About
Experienced and Ready to Serve
OUR REACH
National Reach. Specialized Expertise.
Our nationwide network ensures specialized expertise is available in every major market. Click a pin to learn more about an advisor in your region.
OUR ADVISORS
Meet the Team
Florida & North Carolina
Jim Nici, J.D.
Aristotle Advisors
Naples, FL
Managing Partner with expertise in high-net-worth estate planning and asset protection. Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law.
Thom Rogers, J.D., CPA
Cornerstone Advisory Consulting, LLC
Longwood, FL
J.D. and CPA with a degree from Ohio Northern University. Representative of Financial Transparency at the Cornerstone Advisory Consulting, LLC Longwood, FL branch.
Josh Keagle
Joshua Tree Investments
Greensboro, NC
Graduate studies at Yale University. US Navy Reserve (Ret). Specialist in strategic investment management.
Emily Keagle
CEO & CCO
Financial Transparency
Greensboro, NC
Michigan State University, James Madison College. CEO & CCO at Financial Transparency.
Texas
Steve Bankler, CPA, PFS
Bankler Advisory Services
San Antonio, TX
Sole investigative accountant for the U.S. Senate Special Whitewater Committee and consultant on Holocaust victims' asset inquiries.
Gina Valorz, CPA, PFS
Bankler Advisory Services
San Antonio, TX
Specialist in Personal Financial Planning and global accounting standards. Alumna of UT San Antonio.
Ray Ferguson, CPA
Condley Financial Services
Abilene, TX
Global perspective with studies at Philipps Universität (Germany) and Abilene Christian University.
The Northeast Corridor (MA, NH)
Al Romano, CPA, PFS
Clear Perspective Advisors
Concord, NH
Dual degrees from Bentley College, including a Master of Science in Taxation.
Bernie Donohue, CPA
Donohue Consulting Group
Woburn, MA
Magna Cum Laude graduate of Suffolk University and Bentley College alumnus.
Tom Giardina, CPA
Giardina & Bresett Consulting Services, Inc.
Pittsfield, MA
CPA with degrees from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) and the State University of New York at Albany. Representative of Financial Transparency at the Giardina & Bresett Consulting Services, Inc. Pittsfield, MA branch.
Bill Bresett, CPA
Giardina & Bresett Consulting Services, Inc.
Pittsfield, MA
CPA with a degree from Massachusetts College. Representative of Financial Transparency at the Giardina & Bresett Consulting Services, Inc. Pittsfield, MA branch.
Dan Doherty, J.D.
Oak Knoll Consulting
Peabody, MA
Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School. Legal oversight specialist.
Midwest & West Coast
Tony Madonia, J.D.
Downtown Financial Management
Schaumburg, IL
J.D. from John Marshall Law School. Precision-focused advisor and active EAA pilot.
Tom DelPup, J.D., CFP®
Paint Creek Advisors
Rochester Hills, MI
Double-degree holder from University of Detroit and Detroit School of Law.
Jon Wells
Director of Advisory Services
Financial Transparency
Mancelona, MI
Teaching Certification in Math and Economics from Eastern Michigan University and Bachelor of Finance from Michigan State University. Director of Advisory Services and Advisor for Financial Transparency at the Mancelona, MI branch.
Michael MacDonald, AIF®
Michael MacDonald Financial
Pleasant Hill, CA
Accredited Investment Fiduciary® ensuring the highest standards of client-first asset management.
Charlie Gilligan, CPA
Financial Transparency
Gilbert, AZ
CPA with a degree from Seattle University. Representative of Financial Transparency at the Gilbert, AZ branch.
A Fiduciary
The Difference Really Does Matter
As a registered investment advisory firm, we work with our clients in a fiduciary capacity. This is not an add-on service, or something that applies only at certain times. We always have a legal duty to put our clients' needs first and to act in their best interest. We appreciate the fact that our clients often have put their retirement nest egg in our hands for growth and protection, and we take that faith in us seriously.
Here are some of the ways that as a client you will see a fiduciary duty in action:
- We do not accept promotional money from investment product, mutual fund, or managers.
- We do not participate in award programs that reward advisors with things like trips for directing client money to certain investments.
- In looking at the client quarterly reports, you will see that we show you how the investments are selected and monitored based on qualitative numbers.
Experiencedand Ready to Serve
Many people have good intentions when it comes to handling their finances, but whether it is the business of the day-to-day, or the information overload that can happen with investment choices and data, many good intentions can go astray. Investment accounts can become neglected, or the process of getting started just never happens.
Financial Transparency can help. We want to create a better financial world for our clients. We are here for our clients every day, whether it's getting a new investor started towards their dreams, providing ongoing support and guidance to active investors, or a second opinion to an investor who is wondering how their investments rank compared to what they could have had.
When determining how to serve clients, we decided that acting solely as a fiduciary was in our client's best interests. So, Financial Transparency was founded in North Carolina in November of 2017, by Emily Keagle. The firm was approved for registration as a registered investment advisory firm by the State of North Carolina, and then became registered with the United States Security & Exchange Commission in 2018. We manage approximately $325,000,000 in client assets, updated December 2025.
A FIDUCIARY
"The Difference Really Does Matter"
GET IN TOUCH
Emily KeagleCEO & Advisor
Emily Keagle has been serving clients and advisors for over 20 years. Her experience brings a unique and comprehensive package to those she works with.
She has consulted to dozens of advisors who are both new in the business and seasoned professionals — from training advisors on asset allocation, trading strategies, and comprehensive wealth management options, including insurance components.
She has personally worked with client accounts that are over a billion dollars — large pensions, and municipal assets, as well as individuals just starting out in the world of investing.
Her hard work ethic, attention to detail, and dedication to fairness, assisted her in becoming a vice president and chief compliance officer for a financial consulting firm in Michigan for nearly a decade.
After moving to North Carolina to be closer to her family, she made the decision to leave the consulting firm, and is thrilled to now be able to bring her knowledge and talents to a new family of clients and advisors.
Emily Keagle
CEO & Advisor