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Thank You Isaac Saffold!
This fall, we had the pleasure of working with Isaac Saffold, an intern from Georgetown University. Isaac joined us through a meaningful connection — he was referred by the Georgetown football coach, as SJS Senior Advisor Andrew Schaetzke also played on the team. It’s a great example of how strong relationships open doors and create opportunities.
This fall, we had the pleasure of working with Isaac Saffold, an intern from Georgetown University. Isaac joined us through a meaningful connection — he was referred by the Georgetown football coach, as SJS Senior Advisor Andrew Schaetzke also played on the team. It’s a great example of how strong relationships open doors and create opportunities.
At SJS, we believe in the power of connection and in helping young people gain real-world experience and practical life skills beyond the classroom. We invited Isaac to share what he learned during his time with us in the letter below. We’re grateful for his contributions and support, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.
My time at SJS has been nothing short of amazing. From my very first day, everyone I met showed exceptional hospitality and a genuine interest in my growth. I had the opportunity to meet most of the team members, all of whom were eager to explain their roles, share their career paths, and answer even my most basic questions. Although my internship was hybrid and I was only in the Sylvania & Perrysburg offices once a week, I learned far more than I initially anticipated. The team consistently made an effort to support me, expose me to new experiences, and ensure I was learning something meaningful throughout my time here.
With the amount of knowledge and advice I gained over the past three months, narrowing my experience down to the top three lessons was difficult.
First and foremost, I learned that the financial advisory business is built on relationships. Clear, consistent communication—reassuring clients, keeping them informed, and maintaining transparency—is essential to building trust and growing the business organically through long-term client relationships and referrals.
The second key lesson I learned was the importance of staying informed by following economic and financial news. During a significant portion of my internship, the government shutdown contributed to market volatility and uncertainty around inflation and potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. Staying up to date provided valuable context for market movements and helped build confidence in investment decision-making.
Lastly, I gained insight into the firm’s day-to-day operations and how each role contributes to the bigger picture. Seeing how associate advisors support advisors and how structured systems and models guide investment decisions made the field feel far less intimidating. SJS showed me that investment advising is a disciplined, model-driven process focused on long-term strategy rather than short-term performance.
This experience reshaped how I view the industry and gave me valuable clarity around my own interests and career direction. While my future is not fully defined, this internship confirmed that this is a field I genuinely enjoy and can see myself pursuing long-term. I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn from such a knowledgeable and supportive team.
Important Disclosure Information:
There is no guarantee investment strategies will be successful. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Diversification neither assures a profit nor guarantees against a loss in a declining market.
Statements contained in this article that are not statements of historical fact are intended to be and are forward looking statements. Forward looking statements include expressed expectations of future events and the assumptions on which the expressed expectations are based. All forward looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on various expectations and assumptions concerning future events and they are subject to numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected.
Thank You Elizabeth Molique & Isabelle Szenderski!
We asked SJS interns Elizabeth Molique and Isabelle Szenderski to write a summary of what they did throughout the summer.
This summer, we had the pleasure of working with Elizabeth Molique and Isabelle Szenderski during their internships with us. We asked each of them to write a summary of what they did throughout the summer. We really enjoyed getting to know Elizabeth and Isabelle, value all of their contributions to improving SJS, and wish them all the best going forward!
Elizabeth Molique
During my summer internship, I had the opportunity to engage in a variety of impactful projects. I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity to work at SJS. Collaborating with my colleagues in the Scottsdale office and beyond was an enriching experience, and I’m grateful for the valuable lessons and insights gained throughout this journey.
Client cash flow and investment planning: Developed and updated client cash flow simulations, portfolios, and retirement plans using eMoney and Morningstar. Actively participated in client meetings to discuss and refine these plans.
Portfolio optimization: Conducted detailed reviews of client portfolios to identify and recommend enhancements for potential improved performance and alignment with financial goals.
Development of financial literacy resources: Designed and produced detailed financial literacy materials for internal and external audiences. These included documents on strategic charitable giving (e.g., donor advised funds, qualified required minimum distributions), student loan forgiveness regulations, comprehensive financial literacy presentations, and fact sheets about portfolio funds for institutional clients.
Investment research and analysis: Executed comprehensive research on prospective investments by evaluating Morningstar data, financial ratios, 10-K reports, and expert analyses, providing valuable insights to support strategic investment decisions.
Internal data management: Updated and managed internal spreadsheets related to net assets and trust files for SJS, ensuring precise and current data maintenance.
Professional development: Engaged in a series of webinars to deepen my industry knowledge, including Charles Schwab Market Talks, Charles Schwab Women in Wealth, AQR Diversifying Strategies Fund Feature, Dimensional Webinars, Avantis Behavioral Finance Webinar, among others.
Isabelle Szenderski
I am truly grateful for the opportunity I have been given to be a summer intern with SJS. I learned what it means to work with an empowering team that values each employee in the company and in return creates a strong connection with clients as “You come first. All the time. Every time.” is an essential part of the mission at SJS. Throughout my internship I had the privilege of engaging in a multitude of marketing projects. In addition I was able to learn the importance of investing and financial literacy as to further my knowledge and expand my career opportunities.
In my internship I had the pleasure of working on a variety of impactful projects:
Website updates: Strategized recommendations and implemented changes to improve the SJS website, with the goal of enhancing client and prospective client engagement.
Social media advancement: Researched and developed a strategy to enhance the SJS social media presence to promote company awareness, including executing a content and posting schedule for LinkedIn.
Client delivery enhancements: Collaborated on updating client presentation templates and financial documents to aid in client meetings.
SJS history research and timeline creation: Conducted internal research to create a historical timeline to be added to the SJS website, to better connect with clients and prospective clients.
SJS swag: Worked with local companies to design new SJS branded materials such as water bottles, golf polos, hats, and sweatshirts.
Assisting in planning events: Helped organize SJS client events as well as the first inaugural family parking lot party.
Professional development: Gained proficiency in financial literacy from SJS team members and participated in client meetings to enhance understanding.
Important Disclosure Information:
There is no guarantee investment strategies will be successful. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Diversification neither assures a profit nor guarantees against a loss in a declining market.
Statements contained in this article that are not statements of historical fact are intended to be and are forward looking statements. Forward looking statements include expressed expectations of future events and the assumptions on which the expressed expectations are based. All forward looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on various expectations and assumptions concerning future events and they are subject to numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected.
Advisory services are provided by SJS Investment Services, a registered investment advisor (RIA) with the SEC. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. SJS Investment Services does not provide legal or tax advice. Please consult your legal or tax professionals for specific advice.