Alexander Smith

Hi, I'm Alex Smith with Bannan Financial Group.

Before entering the financial services industry, I spent almost a decade as a teacher in Newark Public Schools. My time in the classroom shaped the way I approach my work today. As an educator, my job was to take complex subjects, break them down into understandable concepts, illustrate potential outcomes, and help students gain the confidence to apply what they learned. While my audience has changed, my approach has remained the same.

Today, I help individuals and families better understand their personal finances and create a vision for what retirement can look like. I take the same approach I used in the classroom. Breaking things down, making them easier to understand, and helping people see how different decisions can lead to different outcomes.

I’m originally from Baltimore, MD and was raised in Sussex County, NJ. I attended college at Coastal Carolina University before moving to Montclair, NJ after graduation. I’ve spent most of my life in New Jersey and have had the chance to experience everything from city life to rural areas, the suburbs, and the shore. I really love how much the state has to offer.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling with my wife, Kirstyn, and exercising. As a former caddie, any spare time I have is most enjoyed on the golf course.

One quote that has always stuck with me is, "Personal finance is more personal than finance." To me, that means financial strategies start with the person, not the numbers. Everyone's goals, priorities, and ideas about what retirement looks like are different, and my job is to help build a plan that reflects that.