Riley Saunders Financial Advisor

Riley Saunders, CFP®, is a Financial Advisor at Cassaday & Company, Inc., and has been with the firm since March 2019.

Riley works alongside Christopher Krell in a dedicated capacity to help provide his clients with the highest level of comprehensive and proactive service. Riley engages with clients to stay informed of their evolving circumstances and works to identify planning opportunities that can bring value to a specific client situation.

He drives the collaboration process between clients and their advisory team to develop high-level analyses in the areas of retirement, education, tax, and estate planning. In addition to attending client and prospect meetings, Riley helps coordinate the comprehensive suite of services provided by the firm. Prior to joining Cassaday & Company, Riley’s background includes several years of tax and wealth management experience from a local tax firm.

Riley graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. While at Virginia Tech, Riley was an active member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) student chapter.

Additionally, Riley holds a master’s degree from Kansas State University, studying Personal Financial Planning. This degree allowed Riley to expand his foundational knowledge in areas such as tax, estate, and retirement planning. In addition to the core curriculum, Riley opted to take classes in the field of applied behavioral finance, which allows him to gain a better understanding of the psychology behind financial planning.

Riley is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), a professional designation he attained through Virginia Tech’s CFP Board Registered Program. Riley also holds the Series 7 and Series 65 securities registrations, as well as Life and Health Insurance licenses in Virginia.

Riley is a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) of the National Capital Area. Previously, Riley sat on the Board of Directors for FPA’s National Capital Area chapter as the NexGen Director. Riley helped organize and promote periodic group meetups with his FPA NexGen peers of the National Capital area. These meetings provide a space for young financial planning professionals to meet, discuss trends in the industry, and bounce ideas off one another.

Riley was named to the 2024 InvestmentNews “Best Wealth Managers & Advisors Under 40 in the USA – Rising Stars” list, recognizing his leadership in the wealth management and active contributions to the financial planning community through his engagement with the Financial Planning Association (FPA). 

Riley is an investment advisor representative with Cassaday & Company, Inc., and a registered representative with Osaic Wealth, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC.

*Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the CFP® certification mark, the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification mark, and the CFP® certification mark (with plaque design) logo in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

InvestmentNews – Rising Stars 2024 – The Investment News Rising Stars award accepts nominees that are aged 40 or under (as of November 30, 2024) and are committed to a career in wealth management, with a clear passion for the industry. Nominees were asked about their current role, key achievements, and career goals, as well as the contributions they’ve made to shaping the industry. The Rising Stars were determined by an independent panel of industry leaders. Recommendations from Third-party rankings and recognitions are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a client or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance or results. These ratings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor by any client nor are they representative of any one client’s evaluation.