AAF Wealth Management Expands Its Financial Planning Team

AAF Wealth Management has welcomed Julie A. Drainville, CFP®, ChFC®, EA, to its team of wealth advisors, further expanding the firm’s ability to serve individuals, families, and business owners navigating significant wealth, complex tax considerations, business transitions, philanthropic goals, and multigenerational planning. A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), and Enrolled Agent (EA), Julie advises high-net-worth clients on the interconnected decisions that shape long-term wealth, retirement readiness, tax efficiency, estate planning, business succession, and legacy goals. Her addition reflects AAF Wealth Management‘s continued investment in delivering highly personalized advice grounded in fiduciary responsibility and active portfolio management.

Based in Rhode Island, Julie came to financial planning after witnessing firsthand the role thoughtful planning can play in a family’s life. The importance of insurance planning became evident early in life when her father experienced a disability and passed away prematurely. Another formative influence came from watching her grandmother, a business owner and widow, thoughtfully prepare for retirement and the transfer of wealth to the next generation through tax-sensitive estate planning. Later, through her own involvement in helping loved ones navigate significant life and financial transitions, Julie developed a deep appreciation for the role trusted advice can play during pivotal moments. Those experiences continue to influence how she serves clients today, pairing technical expertise with a genuine interest in understanding what people hope to accomplish for themselves, their families, and the causes they care most about.

Julie’s perspective aligns naturally with AAF Wealth Management’s approach to advising clients. As an independent fiduciary firm, AAF Wealth Management focuses on thoughtful financial planning that begins with an intimate understanding of each client’s goals, circumstances, and future vision. Through an integrated service model, wealth advisors work closely with AAFCPAs’ tax professionals, estate planning attorneys, and business advisors to help ensure financial, tax, estate, succession, philanthropic, and legacy considerations are evaluated together rather than in isolation.

Sharing in the firm’s philosophy, she is especially drawn to the conversations that sit at the intersection of wealth, tax, family and legacy considerations, helping clients understand the opportunities, responsibilities, and tradeoffs that accompany important financial decisions. Her experience as both a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and Enrolled Agent brings an additional tax perspective to the planning process, reflecting her belief that comprehensive advice is most effective when viewed through multiple lenses.

“What stood out immediately about Julie was her genuine interest in knowing and understanding her clients,” said Carmen Grinkis, PhD, CLTC, CLU®, CFP®, Co-Managing Partner & Wealth Advisor of AAF Wealth Management. “She brings a thoughtful perspective to the planning process and a sincere desire to comprehend each individual’s circumstances, priorities, and aspirations. That commitment to understanding people is central to how we serve clients at AAF Wealth Management.”

“One of the things I enjoy most about this work is that every decision lives within a larger context,” Julie explained. “A conversation about retirement can quickly become a conversation about family, charitable intent, a business, or the legacy someone hopes to leave. I find it rewarding to help people work through those interconnected considerations and understand the implications of the choices before them.”

Important Disclosure: AAF Wealth Management is a Registered Investment Adviser. This article is provided for informational purposes only. The views and information presented should not be construed as personalized investment, tax, legal, or financial planning advice, nor as a recommendation to engage in any particular strategy. Advisory services are offered only under a written agreement and where AAF Wealth Management and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure.