Find Top Financial Advisors in Cottonwood, Arizona

Aaron Montez, Senior Partner with Validus Financial Associates, chose to be a financial professional as his desired profession early in life. After graduating with a finance degree from Arizona State University, Aaron was able to grow a client base helping individuals and business owners with their financial, education and retirement planning, estate planning strategies, and business succession planning. As a benefit to his clients Aaron sought and received a Certificate in Retirement Planning from Wharton School and holds Series 7, 63, 65 and 24 registrations as well as Life and Health Licenses.

In 2003, Aaron was asked to join his firm's management team where he was eventually promoted to the Senior Vice President of the Southwest Branch. While in management, Aaron oversaw the hiring, training, development and mentoring of new advisors to the firm. This position not only allowed him to further develop his adeptness for leadership and communication but, more importantly, he also gained valuable experience working with complex client situations. He has earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANER^™ practitioner certification and is a member of the local Financial Planning Association. His success in the financial industry has been recognized and has led to many prestigious awards since 2002.

Aaron and his wife Olivia have 5 children (Zachary, Dallin, Brigham, Keaton and Ella). Aaron's hobby IS his family so he spends any and all free time with them. He enjoys fishing, coaching his kids and supporting his wife and children in their various activities. Community service has always been a priority for Aaron. He is an active volunteer with the local BSA program and serves in several capacities with his church.

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Validus Financial Associates provides you access to a highly experienced group of professionals who provide a collaborative approach to help you toward realizing your stated goals. We help you define your vision for the future and create a clear, concise course of action to optimize your potential for financial success. Additionally, as part of your financial plan we will factor in all aspects of your financial situation including how taxes, timing and other factors may affect your portfolio now and in the future.

Dave grew up in the Seattle area. He attended the University of Washington and received a degree in Finance from the Foster School of Business. He began his career in the Financial Services industry in 1997 and has over 19 years experience working both with individuals and institutions. His first job after college was working for MetLife Insurance Company on Mercer Island, WA. He tailored life insurance strategies to meet client needs.

Following MetLife, Dave went to work for McDonald Investments in Bellevue, WA. The team worked on an institutional trading floor speaking to CFO's, CEO's and Municipalities discussing Fixed Income options for their short-term operating cash.

Dave wanted to return to working with individual clients and took a job with Fidelity Investments as an Account Executive in 2003. He worked at Fidelity for over 11 years and oversaw a book of approximately $290 million in assets. Over that 11 year period, Dave conducted thousands of client meetings building retirement and investment plans for clients in both the accumulation and distribution phase of life.

Dave is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^™ professional and Enrolled Agent (EA). An enrolled agent (EA) is a federally-authorized tax practitioner who has technical expertise in the field of taxation and who is empowered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to represent taxpayers before all administrative levels - examination, collection, and appeals - of the Internal Revenue Service. In addition to taxpayer representation, enrolled agents often provide tax consultation services and prepare a wide range of federal and state tax returns.

Dave, his wife and their two children live in Scottsdale, Arizona the majority of the year and spend summers in Seattle where they are originally from. Dave is a Licensed Private Pilot, enjoys fishing, golf and traveling. Dave is also an active real estate investor. He received a Certificate in Commercial Real Estate from the University of Washington and is a member of a National Real Estate Investing association.

Evergreen Wealth Management was created to offer clients customized Wealth Management services. Our goal is to spend necessary time to fully understand each client's individual needs and goals not only financially but personally. We work with clients to educate and coach them through the financial planning and investment management process. We have the flexibility to use a wide range of products. This can include active management investment solutions or time tested low expense investment vehicles. If you have questions please schedule a call, we would love to hear from you!

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What if you didn't need to be ultra-wealthy for personal, top-to-bottom financial guidance and investment advice? Since 1986, we've helped millions of people get the ball rolling on their financial plans — with straightforward guidance built around their story and where they're headed next. Today, we're proud to be one of America's top independent investment advisory firms as ranked by Barron's (awarded each September, based on data within a 12-month period), with nearly 1.3 million clients and more than $300 billion assets under management (as of June 2025) — and prouder still of the trust clients place in us.

Edelman Financial Engines ranked as the 2nd Mega RIA by Barron's in the 2025 Top 100 RIA Firms list. This annual ranking of independent advisory firms is qualitative and quantitative. Firms elect to participate but do not pay to be included in the ranking.

Get a free financial plan »

What if you didn't need to be ultra-wealthy for personal, top-to-bottom financial guidance and investment advice? Since 1986, we've helped millions of people get the ball rolling on their financial plans — with straightforward guidance built around their story and where they're headed next. Today, we're proud to be one of America's top independent investment advisory firms as ranked by Barron's (awarded each September, based on data within a 12-month period), with nearly 1.3 million clients and more than $300 billion assets under management (as of June 2025) — and prouder still of the trust clients place in us.

Edelman Financial Engines ranked as the 2nd Mega RIA by Barron's in the 2025 Top 100 RIA Firms list. This annual ranking of independent advisory firms is qualitative and quantitative. Firms elect to participate but do not pay to be included in the ranking.

Get a free financial plan »

What if you didn't need to be ultra-wealthy for personal, top-to-bottom financial guidance and investment advice? Since 1986, we've helped millions of people get the ball rolling on their financial plans — with straightforward guidance built around their story and where they're headed next. Today, we're proud to be one of America's top independent investment advisory firms as ranked by Barron's (awarded each September, based on data within a 12-month period), with nearly 1.3 million clients and more than $300 billion assets under management (as of June 2025) — and prouder still of the trust clients place in us.

Edelman Financial Engines ranked as the 2nd Mega RIA by Barron's in the 2025 Top 100 RIA Firms list. This annual ranking of independent advisory firms is qualitative and quantitative. Firms elect to participate but do not pay to be included in the ranking.

Mr. Good is a Managing Director and Founding Partner at Attessa Capital.

Prior to founding the firm, he served in senior investment positions at several of the largest asset managers in the world. Before relocating to Tucson, Mr. Good was a Portfolio Manager at Cascade Investment/BMGI (the investment office of Bill Gates and his foundation). Prior to joining Cascade Investment/BMGI, he was a Vice President and Investment Research Analyst at Wellington Management (a Boston based firm with over $1 trillion under management). In this role, he helped manage mutual funds and investment accounts for clients such as Vanguard, Goldman Sachs, the Hartford, John Hancock, and many other institutions. He began his investment career as an Analyst at Ford Motor Company. Mr. Good has served in leadership positions at various for-profit and non-profit organizations, including on the board of directors of The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. He graduated cum laude from Brigham Young University and received an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Attessa Capital was founded to provide institutional-class investment management services to our clients. Our goal is to maximize long-term, risk-adjusted returns and be a comprehensive source for clients investment management needs. Our philosophy focuses on investing in the most attractive financial markets across the globe, protecting the portfolio from severe losses, and limiting fees for clients.

University of Michigan, B.A. in Economics 1994;

Indiana University, M.S. in Finance, 2016;

Boston College, Certificate in Financial Planning 2008;

Fuller Theological Seminary, M.A. in Theology, 2009

Note: Other offices and meeting locations present in Arizona near you. I have always been an all-Arizona kid. I grew up in Mesa and moved with my mother to Fountain Hills in 5th grade. After graduating from High School, I moved to Tempe until I graduated from ASU. From various small businesses in grade school, to winning the Edson Entrepreneurship award while attending ASU's W.P. Carrey School of Business, I have always had devotion to business. In 2011, I made the commitment to financial services.

Financial services allows me to apply my passions for business in a manner that can have a profound impact on families. In 2016, I completed the twelve individual modules and examination to be considered an Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS^®) which focuses on investment management and theory. In 2020, I completed the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^™ examination which is considered by many to be the gold standard in financial planning education. In conjunction with our local team and national team, I strive to be a trusted advisor in helping clients build a comprehensive financial plan. As per public record, I have no disclosures on my u4.

You can find me walking my dog Murphy, out to dinner with my wife Laura, riding a bike, wrenching on a car, or watching Arizona sports.

Here at Validus Financial Associates, we are a team of financial planners that have been working together since 2011, and some of us together much longer. We have over 100 years of collective experience. We strive to provide the greatest cost-benefit relationship that we can. We believe the most important component of what we do is in-depth financial planning. From there, we develop investment strategies with independence at the core of the approach. We also believe in diversification. This can mean devising an investment strategy with many different portfolio managers and asset classes.

At our firm, we have the client and only the client in mind.

Our mission is to get to know and understand the client's needs, wants, and long-term goals. We want to help clients develop, implement, and monitor strategies that are designed to address individual needs. We understand the challenges families face today ant the uniqueness of every situation.

From managing debt, to saving for college, to retirement; these personal finance challenges can be overwhelming. Our commitment is to utilize all of our resources to help clients pursue their goals.

We believe in thinking out of the box and we are not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom in our approach to investing and preserving wealth. All of our energy, commitment, and efforts are focused on the client, and their satisfaction.

Ryan Kidd, Senior Partner with Validus Financial Associates, first launched his career as an Evaluator at a Nuclear Power Plant. This afforded him the chance to develop his aptitude for communication and leadership. He later channeled this unique skillset into his passion for finance as he embarked on a career in retirement planning for Utility/Nuclear Power Plant employees. Ryan's client base grew as he helped build a better financial future and transition his clients into retirement. Ryan is a Certified Retirement Counselor® who is committed to helping individuals and business owners with Financial/Retirement Planning, Estate Planning Strategies and Business Succession Planning.

Ryan Kidd received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration, a master's degree in Counseling and a Certificate in Retirement Planning from Wharton. In addition to education, he holds Series 7, 66 and 24 registrations and Life and Health licenses. His dedication and success in the financial service industry has led to many awards. His dedication to his clients has led him to author his first book "The Art of Retiring Whole", a non-financial guide to retiring with purpose, productivity and endless possibilities.

Validus Financial Associates provides you access to a highly experienced group of professionals who provide a collaborative approach to help you toward realizing your stated goals. We help you define your vision for the future and create a clear, concise course of action to optimize your potential for financial success. Additionally, as part of your financial plan we will factor in all aspects of your financial situation including how taxes, timing and other factors may affect your portfolio now and in the future.

Trent began investing in stocks at the age of 12 and is passionate about helping his clients have peace of mind, optimizing returns while minimizing risk, fees, and taxes. His background includes experience as a life insurance agent, tax preparer, and financial advisor with over a decade working with high net worth and ultra high net worth households. He credits his law degree to helping him develop critical thinking skills that he employs regularly to the benefit of his clients. He is enthusiastic about serving clients as an independent advisor because it removes any loyalties or incentives that would conflict with his fiduciary duty to his clients.

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