Meet Our Team

Michael is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional with over two decades of experience helping individuals achieve financial independence, secure their families’ futures, and ensure protection against life’s uncertainties through comprehensive financial planning. He’s been recognized for his innovative work on financial planning by both industry groups and the firms with which he’s affiliated. The National Association of Insurance Financial Advisors recognized him as one of the best advisors under 40 years old in 2007. During his time with MetLife, he was named Financial Planner of the Year in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2016. He’s been Barnum Financial Group’s top financial planner every year since he started his career there in 2004.

Michael is passionate about financial education, both for his clients and for the broader public. He is the best-selling author of two books. His first book, Keep It Simple, Make it Big: Money Management for a Meaningful Life (Lioncrest, 2020), examines the basics of personal finance and provides strategies for readers to take action. His second book, It’s All About the Income: The Simple System for a Big Retirement (Lioncrest, 2022), details simple systems retirees can use to turn piles of money into streams of inflation-adjusted income. He turned his second book into a free online video course as a public service.

Michael has written for the Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, and Retirement Daily on TheStreet.com. He hosted the popular call-in radio show Smart Money Radio on WICC AM for over a decade and served as an adjunct professor at Fairfield University’s business school teaching courses on financial planning, taxes, and insurance. He currently provides onsite consumer-oriented financial planning courses to employees of Fortune 500 companies and hospitals.

Committed to lifelong learning, Michael holds multiple advanced designations in financial planning from The American College.

He is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®), a program that focuses on in-depth knowledge of the key financial planning disciplines including insurance, income, taxation, retirement planning, investments, and estate planning.

He is also a Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), the world’s most respected designation of expertise to meet the insurance needs of individuals, business owners, and professional clients; a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®), a designation that focuses on the financial aspects of giving back; and a Chartered Advisor for Senior Living® (CASL®), which prepares financial advisors to lead clients from middle age through retirement and to assist them with the management, preservation, and transfer of wealth.

Michael has an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Washington and a master’s in economics from San Francisco State University. He resides in Cape Coral, Florida. When he’s not working with clients, writing books, or speaking to audiences, you’ll find him fishing or bowling with his daughter Micaela, son Domenic, and fiancé Tasha.

CA Insurance License #0D81165. I am licensed and registered to offer products and services in several states. Licenses and registrations will vary. Domiciled in CT.

Sarah is responsible for overseeing the operations of the practice. She created and executes a methodic process that keeps Mike on track so he can keep our clients on track to achieving their financial goals. Her in-depth knowledge of marketing, processing, and resource management, she continuously ensures the practice delivers the first-in-class experience our clients have come to except.

Sarah graduated with a Bachelors in Communications from Southern Connecticut State University. She also frequently takes part in community service of St. Francis Church in Naugatuck. Her hobbies include spending time with family, kickboxing, dance, and Zumba.

With nearly a decade of experience in the financial service industry, Gorete is responsible for managing the service work of the financial planning process for the practice. Gorete manages more than a hundred financial plans and plan updates for clients each year. She works closely with Mike and his clients to ensure all financial information is accurate and properly implemented for efficient processing.

Gorete’s commitment to her work has given her in-depth understanding on how to manage the financial planning process, which allows Michael more time to interact face to face with clients and provide the personalized guidance and solutions they deserve.

Gorete graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Technology from the University of Connecticut, as well as receiving her MBA in Finance from Post University. Gorete lives in Ansonia, Connecticut with her husband Davidson. She enjoys spending time with her family at the beach, exercising, and visiting local breweries.

Steve brings over 25 years of experience of financial services industry experience to the team. He has worked in a variety of roles in those years, including sales, operations and compliance. He was previously with Barnum Financial Group from 2004 through 2015 as a financial planner and worked with Mike many times. He came back in 2018 to work for the team. Steve is responsible for financial planning analysis, product analysis and research. Steve holds FINRA Series 7, 24, 63 and 66 registrations.

Tom assists Mike in managing the investments, portfolios, trading, new accounts, and transactions. Tom is licensed Series 7 and Series 66. Prior to joining Team Lynch, Tom received a Bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Connecticut. Immediately following undergrad, he enrolled in Western New England University where he earned a joint degree, a Juris Doctor with a concentration in Business Law and a Master’s in Business Administration. Before starting with Mike’s team, Tom was a clerk in the New Haven Superior Court and then practiced law for three years. Tom is a fully licensed attorney in Connecticut but does not currently practice.*

Alisa Olsen is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional  focusing on bringing Mike’s Simple and Big message to generations Y and Z. She is passionate about the promise of using financial planning to help clients build and protect to live their best lives.  Alisa has 16 years of industry experience working with clients to create financial success. She’s spent the last eight years has been creating customized financial plans.  Alisa holds a bachelor’s in finance from Sacred Heart University.  She lives in Trumbull, CT with her husband and two young children.

I am registered and domiciled in CT

Joe is responsible for assisting with the back-office functions of the practice. He opens new accounts, transfers money, generates investment reports, and does anything that Mike needs to be done in order to facilitate excellent client service.

Joe is new to the team. He graduated from Clemson University with a BA in Economics in May 2021. While working at Barnum, he is also still in school working on his MA in Economics as well as his Certified Financial Planner designation. In his limited spare time, he likes hanging out with his fiancé, competing in triathlons, and watching Star Wars.