarding the guarantees, or lack thereof, with their existing insurance portfolios, replacing their non-guaranteed policies with guaranteed contracts that provide stable premiums, or engaging in a life settlement of your clients’ policies when policy termination is found to be the best course of action.
AN INDEPENDENT CONFIDENTIAL RESOURCE
Services can be provided behind the scenes through your firm or via direct client interface on a case-by-case basis. Simply put, our goal is to add to your credibility—through technical intelligence and comprehensive resources—delivered objectively, promptly and thoroughly.
OUR PEOPLE MAKE US WHO WE ARE
EMAIL: TFAY@STONEPOINTFG.COM
THOMAS FAY | CLU®, ChFC®, LUTCF
Advisor
Professional Experience
- Bachelor of Arts – Journalism & Spanish – Kansas State University
- Chartered Financial Consultant® – The American College
- Chartered Life Underwriter® – The American College
- Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow – The American College
- Securities Licenses – Series 6, 63 and 65
- Insurance Licenses for Life, Health, Property, Casualty and Variable Products
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE – CURRENT
- Founder and Managing Partner, Stone Point Financial Group
- Over thirty years of experience counseling high net worth individuals, business
owners, corporations, and professionals in the areas of estate and business
financial planning - Public speaker on wealth planning strategies, executive benefits and retirement
planning
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE – PRIOR
- Vice President, Wealth Management – USI Midwest
- Estate & Business Financial Planning Specialist – Viti Financial Services,
Highwood, IL - Life Insurance Professional – Prudential Preferred Financial Services, Skokie, IL
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- Million Dollar Round Table – Lifetime & Top of the Table member
- Chicago Estate Planning Council
- National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors
- Finseca
PHONE: 312-445-9440
EMAIL: JTSUJI@STONEPOINTFG.COM
JILL TSUJI
Partner
Jill joined Stone Point Financial Group in June of 2013. She previously worked with Tom Fay for eight years at USI Midwest where she was as an Account Manager in the Wealth Management department. Jill brings over 18 years of experience in the insurance industry to Stone Point and specializes in exceptional customer service. She manages relationships with clients and assists in the development and implementation of various insurance plans. Jill graduated with a BA in communications from Western Illinois University. She currently holds a FINRA Series 6 license along with Life, Accident and Health Insurance licenses in the state of Illinois.
Jill lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and enjoys spending time with her husband and son, coaching Little League baseball, playing golf, and volunteering for the local Food Pantry, United Way and the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance of Illinois.
OUR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
Stone Point is a Member Firm of Valmark Financial Group, a 57-year-old, invitation-only group of independent wealth and insurance advisory firms. As a collective group, Valmark Member Firms have over $46 billion of life insurance in force and an estimated $5 billion of assets under management with an additional $25 billion of assets under management controlled through independent Investment Advisors associated with Valmark. This combined buying power gives us access to some of the nation’s top companies, products, and services, enabling us to advocate on behalf of our clients while maintaining independence.
Valmark Securities, Inc., our broker dealer, is a member of FINRA and SIPC, and is licensed in all 50 states for securities and insurance. The company has 100+ independently-owned Member Firms throughout the United States. Its affiliate, Valmark Advisers, Inc., is a Registered Investment Advisor with the SEC. WWW.VALMARKFG.COM
SOME OF THE BRIGHTEST MINDS IN THE BUSINESS WORKING ON YOUR BEHALF
Valmark employs over 100 professionals with credentials spanning multiple financial disciplines—from legal, accounting, tax and financial advisory expertise to life insurance, business insurance, and estate planning. This enables us to leverage the knowledge and experience of these professionals to help us deliver innovative thinking and recommendations when helping our clients strategically plan for their futures. A sample representation of the team’s credentials includes:
AN UNDERWRITING ADVOCACY TEAM with several former insurance company underwriting vice presidents, directors and medical directors, a licensed physician, and a staff of case management, business processing and policy service specialists.
INSURANCE PLANNING SPECIALISTS AND ADVANCED CASE ADVISORS, including a team of attorneys, accountants, MBAs, Certified Financial Planners™, Chartered Life Underwriters, and Chartered Financial Consultants, many of whom are FINRA Registered Principals who provide independent assessment and analysis of recommended product sets, policy management and life settlements.
KEY BACK-OFFICE TEAM MEMBERS
CHRIS BOTTARO, MBA
VICE PRESIDENT INSURANCE MARKETING
As Senior Vice President of Insurance for Valmark Financial Group, Chris leads Valmark's life insurance-related business lines in a way that strives to “Bring the Golden Rule to Life.” Chris is responsible for the vision, strategy, and execution of life insurance marketing, new business, underwriting, in force policy management, and life settlements. In his role, he prides himself in partnering with financial professionals, and insurance carriers to help make life insurance simpler, more efficient, and more effective for clients. Chris has a technical risk assessment background and spent the first 12 years of his career in various underwriting production and leadership positions at Lincoln Financial Group in Hartford before relocating to the Twin Cities to join Valmark in February of 2015.
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ERIC JOHNSON
VP UNDERWRITING
Eric Johnson is Vice President of Underwriting for our partner, Valmark Financial Group. He is responsible for risk assessment appraisal, consultation and negotiation on the behalf of Valmark member offices and clients. Eric brings more than 30 years of experience with impaired risk and jumbo
case underwriting, reinsurance, sales and brokerage operations. He is a presenter at numerous industry seminars and workshops speaking on topics such as Challenging Underwriting Impairments, Jumbo Business and Brokerage Underwriting. Eric earned his BA from Luther College and holds Minnesota Life, Accident and Health Insurance licenses. He is a member of the Association of Home Office Underwriters (AHOU) and the Twin Cities Association of Home Office Life Underwriters (TCAHOLU).
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MICHAEL NOSS, FALU
SENIOR UNDERWRITER
As a Senior Underwriter for our partner, Valmark Financial Group, Michael Noss is responsible for the technical assessment and negotiation of underwriting offers and serves as a contact for any new business or underwriting issues. He is a national presenter for the Valmark School of Excellence in addition to various industry conferences. Mr. Noss earned his BA in Philosophy and Communication from Saint John’s University. He is a member of the Association of Home Office Underwriters (AHOU) and a Fellow of the Academy of Life Underwriting (FALU).
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LUKE EHINGER, ChFC®, CLTC®
DIRECTOR OF INSURANCE MARKETING
As Director of Insurance Marketing for our partner, Valmark Financial Group, Luke is responsible for advanced life insurance case design, product analysis, and the development of analytical and educational tools to assist our clients with their financial goals. He brings a decade of experience in the life insurance space working in roles at both a carrier home office and the independent agency environment. Mr. Ehinger holds a bachelor’s degree from Trine University and has his Series 6, 63, 7, and 24 registrations. He is also a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) and holds a Certification in Long Term Care® (CLTC®).
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BENJAMIN LASSIG
NEW BUSINESS SPECIALIST
DUSTIN ILKO
Senior Analyst, Insurance Marketing
As a Senior Analyst for our partner, Valmark Financial Group, Dustin Ilko is responsible for providing advanced case design and product analysis in life insurance and long-term care for clients. He brings more than a half-decade of experience in the life insurance space. Mr. Ilko holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of Akron, has his Series 7 registration as well as Ohio Life, Health, and Variable Licenses.
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MICHAEL MICHLITSCH, CRPC®, CFS
VP OF IN FORCE INSURANCE SOLUTIONS
As the VP of In Force Insurance Solutions for Valmark Financial Group, Michael is responsible for integrating strategies and solutions for in force life insurance business. Michael is responsible for the Valmark Policy Management Company and Valmark’s Life Settlement Advocacy division. Previously, he was Manager of Practice Management at Securian Financial Services, Inc., a Senior Training Manager for Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., and Sales Manager for Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Mr. Michlitsch earned his MBA from the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas and his BA in Management and Marketing from Bethany Lutheran College. He is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠ and carries the following Financial Services Designations: ALMI, CFS, CIS, CES, CAS and CTS. In addition, he holds Series 7, 24 and 66 registrations as well as Life, Health, and Variable Life and Annuity licenses.
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JAMES DAWSON, CFP®
INSURANCE MARKETING ANALYST
James Dawson is the Manager of Life Settlements for our partner, Valmark Financial Group. In his role, he partners with member firms to analyze and consult on new life settlement cases, assess post auction results and options, and negotiate with providers. James earned a BBA in Financial Planning from the University of Akron, summa cum laude, received First Place honors in the Northwestern Mutual Financial Planning Challenge, and Second Place nationwide in the CFP® competition. He holds Ohio Life, Health, Accident and Variable Insurance licenses, FINRA Series 7, 24 and 66 securities registrations and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM professional.
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*Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the CFP® certification mark, the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification mark, and the CFP® certification mark (with plaque design) logo in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.
Have a case you would like to discuss?
Securities Offered Through Valmark Securities, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC
Customer Relationship Summary (CRS)
Investment Advisory Services Offered Through Valmark Advisers, Inc. a SEC Registered Investment Advisor 130 Springside Drive, Akron, Ohio 44333 | 1-800-765-5201
Stone Point Financial Group is a separate entity from Valmark Securities, Inc. and Valmark Advisers, Inc. Stone Point Financial Group, Valmark Securities, Inc. and Valmark Advisers, Inc. do not provide legal or tax advice.
