Jay is a Certified Financial Planner® who provides personalized financial guidance. He believes in comprehensive planning that considers multiple facets of a client’s life with the goal of helping people bring individual financial decisions into alignment with their values. Discussions with Jay go from the big picture which helps his clients identify what needs should be addressed, then moves to specific actions to help them best orchestrate their ideal financial life.
A driven doer, Jay tends to attract clients with similar personalities—they’re excited to make the most of every moment in life, and they enjoy staying active through hobbies or charitable endeavors. His favorite part of his job is being able to walk through life aligned with his clients and help them take the steps that lead to incredible accomplishments.
Professional History
Jay started his career in equity research at Bank of America Securities after graduating from Emory University in 1998. In 2000, he became a mountaineering guide and for the next five years he taught high-altitude mountaineering, ice climbing and rock-climbing. He led expeditions from Alaska to South America. Jay worked with the Navy on rescue missions, led first ascents in the Wrangell St. Elias Range and guided clients to the summit of North America on Denali. From 2004 to 2006, he completed his MBA at American University in D.C. He had the honor of sharing the dais with former Federal Reserve Chair Paul Volcker while they co-delivered the university’s commencement address. In 2006, Jay returned to the financial industry to work alongside his dad; from 2006 to 2025, Jay helped grow their business from $150 million under management to over $900 million. In 2025 Jay partnered with Lowell Weiss to form Waycrest Wealth.
Professional Designations & Education
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA), Finance – American University, Kogod School of Business
- Bachelor of Arts, Political Science – Emory University
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization’s initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
Community Involvement
It’s important to Jay to give back and serve others, and he has dedicated much of his time while not at work to serving his community. Currently, Jay serves on the board of the Jewish Fund Board and Chair’s their audit committee. He is also a former president of Next Gen at the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit and spent several years on the board of Orchard Children’s Services, a Michigan-based foster care and adoption agency. Finally, Jay is the past Chair of the Michigan Regional Board of the Anti-Defamation League and the past Chair of the Temple Israel Investment Committee. Jay’s dedication to serving others has been recognized by multiple entities, and he is the recipient of both the Daniel R. Ginsberg Leadership Award (2015) and the Mark-Lis Family Young Leadership Award (2016).
Personal Life
Jay’s life revolves around his family. His wife Tara is the Executive Director of the Pathways Foundation. Together with their two children, Jonah and Jasper, they love participating in activities in the city of Detroit. One of their family’s favorite traditions is traveling to Charlevoix to spend time together. Jay is also a proud chaperone of his son’s math pentathlon team. And of course, he still climbs as much as possible, chasing at least one major summit a year. His climbs have taken him across the globe, including places like Yosemite, Alaska, Ecuador, Borneo, and the French Alps.
A Q&A with Jay
How would you describe your life using only 3 words?
Fortunate. Active. Considerate.
What is one thing every person should add to their daily routine?
Silliness.
What’s a movie everyone should see before they die?
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.
If you had to give one piece of advice to your great-great grandchildren, what would it be?
Take pride in what you’re doing. Make sure you’re working hard and that you take pride in it.
What’s something you will never throw away?
I have a small stone from my first camping trip with my children, and we etched into it the date of the camping trip. I don’t think I’ll ever throw that away.