Thomas Ausfahl

What sparked your interest in financial planning? What fuels you every day in your work?
I have always had an interest in personal financial planning but never realized it was its own profession. Back in the early 2000’s, while working for a large international bank, I stumbled upon an introductory financial planning course being offered at New York University. I took the course and was hooked. As opposed to my prior career in banking working with large multinational corporations, I greatly enjoy the strong, personal relationships I develop with my clients and working with them to achieve their goals.

What do you value most in your client relationships?
I value the strong relationship and trust that client’s place in me. I know it is often not easy to open your life up to a stranger. Developing that level of trust over time as we work together to meet a client’s goals is very rewarding.

Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Northern California, about 20 miles east of San Francisco. After graduating from college, I had a job opportunity in New York City. I thought it would be fun and exciting to move East and experience all that NYC has to offer. While I was only planning to stay for a couple of years, I ended up meeting my future wife in NYC and 30 plus years later New York is my home. I currently live with my wife and three daughters in Rye, NY.

When you retire you’re going to….
My wife and I love to travel and will certainly do more of that. I would also like to spend more time out West. I love the mountains and hiking, particularly the Lake Tahoe area in Northern California where I have spent much time over the years. The natural beauty of this region inspired my interest in land conservation and preservation and I plan to be an even more active supporter and volunteer in this area in retirement.