Your Team
COMMITMENT
Cannataro Family Capital Partners (CFCP) is passionate about helping people and businesses realize their true financial potential and making every desire a reality. Our team members excel at what they do and are dedicated to delivering solutions that meet and exceed our clients’ expectations. They are committed to serving the client with the highest level of attention and care..
INTEGRITY
The fulfillment of our mission can only be achieved through client loyalty. Since our founding, CFCP’s standards of professional conduct and integrity have not only led to positive goal achievement for clients, it is how we measure our success. We are always accountable to our clients and strive to develop and nurture long-lasting relationships. Our multi-generational client base demonstrates the faith, trust and confidence our clients have in us and this guides us in our daily actions.
RESULTS
At CFCP, the competence and conduct of our team members translates into the utmost professionalism and is the backbone of our practice. The 150+ years of collective financial industry experience our people possess greatly enhances our collaborative effort. By going beyond individual accomplishments and promoting spirited teamwork, we are able to achieve our common goal of helping clients succeed.
CFCP’s wealth management process embodies a disciplined approach of identifying a client’s short and long-term needs and goals along with all economic and operational constraints — liquidity, time horizon, taxes, legal and regulatory environment and unique circumstances. We are deliberate in setting appropriate objectives for each client’s particular profile.
Partners
Lou Cannataro ChFC®, REBC®, CLU®, CASL®, AEP®
Founder and Partner
Lou has been helping clients achieve their lifetime and business goals for over 30 years. Lou and Cannataro Family Capital Partners (CFCP) have received national recognition being named to Forbes Top 250 Securities Professionals and Financial Times Top 400 Advisors across the nation. Lou is an credentialed advisor with nine advanced degrees and/or certifications in personal and business planning. He has a long history of becoming a well trusted family advisor not only for individual families but for his business owners as well. Lou is uniquely certified and more importantly, very experienced in creating synergy between personal and business planning.
After Lou finished his MBA in finance, he founded CFCP within Northwestern Mutual. He was the leading first year advisor out of his region, and has never looked back. Lou has always accredited his success to focusing on the development of long-term relationships with his clients. His "no nonsense" approach coupled with sound, consistent advice, has propelled his team to the top echelon of practices within Northwestern Mutual’s Wealth Management Company.
Not only has CFCP continually received accolades for outstanding performance each year, Lou's practice received the inaugural Financial Security Award (FSA) led the Eastern region then and has received the award every year since—the prestigious FSA is awarded annually for well-rounded financial planning and comprehensive competency.
A standout in the industry, Lou brings over 60 thousand hours of face to face meetings/experience to each meeting. His ability to utilize this experience and level of empathy demonstrated for his client’s goals an mission in life is evident in every conversation. Lou is known for his low-key, no nonsense approach to planning. He brings clarity to complex issues and provides transparency to the inner workings of each topic.
Professional Designations
- The Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) designation focuses on the comprehensive financial planning process as an organized way to collect and analyze information on a client's total financial situation; to identify and establish specific financial goals; and to formulate, implement, and monitor a comprehensive plan to achieve those goals. The ChFC program provides financial services professionals with in-depth knowledge of the skills needed to perform comprehensive financial planning for their clients.
- The Registered Employee Benefits Consultant (REBC®) designation is the undisputed professional credential for persons working in the dynamic fields of employee benefits, health insurance, incentive compensation, and retirement plan funding, installation and administration. The REBC® designation signifies that an individual working in these fields has attained comprehensive knowledge of the following subject matter: pensions, retirement, planning group medical plans, health insurance, long-term care, executive compensation, personnel management, and much more. The REBC designation is granted by The American College to individuals who successfully complete a challenging six course curriculum and meet additional expertise and ethics requirements.
- The Accredited Estate Planner (AEP®) designation is available to attorneys, Chartered Life Underwriters, Certified Public Accountants, Certified Trust and Financial Advisors, Chartered Financial Consultants, and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional. The AEP® designation is awarded by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils to recognized estate planning professionals who meet special requirements of education, experience, knowledge, professional reputation, and character.
- The Chartered Advisor for Senior Living (CASL®) designation focuses exclusively on providing you with comprehensive knowledge on the full range of financial, health, psychological and sociological issues confronting older clients. In earning the CASL® designation, you gain a thorough understanding of health and health care insurance-related issues, long term care insurance, planning for pension distributions, suitability of investments, federal estate taxation and counseling on key family decisions.
- The Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) designation has long been recognized as the fundamental and foremost educational credential for life insurance professionals. Since 1927, more than 94,000 individuals have earned their CLU, helping them build a successful life insurance practice by providing clients with knowledgeable and ethical advice. For financial representatives, field management, home office personnel, and others involved in providing life insurance products to the public, the CLU designation symbolizes continuing growth and commitment to professionalism.
- The Certified in Long-Term Care (CLTC®) designation is the long-term care insurance industry's only independent professional designation. Created in 1999, the program is focused on the field of long-term care planning and provides legal, accounting, insurance and financial service professionals the critical tools necessary to create a plan that preserves the emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing of a client's family should care be necessary. Once established, options to fund that plan--including Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Administration, self-funding and long-term care insurance--are reviewed and recommended where appropriate.
- The Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP®). The RICP educational curricula is the most complete and comprehensive program available to professional financial advisors looking to help their clients create sustainable retirement income. The rigorous credential helps advisors master retirement income planning, a key focus area not fully covered in other professional designation programs. From retirement portfolio management techniques and mitigation of plan risks to the proper use of annuities, employer-sponsored benefits and determining the best Social Security claiming age, the RICP provides a wealth of practical information for advisors.
- The Wealth Management Certified Professional (WMCP®) designation prepares advisors to build long-term wealth management plans. Advisors with a WMCP® designation have a deep understanding of wealth and investment management, and expertise on a wide array of topics, including portfolio theory, investment tools, tax rules, and wealth management strategies. Rather than focusing solely on investment choices, the WMCP® program ingrains complex wealth and investment management concepts through real-life simulations and state-of-the-art digital coursework. In an age of disruptive technology, the WMCP® program prepares advisors to deliver on clients’ highest expectations. The WMCP® designation provides your advisor with the education needed to deliver service and expertise aligned with your expectations, and to help you make informed financial decisions aligned with your long-term financial goals.
- The Chartered Special Needs Consultant (ChSNC®). A Chartered Special Needs Consultant has the specialized training and experience required to help manage the unique legal and financial planning needs for individuals with disabilities. ChSNCs take pride in ensuring they can adequately address the concerns, hopes, and goals of special needs families.
Education
- Manhattan College - Finance (M.B.A.)
- Manhattan College - Marketing (M.B.A.)
- College of Mt. St. Vincent - Business (B.S.)
Awards and Recognition
- FORBES TOP 250 Security Professional
- Financial Times Top 400 Advisor
- Life Time MDRT Member Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), the Premier Association of Financial Professionals
- Qualifying life member of the Northwestern Mutual Forum, recognizing the highest level of productivity and excellence since 1998
Associations and Memberships
- National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA)
- Society of Financial Service Professionals
- National Association of Estate Planning and Council
Personal
Lou and his wife Colette reside in West Nyack, NY. Louis enjoys his family life. Colette and Lou spend the weekdays in NYC and the weekends down shore with their children Louis Frank, Caroline, Jack, Kate.
Lou enjoys his family life, skiing, fishing, golfing, biking, ice hockey, the Jersey Shore and catching up with Colette when she is back from her photography trips!?? Instagram: colettecannataroimagery
Lou has also been featured in major media outlets such as Barron’s, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! Finance, Newsday, U.S. News & World Report.
Aaron Bell is a partner and lead advisor of Cannataro Family Capital Partners (FCP). He cares deeply about economic opportunity and helping families and businesses widen their circle of fortuity. With over 15 years of financial experience, his start in the industry came as a financial sector analytics researcher at FreshMinds consultancy in London until 2007. He then moved to New York, NY and worked in private equity for Quadrangle Group LLC, and later in leveraged finance for Barclays Capital. In summer of 2008, Mr. Bell sought a career in asset management to apply his broad understanding of capital markets and practical applications to managing risk. He began working as an investment professional specializing in portfolio construction, investment research and taxation strategies, alongside Principal Partner Lou Cannataro, a top echelon advisor within the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. Now, co-head of advisory review within the firm, Mr. Bell oversees strategy and diligencing for FCP’s investment research and execution teams. He earned the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC ®) and Charted Life Underwriter (CLU®) designations, holds a B.Sc. and B.A. with Honors from Pacific Lutheran University, obtained his M.A. from University of Oregon, and completed the Certified Investment Management Analyst program at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
FCP advisors know what it takes to run a business and focus on what is best for clients and their financial goals. As independent professionals they do not have pressure or distractions from corporate or shareholder interests. Mr. Bell is a registered Investment Advisor Representative (IAR) with licensed competency to provide securities advice, manage portfolios, and offer financial planning. Mr. Bell is also a broker-dealer Registered Representative (RR), qualified to buy and sell securities such as stocks, bonds, funds and alternative investment products for individuals and entities. In addition to his FINRA Securities 7 and 66 licensing (incl. 65 & 63), he holds licenses for life and health insurance, annuities, disability income and he attained certification in long-term care insurance (CLTC®). Because of his registrations and licenses, Mr. Bell’s services uniquely include both fee-only and non-fee planning services for individuals, families, trusts, institutions, and foundations in 38 states.
Community Involvement
Mr. Bell lives in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan with his wife Lydia, and their daughter and two sons, Loella, Edson, and Lyndon. He coaches high school varsity at The Heschel School (NY), is an Executive Committee member to the Board of Regents at PLU (WA), contributes on the Board of Advisors at Mansfield Hall College (VT, WI, OR), is Financial Counsel to the highly acclaimed Third Space Brewing Company (WI), humble recipient of several GABF medal awards, and serves as a Director in the Fulsom T. Jenkins Heritage Foundation, a national nonprofit/charitable organization based in Oklahoma City (OK).
Media Features
Aaron has been featured in major media outlets such as Fortune, Business Insider, Money, ThinkAdvisor, U.S. News & World Report, and others:
- 8 Mortgage Myths That Waste Time and Money | Money
- Parents Leverage in Children’s Home Purchases | Business Insider
- 6 Budgeting Hacks Money Experts Wish They’d Known 10 Years Ago | Apartment Therapy
- 14 Money Moves You Will Be Thankful For | US News & World Report
- Budgeting for Life and Career You Want | The Place I Was Telling You About
- Average American Now Has $9k Less in Savings Compared to 2011 | GO Banking Rates.com
- How to Financially Plan for Your Summer Travels | The Place I Was Telling You About
Memberships
- Investment & Wealth Institute®
- Alzheimer’s Association of New York
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- Gotham Whale 501(c)(3)
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- YMCA Minikani Alumni Board
- CBR® | Cord Blood Registry ®
- WNYC | Sustaining Member
- USAU | USAUltimate.org 501(c)(3)
- DiscNY | DiscNY, Inc. 501(c)(3)
- NYHRC | New York Health & Racquet Club
- The Church of The Ascension, Episcopal (Greenwich Village)
- America The Beautiful | The National Parks and Fed Lands Pass
Annual Charitable Giving
- Fulsom T. Jenkins Heritage Foundation
- Greenwich Village School
- PS41 Book Fair + Auction
- Central Park Conservancy
- KPLU Jazz 24
- Housing Works
- TCS New York City Marathon
- Gurdjieff Foundation New York
- Camile A. Brown & Dancers
- TADA! Youth Theater
- American Museum of Natural History
- National Museum of the American Indian
- Big City Mountaineers, Inc. 501(c)(3)
- National Scholastic Chess Foundation 501(c)(3)
- Ultimate Impact 501(c)(3)
- CSUN | “CIPHOR” - Center For the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation & Research
- NESA | The National Eagle Scout Association (Three Harbors Council 636)
- EAA | Experimental Aircraft Association
- PLU | Pacific Lutheran University Ultimate Club
- U of O | University of Oregon Ultimate Club
- GVHPS | Greenwich Village Historical Preservation Society
Affiliate Partners
Through Northwestern Mutual, Cannataro Family Capital Partners has access to a network of specialists locally and across the country.
Robert Reni was raised on the Chesapeake Bay, MD where he grew up working in his family’s marina businesses. Robert attended high school at the Hill School in Pottstown, PA. Robert enrolled at Franklin & Marshall College, transferred, and then graduated from the University of Maryland in 1999. Robert currently resides in Garden City, NY with his wife, Cindy, and two children, Ava and Bennett. Robert is an avid sport fisherman. Robert also enjoys diving, sailing, hiking, squash, and traveling with his family.
Qualifications and Expertise
Robert Reni, CFP®, ChFC® has led his financial services team affiliated with Northwestern Mutual since 2003. Robert specializes in supporting individuals and closely held businesses concerning a variety of business, estate, investment, insurance, and pension planning decisions. Robert has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification through the CFP® board of standards and the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) designation through the American College. Robert is one of a select group of advisors within the Northwestern Mutual system that is able to provide fee-only planning advice. Robert’s services include both fee-only and non-fee planning services.
Craig L Meadows CLU®, ChFC®, CLF®, CLTC®
Financial Advisor
After graduating from Bentley University with a degree in Management, I began working with Northwestern Mutual and now have over 30 years of service. My primary office is in Trumbull, CT, but I also am a member of our Park Ave office in NYC, as well as our Norwalk, CT office. For all my clients, I can provide:
- Financial Planning
- Investment Strategies
- Retirement Planning
- Disability Income Planning
- Life Insurance Planning
- Long Term Planning
As a Financial Advisor, I understand the pressure individuals and families feel about being financially stable for the future. I’ve experienced it in my own life with my parents and the challenges they faced when they had Long Term Care events. In any circumstance, I would provide the same recommendations for a client and their families as if I was making them for myself and my family.
I have the pleasure of working with Katarina Varga, Director of Client Relations. Our goal is to help and educate each client to meet their financial goals and provide stability and comfort for them and their families.
By providing internationally recognized investment products and world-class insurance services, building a client relationship built on trust, respect, and integrity, I will work my hardest to protect and provide for the people you most care about. Although sometimes it is not easy, I do take pride in telling clients what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.
Feel free to visit my website for additional information: www.craig-meadows.com.
Associates
Sabena attended Queens College and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Economics. Sabena is licensed in Life, Accident, and Health Insurance. Sabena has extensive experience of over 20 years in the financial services industry and established her career as an associate at Cannataro Family Capital Partners in May 2011. Sabena's role includes managing the life, disability and long-term care insurance underwriting process, preparation of planning presentation materials including illustrations and analyses, and all aspects of office technology. She also provides excellent customer service support to all existing clients, is extremely organized, and is an absolute asset to the insurance department. Sabena works 4 days a week (M-Th) at Cannataro Family Capital Partners and is a full-time mom of 3 lovely kids. Sabena lives in Astoria, NY and in her spare time enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Louis James Cannataro CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, CDFA®, WMCP®
Private Wealth Advisor
Background
Louis has been part of Cannataro Family Capital Partners since 2011. He is a Private Wealth Advisor affiliated with the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and is a Registered Representative of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC maintaining FINRA Series 7, 6 and 63 registrations, as well as his NY life and health insurance license. Louis graduated from Temple University with degrees in finance and marketing.
Throughout his career, Louis has assisted high and ultra-high net worth individuals, executives, and families in all aspects of their financial planning, including investment strategies, retirement planning, risk management, and wealth preservation. He utilizes a client-centric approach, taking the time to understand their unique needs and aspirations to craft a well-tailored plan to help elevate their lives.
Louis is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional, and has other designations and licenses in insurance, divorce planning, long term care, and portfolio construction.
Personal Life
Louis lives in Chappaqua, NY, with his wife Jenna and two daughters Caila and Brooke. In his spare time, he enjoys playing competitive volleyball, exercising, golfing and indulging in his passion for fine wine.
Community Involvement & Professional Memberships
- Northwestern Mutual Private Client Group
- Estate Planning Council of Westchester Member
- Association of Divorce Financial Planners Member
- Certified Financial Planner Member
- Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts Member
- Alzheimer’s Association of New York
Professional Designations
- The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ is one of the premier financial planning designations in the industry. From budgeting, to planning for retirement, to saving for education, to managing a client's insurance coverage; "finances" doesn't mean just one thing for most Americans — and "financial planning" means much more than just investing. CFP® professionals have completed extensive training and experience requirements and are held to rigorous ethical standards. They understand the complexities of the changing financial climate and make recommendations in the client's best interest.
- The Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) designation focuses on the comprehensive financial planning process as an organized way to collect and analyze information on a client's total financial situation; to identify and establish specific financial goals; and to formulate, implement, and monitor a comprehensive plan to achieve those goals. The ChFC program provides financial services professionals with in-depth knowledge of the skills needed to perform comprehensive financial planning for their clients.
- The Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) designation has long been recognized as the fundamental and foremost educational credential for life insurance professionals. Since 1927, more than 94,000 individuals have earned their CLU, helping them build a successful life insurance practice by providing clients with knowledgeable and ethical advice. The CLU designation symbolizes continuing growth and commitment to professionalism and continues to couple in-depth insurance knowledge with a comprehensive education in estate planning, business succession planning, and personal financial planning.
- The Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®) designation is a professional credential designed for financial professionals who specialize in helping individuals and couples navigate the financial aspects of divorce. By utilizing their expertise, a CDFA can help individuals make well-informed decisions that align with their financial goals and protect their financial interest during the divorce process.
- The Wealth Management Certified Professional (WMCP®) designation prepares advisors to build long-term wealth management plans. Advisors with a WMCP® designation have a deep understanding of wealth and investment management, and expertise on a wide array of topics, including portfolio theory, investment tools, tax rules, and wealth management strategies. Rather than focusing solely on investment choices, the WMCP® program ingrains complex wealth and investment management concepts through real-life simulations and state-of-the-art digital coursework. In an age of disruptive technology, the WMCP® program prepares advisors to deliver on clients’ highest expectations. The WMCP® designation provides your advisor with the education needed to deliver service and expertise aligned with your expectations, and to help you make informed financial decisions aligned with your long-term financial goals.
- The Certified in Long-Term Care (CLTC®) designation is the long-term care insurance industry's only independent professional designation. Created in 1999, the program is focused on the field of long-term care planning and provides legal, accounting, insurance and financial service professionals the critical tools necessary to create a plan that preserves the emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing of a client's family should care be necessary. Once established, options to fund that plan--including Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Administration, self-funding and long-term care insurance--are reviewed and recommended where appropriate.
Colette is back! Colette was the first employee of CFCP, and without her help and dedication, it would have never risen to the height of its success.
After putting in 15 years on the equity sales desk at Lazard Freres & Co. in Manhattan, she took on an even more stressful job raising her five children. That mission, although never complete, is requiring less of her time. Colette has now come full circle and rejoined CFCP. Colette will be responsible for business affairs, accounting, marketing, and public relations. Colette received her B. A. from The College of Mount Saint Vincent in business and communications.
When Colette is not working, she can be found spending time with the children, attending Springsteen concerts, or getting exhausted at Crossfit, as she continually prepares for the ski season.
Frank Cannataro joined Cannataro Family Capital Partners as our Financial Planning Analyst. He has successfully passed the Life & Health Insurance exam and obtained the designation for Certification in Long Term Care (CLTC®). Frank currently serves as an Insurance Operations Associate, while maintaining the day to day workflow of the team. Frank graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelors in Business Management. He current resides in Manhattan.
Jack Cannataro joined the investment team at Cannataro Family Capital Partners as our Project Manager. Jack arrived with experience from his junior & senior year of college when he was selected by Lender School of Business to participate in QU's Applied Portfolio Management class as a Student Portfolio Analyst for Quinnipiac University's Student Managed Portfolio. During his senior year, Jack was then invited back to assist in co-teaching seven junior year student-analysts to determine future portfolio allocation. Prior to joining CFCP, Jack worked for PNC Bank.
Jack graduated Quinnipiac University in 2021 with a degree in Finance, with honors from both the National Honor Society (NHS) and Quinnipiac Lender School of Business. Jack is also a member of the International Financial Management Association. Apart from his studies at Quinnipiac, Jack played rugby at Quinnipiac with New Blue Rugby, Quinnipiac Men's Rugby Club, Catholic Rugby Crew, and Foundation 4 Orphans.
Jack currently resides in both Edgewater and Lavallette, NJ. He enjoys spending his free time with friends doing various activities such as skiing, boating, golfing, and fishing. Jack also likes to pack up his truck on the weekends and take road trips to Jay Peak, VT and Windham, NY.
Jack is also an active member of both the Lavallette Fire Department & Edgewater Fire Department.
Timothy Gerlich joined Cannataro Family Capital Partners as an Insurance Specialist in April 2023. Tim has successfully graduated from SUNY Oneonta in 2021, with a bachelors in Business Economics. He has also successfully passed the Life and Health Insurance exam. Tim likes to spend his free time down the Jersey Shore with his friends and family. He currently resides in Rockland County, New York.