Tatiana Sunik
CFP®, CDFA® | Financial Advisor
Tatiana Sunik
MY WHY
Why I Became a
Financial Advisor
My journey into financial advising began while I was attending Ithaca College, a time when financial planning concepts were not as prevalent in the wealth management industry. I initially helped my own family navigate their finances, which soon extended to assisting friends. My passion for personal finance grew during my internship with Merrill Lynch right out of college, which provided a foundational perspective on personal finance and further motivated me to pursue a career in this field. While I gained foundational experience during this internship, I felt that something was missing from the typical approach to personal finance. I was fortunate to work as a retirement analyst in the home office at Raymond James, where I was exposed to retirement planning concepts from many advisors. This experience, followed by my 17 years at a boutique RIA firm in New York City that emphasized financial planning, was instrumental in refining my approach to client-centered and strategic financial advising.
MY FOCUS
Empowering Women to Achieve Financial Independence
While I work with a diverse range of clients, including both men and women, my personal why is to empower women to achieve financial independence. Having witnessed women’s financial needs often overlooked in an industry largely designed by men, I felt a calling to make a difference. As a 20-year veteran in the industry, a mother of 14 years and a single mother for the past 10 years supporting my family, I understand the unique financial obstacles women encounter at every stage — whether single, married, contemplating divorce or divorced.
My experience includes guiding clients through life transitions, such as divorce, ensuring that each client’s unique goals and circumstances are at the forefront of my planning. I’m passionate about providing holistic empowerment and planning that addresses these distinct needs.
About Tatiana
Tatiana Sunik joined Forum Financial Management in 2024 as a Financial Advisor. Prior to joining Forum, Tatiana served for 17 years as a financial planner and wealth advisor at a boutique RIA firm in New York City. With nearly 20 years of experience including roles at Citigroup and Raymond James, Tatiana has developed a deep understanding of personalized client service and effective financial strategies centered around providing holistic wealth management tailored for high-net-worth individuals and families.
She is a founding member of the National Association of Divorce Professionals in Bergen County, New Jersey. Tatiana has obtained the Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® certification. With this focus specializing in divorce financial planning and wealth management for high-net-worth individuals, she guides clients through complex financial scenarios with personalized care.
Tatiana is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York.
Tatiana enjoys spending time with her children. She is a classically trained pianist, advocate for the arts and fluent in English, Ukrainian and Russian.
MY ARTICLES & INSIGHTS
A PERSONAL APPROACH
Tell Us About Your Financial Life and Aspirations
Your experience begins with an initial meeting to identify your financial vision for the future and risk tolerance levels. We review our investment philosophy and approach with you so that you fully understand each milestone of our process and how our relationship will evolve over time.
Discuss Topics Crucial to Your Financial Success
Over the course of the next few meetings, the content and breadth of each meeting is defined by your personal needs. We can review your estate planning and risk management needs, discuss retirement accumulation or distribution planning, evaluate educational funding needs, review your tax situation, and go over any other items crucial to your financial success.
Develop a Strategic Plan Unique to You
Once you select an allocation, we put together a strategic implementation plan that will coordinate investment of your portfolio between qualified (tax-advantaged) assets and non-qualified assets in order to maximize tax efficiency. The topics we address during our time with you vary depending on your unique needs and situation.
Putting Your Plan Into Action
We establish your Forum account based on the portfolio allocation we discussed and what we learned about your risk tolerance and financial goals. With your new Forum account now in place, you will have the opportunity to access your Forum Client Portal for the first time and connect with members of the Forum Client Service team.
Review Goals and Plans When Your Life Changes
You will receive reporting that will clearly show your performance net of all fees and compared to applicable market indexes. Additionally your assets are held at a reputable third-party custodian that furnishes independent monthly reports so you can feel confident about the safe handling of your money.