Robert F. Picha

What should you know about me? Laird and I founded BSG in 2014. I spend most of my time at work helping clients with financial planning, investments, and insurance. My experience dates to the mid 1990’s, working my way through college at JP Morgan Chase and later for Warburg Pincus Funds and Credit Suisse.

Our firm focuses on deep financial planning where we look at a lot more than the investment portfolio for clients. One example is helping people with Medicare decisions when they turn 65. Another would be coming up with Social Security filing recommendations.
Tax mitigation is always a concern for people. Our planning is "goals-based" so every client receives a different plan that is tailored to their unique situation and their goals.

In 2017, I built a home in Holly Springs, NC after enjoying the prior decade in Fuquay-Varina. I am married to my wife Janine, and we have two sons, James and William. We have a lot of clients in Wake County, NC yet with the use of technology, we operate in many states across the country very easily.

Personally, I pride myself on straight talk and explaining seemingly difficult concepts in ways that lay people can understand. I really enjoy client interaction and giving people very specific advice knowing that most folks simply do not have the time or desire to get smart on financial matters. It is very important for me to strive to be well-rounded. Many companies use the word holistic as a buzzword. Holistic for me is a way of life and helping people with a wide range of things is extremely fulfilling. I am an amateur chef, baseball player, boxer, USTA tennis player, goalkeeper, chess master, and mathematician. And that's just scratching the surface. Our business is not transactional as we build long-term relationships with people and make a lot of time for client meetings. We serve a lot of widows and widowers because we want to protect the most vulnerable and help people age with dignity.

During my 30-year career, I taught public school Math for 12 years and spent 7 years teaching Constitutional Law to inner city children in NYC. During those years, my students amassed ELEVEN Invitational Moot Court Championships, a feat so incredible, I am humbled to this day by these results. This was merely by accident as I never applied for the job as Law Teacher. The former law teacher quit and I was forced into the job by happenstance and a principal who thought I might be able to take over.

My financial planning career began in 2010 when I joined AXA Advisors in Raleigh, NC and began working with individuals and small business owners. It was at AXA when I teamed up with Laird Hepburn and forged the partnership which would eventually evolve into BSG Advisers. Our firm now has multiple office locations, several junior advisers, and staff. If you want straight answers to your questions, schedule some time with me and I'd be honored to help.