Chad J. Norfolk, CFP®
SENIOR FINANCIAL ADVISOR & ADVISORY TEAM LEADER
SHAREHOLDER
Chad serves as a Senior Financial Advisor. In his role he is dedicated to providing clients with the guidance and clarity they need to accomplish their goals. Chad is a principal and shareholder in the firm and a member of our Board of Directors and Marketing Committees.
A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) practitioner and member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), Chad’s expertise and opinions have been sought by several publications including the Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch.com, Investor’s Business Daily, Financial Planning Magazine and the Baltimore Business Journal. He has been recognized as a Top Advisor for Dentists by Dental Magazine and as a Five Star Wealth manager by Baltimore Magazine. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Towson University. Chad is a proud graduate of the 2015 Charles Schwab Executive Leadership Program.
Chad has worked in the wealth management industry since 1997. From 2006 to 2014 he was a Partner and COO for a Registered Investment Advisor in Columbia, MD. Prior to that, Chad spent ten years as a partner in a family office specializing in working with professional athletes.
Chad serves on the board of the Ulman Fund, helping to serve young adults fighting cancer and is an active member of his local community where he has served as a travel soccer coach for the past decade. Chad resides in Finksburg, MD and is a proud father of three boys.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT BEING A PART OF THE WMS PARTNERS TEAM?
I love the interaction with my peers on a daily basis. I have been most successful in my career when I have had talented teammates surrounding me and helping me do my job better. I am proud to say at WMS Partners I never consider myself the smartest guy in the room and that is a testament to the group of professionals we have throughout the organization.
WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU POSSESS THAT MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR ROLE?
I am doing my best job for clients when I can anticipate their concerns and provide them with realistic solutions. I came to WMS Partners for the freedom to build solutions for clients that were free of conflicts and customized to meet their individual needs.
ON A PROFESSIONAL LEVEL, WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS?
I look back and take a lot of pride in the fact that I was entrusted to be a partner at my first firm at the age of 25. Starting a new RIA and having ownership responsibility at such a young age gave me a good perspective on the hard work and personal responsibility required to be successful in our industry.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE TO DO OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I love to spend time with my family and coaching my boys in soccer. I have been fortunate to have absorbed the wisdom of so many wonderful client families over the years and have taken to heart the advice to stay involved with my boys and make being a good father my top priority.
WHAT’S THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOK YOU’VE READ?
The Boys in the Boat. Recommended to me by my colleague Bob Killebrew, I found the hairs on my arms standing up when reading the passages about the Washington crew team racing towards their Olympic Gold. The book was a testament to perseverance, hard work and the importance of teamwork.