Our Team

Ranked by Barron's as one of the Top 100 Independent Advisors in the country, Matthew Somberg is co-founder and Principal of Gottfried & Somberg Wealth Management, LLC, an independent investment and financial services firm that provides sophisticated wealth planning and investment management strategies to individuals and small institutions.

Since 2000, Matthew has worked with a wide variety of affluent clientele and their families, including physicians, business owners, educators, and serious investors.

Matthew divides his professional time between taking care of a small group of clients, working closely with his clients' estate planning attorneys and accountants, and leading a team of advisors within the firm.

Awards:

• In 2022 Matthew was honored by Barron's named a Top 100 Independent Advisor for the second year in a row.

2021-2022 Barron’s Top 100 Independent Advisors, created by Barron's.  The 2022 award was presented in Sept 2022 from data gathered from June 2021 to June 2022. 514 Advisors were considered, 100 Advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for most recent award information.

• In 2022 Matthew was honored by Barron’s as an elite advisor for the fifth year in a row on the Barron’s list of America’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors for 2022, Matthew was named #11 of thirty six Wealth Advisors in Connecticut and #2 in the Greater Hartford area.

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2018-2022 Barron's Top 1200 Advisors, created by Barron's. The 2022 award was presented in March 2022 based on data gathered from Sept 2020 to Sept 2021. 6,186 Advisors were considered, 1200 Advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for most recent award information. 

• In 2022 Matthew was honored by Forbes as an elite advisor for the fifth year in a row on the Forbes’  Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list for 2022.  Matthew was named #2 Wealth Advisor in Connecticut and #1 in the Greater Hartford area.

2018-2022 Forbes Best In State Wealth Advisors, created by SHOOK Research.  The 2022 award was presented in April 2022 based on data gathered from June 2020 to June 2021.  19,640 Advisors were considered, approximately 6,500 Advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for more award information. 

• A Five Star Professional Wealth Manager in Connecticut Magazine by Crescendo Business Services (2012-present).

2012-2022 Five Star Wealth Manager Award, created by Five Star Professional.  The 2022 award was presented in Nov 2022 based on data gathered within 12 months preceding the issue date. 2950 advisors were considered, 290 advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. For more information, please visit www.fivestarprofessional.com

• The Financial Times 400 Top Financial Advisers list (2020, 2019, 2017, 2016)

2016-2020 Financial Times 400 Top Financial Advisers, Created by Ignites Research. The 2020 award was presented in Oct 2020 for the past 12 months. 940 Advisors were considered, 400 Advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Click here for more award information.

• Matthew Somberg is proud to have been recognized as a Chairman's Level advisor for 2019 (2010-present)—a distinction based on annual production attained by just 3 percent of advisors affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network.
  
  Each year, Commonwealth, the Registered Investment Adviser–broker/dealer that helps us process investment transactions on your behalf, recognizes Chairman's Level advisors by inviting them to an exclusive gathering of their peers, leading industry experts, and Commonwealth home office staff. Chairman's Level advisors benefit from an intensive learning and networking experience designed to help them hone their expertise, share best practices, and provide ever-higher levels of service, education, and leadership to their clients.

Matthew holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) designation. He maintains client relationships and registrations to practice and serve clients in many states throughout the country.

Education:

Matthew is an honors graduate of Brandeis University, with degrees in both economics and history. He is a member of the Phi Alpha Theta National Honor Society, and his writings on the effects of North American Free Trade Agreement have been published.

Community Service: 

• Board Member of the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) Foundation
• Chair of the Investment Committee of Connecticut Children's Medical Center
• Former Treasurer and Board Member of Kol Haverim Synagogue
• Finance Committee Shelter Harbor Golf Club

Personal:

He is a devoted husband to his wife, Amy, and father to his three kids, Ella, Eli and Cooper. They reside in South Glastonbury, CT.

He is a registered representative of Commonwealth Financial Network®, member FINRA/SIPC, an independent broker/dealer.

After 37 years of assisting clients in achieving their financial goals, Barbara has retired as a wealth advisor, but will continue to be a valued member of our team in a support role to our advisors. Gottfried & Somberg Wealth Management is honored to remain affiliated with Barbara and learn from her experience and knowledge in the field of wealth management.

Jim DeMartino, CFP®, joined Gottfried & Somberg Wealth Management, LLC in October 2009.

Jim is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with 19 years' experience in the financial industry.

Jim is committed to providing every client with superior, impartial financial planning advice that is specific to each individual’s unique circumstances—and to communicating that advice in straightforward, easy-to-understand language.

Jim specializes in retirement income planning, and is exceptionally knowledgeable about the many complex intricacies of both the CT State Employees Retirement System and the CT Teacher Retirement System, as he has helped shepherd hundreds of clients through the often daunting retirement process. Jim is also involved in all other areas of financial planning, including investment management, insurance and estate planning. Jim's knowledge of the various aspects of financial planning, combined with his strong organizational skills and his personable, welcoming style, make him a joy for our clients to work with and a valuable member of our team. In addition to his CFP® certification, Jim holds FINRA Series 7 and Series 66 securities registrations through Commonwealth Financial Network®, and is insurance-licensed for, and well-versed in, life insurance, variable life, annuities, and long-term care insurance.

.Jim has been recognized as a Five Star Professional Wealth Manager in Connecticut Magazine by Crescendo Business Services for the past 4 years.  2019-2022 Five Star Wealth Manager Award, created by Five Star Professional. The 2022 award was presented in Nov 2022 based on data gathered within 12 months preceding the issue date. 2950 Connecticut-area advisors were considered, 290 advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. For more information, please visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.

Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Jim has resided in Connecticut for the past 15 years, and lives in Glastonbury. In the 1980s Jim earned a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and his MFA in painting from Yale University, where he also taught for five years. In his spare time, he enjoys painting and drawing, traveling, listening to all kinds of music, and playing guitar.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Kathleen Erickson, RICP^®, joined Gottfried & Somberg Wealth Management, LLC, in 2012 with more than 30 years of experience in the Financial and Insurance industries.

Kathy has counseled numerous clients to help them build, preserve and enjoy their wealth.

As a Wealth Advisor and Retired Income Certified Professional (RICP^®), Kathy combines her skills and personal approach when providing wealth management and retirement planning.  She works closely with you to build a cohesive financial plan to simplify the demands of managing your wealth and retirement, which frees up your time to devote time to your family, business, and personal endeavors.

Kathy holds numerous professional certifications and registrations, including FINRA Series 7, 24, 63, and 65 securities registrations through Commonwealth Financial Network.  She also has licenses for Life Insurance, Fixed and Variable Annuities and Long Term Care insurance.

Kathy has been recognized as a Five Star Professional Wealth Manager in Connecticut Magazine by Crescendo Business Services for the pas nine years.  2014-2022 Five Star Wealth Manager Award, created by Five Star Professional. The 2022 award was presented in Nov 2022 based on data gathered within 12 months preceding the issue date. 2950 Connecticut-area advisors were considered, 290 advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. For more information, please visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.

Kathy was born and raised in the Boston, MA area with a few places in between and now resides in Manchester, CT with her husband, Steve, her daughter Christine and two lovable Pomeranian dogs, Kona and Kuma.  Rounding out the family are son's Kyle in Newington and Blake in Colorado.  In her spare time Kathy enjoys cooking, boating and spending time with family and friends.

Kathy is passionate about various charities and foundations particularly the American Cancer Society/Melanoma Research, Wounded Warrior Project and the Connecticut Humane Society.

Since 2017
The educational, ethical, and experience requirements established by the Board of Trustees of The American College of Financial Services have been satisfied. The right to use the RICP^® designation is contingent on adherence to the ethics, Continuing Education and other requirements of The College’s Professional Recertification Program and requires ongoing recertification.

Jim has over 20 years of investment and financial planning experience and is a CFA^® Charterholder and a CFP^® Practitioner. He has worked as an equity analyst for a hedge fund, a wealth manager at a national financial planning firm, a portfolio manager at a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firm, and owned his own RIA firm, Peak Point Capital Management, LLC.  Jim merged Peak Point with Gottfried & Somberg Wealth Management, LLC in December 2018.
 

Jim has been recognized as a Five Star Professional Wealth Manager in Connecticut Magazine by Crescendo Business Services for the past three years.  2020-2022 Five Star Wealth Manager Award, created by Five Star Professional. The 2022 award was presented in Nov 2022 based on data gathered within 12 months preceding the issue date. 2950 Connecticut-area advisors were considered, 290 advisors were recognized. Advisors pay a fee to hold out marketing materials. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. For more information, please visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.

Jim’s most important role is as a husband and father of four. He has three teenage children and one precocious five-year-old. He is active in his community and serves as president of CFA Society Hartford. He also chairs the investment committees for two charitable advisory boards.

For recreation, Jim enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, skiing, running, and especially mountain climbing. He has many Adirondack and White Mountain peaks under his belt (over 30), and his dream is to become an Adirondack 46er (by ascending all 46 Adirondack peaks above 4,000 feet) and to climb Mt. McKinley.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Magda joined Gottfried & Somberg Wealth Management, LLC in June 2021, through their merger with ClearGuidance Financial.

She worked at CGF for the past eight years, after starting her financial services career in 2011 at Bank of America.  Magda has gained a deep investment and financial planning knowledge through more than a decade of experience as a paraplanner and analyst.  She was closely mentored by Barbara Taylor and Terran Titus. As they began to shift towards retirement, Barbara and Terran helped Magda to advance into her own next career phase as an advisor.

Magda received her finance degree from the University of Connecticut School of Business and holds FINRA Series 6, 7, and 66 securities registration through Commonwealth Financial Network^®.  She has completed her insurance licenses along with CT Partnership Long Term Care insurance and is a notary public.  

After relocating from Poland to the United States in 2001, Magda became fluent in English and is bilingual. This experience helped shape her into a person who values family, empathy, and hard work above all, which she clearly translates into her understanding of clients’ unique situations and perspectives.

Magda comes from a growing family with three siblings, two nephews, Archer and Caden, and one niece, Izabela. In addition to spending time with her family and friends, Magda enjoys abstract painting, photography, gardening, reading, and road trips.

Nicholas Hogrefe began his career at Gottfried & Somberg Wealth Management, LLC, in June 2011. In his current role as Senior Investment Analyst, Nick manages the investment research and selection process.  He also works closely with advisors to integrate our clients' goals with their portfolios and oversees the model portfolio management system.

Nick received his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Connecticut and holds his FINRA Series 6, 7, 63, and 65 securities registrations.  He is a Chartered Financial Analyst charterholder, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and belongs to the CFA Society of Hartford.

In his spare time, Nick enjoys watching football and staying active.  He lives in South Glastonbury with his wife Kayla.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Kevin Blain joined Gottfried & Somberg in February 2022 as a Senior Financial Planning Analyst. With over ten years in the investment and banking industry, Kevin brings additional experience to our team in portfolio management, financial planning, and client service.

Kevin graduated from Central Connecticut State University’s School of Business, holds FINRA series 7 and 66 securities registrations through Commonwealth Financial Network and a State of Connecticut insurance license.

Kevin and his wife live in Southington, CT. When not in the office, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, performing music, cooking, and traveling with his wife, Chrisma Joyce.

As a Paraplanner, Casey serves as an instrumental member of our team by providing outstanding financial planning and wealth management research to support our advisors. She has over fourteen years of experience in the Financial Services industry, specializing in client operations and behind-the-scenes processes.

Casey is a graduate of Emory University and the University of Connecticut, where she obtained a Master of Science degree in accounting. Casey holds her CFP certification® and FINRA Series 7 and 66 securities registrations.

In her spare time, Casey loves to cross stitch and travel throughout the US. She is heavily involved in PFLAG Sandy Springs, a non-profit that provides support, education, and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ people and their friends and families in Sandy Springs, Georgia. She is a native of Greensboro, North Carolina, and currently resides in Alpharetta, Georgia.  

Melissa joined Gottfried & Somberg Wealth Management, LLC in 2020 as the Director of Operations.  Melissa works directly with the Chief Operating Officer on workflow processes, HR, financials, technology, compliance, legal, infrastructure and vendor relations.

Melissa spent the previous six years serving as an Assistant Vice President at United Bank, focusing on project management, facilities, investor relations, and client service functions. Prior to her time at United Bank, Melissa spent the previous 13 years in New York City working for Citigroup and Guggenheim Partners, prior to relocating to Connecticut in 2014.

Melissa graduated from Bentley University with a degree in marketing and information technology.

A native of Portland, CT, she and her husband, Shaun, live in Glastonbury with their three children, Kellan, Ella, and Ava.

Kathleen Centola joined Gottfried & Somberg Wealth Management, LLC, in June 2013. Kathy is our Marketing Director.

As the Marketing Director, Kathy is responsible for our retirement workshops, client events, community G&S Give Back events, and G&S team outings. She manages all details from the event idea, the venue, the marketing material and hospitality that results in a high-quality experience for our attendees.  She also designs and publishes our semi-annual newsletter.

Kathy graduated from Northeastern University with a bachelor’s degree in economics. She has more than 30 years of experience in retail management and operations. She started her career with Napier, a jewelry designer and manufacturer, where she co-developed a factory outlet operation that included 12 stores in 10 states. Most recently, Kathy worked with Brooks Brothers analyzing and forecasting sales and financial plans in stores across four European countries.

Outside of work, Kathy enjoys gardening and golfing with her husband, Glenn.

Rita Ferreri joined Gottfried & Somberg Wealth Management, LLC in June 2021 as a Private Wealth Relationship Manager.

Rita began her career in the Financial Services Industry in 1995 after graduating from Suffolk University in Boston with a Bachelor Degree in Finance.  She has over 20 years of experience in Life Insurance and Financial Planning.  Rita held many operational positions over the years at Cigna, Lincoln Life Financial Group and ClearGuidance Financial.  Her previous roles included Sr. Compensation Consultant, Team Leader, Representative Support of IT and a Client Relationship Liaison.  In her current role as Private Wealth Relationship Manager, Rita will assist clients with new accounts, transfers, cashiering, and scheduling. Rita is a notary public.

Rita resides in Southington with her husband, Joe, their 3 wonderful children Bianca, Mario and Isabella and their Golden Retriever “Munson”.

In her free time, Rita and her husband enjoys watching their children in their many sporting activities - Rugby, Football, Basketball and Baseball.  They also love spending family time in Narragansett, RI during the summer and fall months.