Michael V. Donato
93 Navesink Ave ,NJ
Summary
Licensed financial professional with 6 years of wealth management experience supporting a $334M AUM practice and managing direct relationships with high-net-worth clients. Proven in delivering holistic financial planningencompassing tax, estate, retirement, and investment strategies while driving client retention and asset growth. Recognized for strong relationship-building, disciplined execution, and the ability to translate complex financial concepts into clear, client-focused solutions. Motivated to leverage a premier wealth management platform to expand client acquisition efforts and build a high-impact, growth-oriented advisory practice.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Servicing Advisor & Financial Paraplanner
Knox Grove Financial
01.2022 - Current
- Sole paraplanner supporting a $334M+ AUM book of business for affluent and high-net-worth clients.
- Primary servicing advisor and trusted point of contact for 31 clients totaling $3.5M AUM, managing servicing, communication, and relationship oversight.
- Developed and delivered holistic financial plans integrating tax planning, estate planning, retirement, and investment strategies.
- Led annual client performance reviews, including portfolio analysis and client-facing presentations.
- Conducted investment research and portfolio analysis to support advisor recommendations and client decision-making.
- Managed client onboarding, account transitions, and money movement.
- Coordinated with custodians,CPAs, estate attorneys, and insurance professionals to align tax, estate, and investment strategies and resolve service needs.
- Maintained accurate CRM and custodial systems to ensure compliance, data integrity, and operational efficiency.
- Drove client retention and asset growth through proactive service, high-touch relationship management, and consistent follow-up.
Financial Operations Associate
Knox Grove Financial
03.2020 - 01.2022
- Managed end-to-end client onboarding for individual, trust, and business accounts, ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely account setup.
- Prepared and processed custodial forms, advisory agreements, and regulatory documentation in alignment with firm and compliance standards.
- Maintained accurate CRM and custodial systems, including demographic, suitability, and account data integrity.
- Acted as liaison between advisors, clients, custodians, and back-office teams to streamline service requests and issue resolution.
- Tracked onboarding and account maintenance workflows, proactively reducing processing delays and rework.
- Supported account maintenance and transactional reconciliation to ensure accuracy and regulatory compliance.
- Identified workflow inefficiencies and contributed to process improvements and operational best practices.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Corporate Finance
Rutgers University
05-2026
Associate of Science - Business Administration
Brookdale Community College
05-2024
Skills
- Decision-making
- Problem-solving
- Goal setting
- Time management
- Client engagement
- Strategic planning
- Critical thinking
- Client relationship management
- Organizational skills
- Self motivation
- Relationship development
- Excellent communication
Certification
- Series 7
- Series 66
- Life, Health & LTC NJ Producer
- Public Notary
Timeline
Servicing Advisor & Financial Paraplanner
Knox Grove Financial
01.2022 - Current
Financial Operations Associate
Knox Grove Financial
03.2020 - 01.2022
Bachelor of Science - Corporate Finance
Rutgers University
Associate of Science - Business Administration
Brookdale Community College