Alexander G. Assaley, III, AIF®

Managing Director at AFS 401(k) Retirement Services, LLC 

Why I get up in the morning

Each day, I focus on empowering others by delivering financial know-how, helping them make progress, and improving their life. Like most people, I’ve faced challenges throughout life that have helped me understand how overwhelming and hard it can be to navigate personal finance, no matter how much you’re worth. From a young age, I’ve used experiences to help me grow and strive to be the best version of myself. Today, I borrow from these lessons in order to help make complex retirement plans simple and straightforward for employers and employees.

How I got here

In a way, finance is in my genes. My father was a financial advisor, and my uncle still works as an advisor today. I guess they rubbed off on me a bit, but I admit, I didn’t predict I would end up working in financial services. Through my family, experiences, and challenges, I learned that, despite the general perception, serving people around their money – as their financial advisor, is a tremendous way to help working Americans achieve their goals and live better lives. 

As for education, I received my Bachelor’s degree in Economics from West Virginia University and is  now an Investment Advisor Representative (IAR) through Global Retirement Partners (GRP). I have also earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary^® (AIF^®) professional designation, awarded by the Center for Fiduciary Studies, which is associated with the University of Pittsburgh.

Learn more about my road to becoming an advisor here.

What I do really well

Developing strategy and collaborating with others to execute goals. I love the feeling of progress – especially when a group rallies around a common mission. I lead our team in creating and delivering proactive, high-quality services for our clients. I love working with positive, optimistic, and forward-thinking professionals. Most of my personal and professional relationships are with individuals and teams that want to do the right thing – for their organization, their people, and their families. At AFS 401(k), we have a great team, and I continue to find that we best serve organizations that truly care about having valuable retirement and financial benefits for their employees. 

Specifically, I love communicating with Retirement Committees –  learning about their top priorities and initiatives to make their retirement benefits stronger. From there, we can develop a strategy that aligns with their ideas and culture. Performing this strategic review is a key part of helping employers create compliant, efficient, and successful retirement plans.

I also focus on giving back to this industry that has done so much to help build my career and propel my vision for the future. I am a member of the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) and its parent organization, the American Retirement Association (ARA), our industry’s national association geared towards retirement-focused advisors and industry professionals. I served as the President of the association and a member of its Leadership Council from 2021-2022.

I am also grateful for the wonderful community that we get to call home. I am an active member of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rotary Club, which takes great pride in the service-based outreach we provide throughout the local community and around the globe. Additionally, we are fortunate to work with a number of great organizations, including (but not limited to) A Wider Circle, So Others Might Eat (SOME), and Junior Achievement.

Who I am really

I live in Vienna, Virginia with my wife, Jamie, and son, George. I love reading (and telling) them stories for laughs and smiles. I also love music and still play both guitar and piano with a gigging band. I am always interested in finding new bands and musicians and listen to my large collection of albums every day. I also enjoy travel, throughout the US and abroad, and some might consider me a “foodie” – my wife and I love trying new restaurants.

Finally, I enjoy playing tennis, running, and cheering for the Mountaineers.

About AFS 401(k)

We are an independent financial advisory team located in Bethesda, MD. We believe everyone deserves to live their best life. We are on a mission to help working Americans take control of their finances and save for their long-term future. We work with many companies, non-profits, and trade associations in the Washington, DC, and mid-Atlantic area, to help them enhance their employee benefits offering, and work directly with employees to help them take meaningful steps towards building a healthier financial life. 

*AFS 401(k) Retirement Services, LLC investment advisory services are offered through Global Retirement Partners, LLC, dba AFS 401(k) Retirement Services, an SEC registered investment advisor and wholly-owned entity of Hub International. Fixed insurance products and services are offered through Hub International. 

AFS 401(k) Retirement Services, LLC, Global Retirement Partners, LCC & HUB International are separate and unrelated to Commonwealth Financial Network