Advanced Knowledge for Your Advanced Needs

    We firmly believe there is a dire need to concentrate entirely on the complex and changing retirement income needs of individuals over age 50. That’s why we made a commitment to obtain the knowledge and credentials to best service your retirement planning needs in a holistic manner. Here’s how we can use our credentials to help address your financial needs now and for the long haul.

     

     

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    CASL® Chartered Advisor for Senior Living

    The in-depth training required to earn this designation gives us the knowledge necessary to address the issues impacting clients who are over age 50 planning for retirement. We can advise you into and throughout your retirement income years.

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    AIF® Accredited Investment Fiduciary

    It’s our duty as a fiduciary asset manager to work to avoid conflicts of interest and to remain free to act in the best interest of you and your family in all interactions.

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    ChFC® Chartered Financial Consultant

    We have the knowledge to build a road map that can help you set financial goals and work hard to achieve them.

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    CLU® Chartered Life
    Underwriter

    We can use the knowledge gained through our CLU designation to help you protect your wealth and pass it on to your loved ones.

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    RICP® The Retirement Income Certified Professional

    This designation will help us help you navigate through the complex and ever-changing retirement planning landscape.

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    Peter J. Gallagher, ChFC®, CLU®, CASL®, AIF®, RICP®

    Founder and Managing Director

    I was raised in Ossining, New York, and my parents still live in the house I grew up in. My wife, Chris, a retired elementary school teacher, and I live in Briarcliff Manor. We have two children: Alison, who teaches art in a local public school, and Ryan, who attends Providence College, running on their track and cross-country team. My family is very important to me and comes first in everything that I do.

    I’ve been involved in the music profession since I was young, beginning my studies on the string bass at the age of nine. I have always loved the discipline required to practice and perform music at a high level. I studied with some of the best bass teachers in the industry over the years and earned full-tuition music scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate school.

    I learned a lot about setting goals and working hard to achieve them while practicing the string bass more than six hours a day in my early 20s. This determination paid off as I won ultra-competitive symphony orchestra auditions and began my career playing the string bass professionally. I was selected to perform with orchestras in Hartford, Connecticut and Orlando, Florida.

    Although I loved performing music, the music business began to wear on me. After spending 20 years perfecting my craft, I decided it was time to change careers. I soon realized that in addition to my love for music, helping others was a core part of my life. I entered the financial services industry in 1994. I studied for and passed the exams to become a financial advisor, then went on to obtain five advanced planning designations. They include my ChFC®, CLU®, CASL®, and AIF® designations. In addition, I recently achieved a RICP® designation.

    I have held positions in several large financial services firms, including TIAA-CREF and Citigroup, as senior retirement consultant and first vice president-financial advisor. Realizing the need to specialize in helping individuals plan for retirement, invest their assets intelligently, and preserve their legacy for their loved ones, I founded Unified Retirement Planning Group in 2016.

    It is very gratifying that URPG has received awards and recognition for our commitment to client service.  I believe in giving back and we also consistently participate in several charitable events and community service activities throughout the year.

    I have recertified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in Briarcliff Manor.  One of my proudest achievements occurred during my previous tenure of 15 years as an EMT, when I served as a first responder at Ground Zero.  Because I consistently volunteered my time over 500 hours each year, I have been honored with the President's Volunteer Service Award for several years in a row.

     

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    Rebecca J. Burfeind

    Office Manager

    An opportunity to work at the Westchester County Airport brought me to New York in 1995. This was after I had spent more than 12 years in the Midwest as a station manager and district trainer with commuter airlines. As the building of a new terminal led to the restructuring of ground operations, I moved into the world of corporate travel in 1996, where I worked for a worldwide travel management company.

    I took a 16-year sabbatical from corporate life in 2000 to be a full-time mom. During this time, I was actively involved in my children’s school, volunteering many hours in the classroom and with the PTA and drama department. I am involved in my church and volunteer in various capacities and was employed part-time as interim church secretary for two years. Additionally, I worked as a fitness kickboxing instructor for five years prior to joining Unified Retirement Planning Group in 2016.

    I have been actively involved with The Children’s Heart Foundation - New York Chapter, as my daughter has lived with congenital heart disease her entire life. I am currently serving as a Trustee on the Board of Education in my local school district.

    I live with my husband, Dave, of more than 23 years and we have two children attending college. I enjoy outdoor activities, live theatre, board games, and every activity that includes my family.

     

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    Catherine E. Maroney

    Manager of Marketing

    I am a Somers, NY resident and bring 30 years of communications experience to Unified Retirement Planning Group, including for four global employers in financial services: the New York Stock Exchange, Merrill Lynch, J.P. Morgan Chase, and BlackRock.  These experiences brought opportunities to not only promote business excellence but also community commitment, the ways these organizations contributed to the well-being of areas where clients are served and employees reside. These two factors, business excellence and community commitment, also attracted me to URPG and its relationship with Commonwealth Financial Network®.

    I moved to Somers in 1996 with my family and have resided mostly in the metropolitan area for my whole life, after being raised in Rockland County.  I am a “first generation” college graduate, having earned a BA from Fordham University as an English major and a MS from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, where I received the Newswomen’s Club of New York scholarship. My parents encouraged me to follow my dream of higher education.  My father was a World War II U.S. Navy Veteran and truck driver for Getty Oil, and my mother, a homemaker and saleswoman for a children’s clothing store.

    It was my experience as a “first generation” college student that drew me to segue briefly from my communications career to teach writing and literature courses to students at Westchester Community College.  It was a privilege to be around students exhibiting diversity in age, skills set, and financial background, and see their motivation and commitment.  Similarly, I volunteered my communications expertise to assist a close friend with her new non-profit, Latino U College Access, which guides high-achieving Hispanic students from low-income backgrounds in Westchester through the college application process.

    I began my professional career as a reporter for United Press International, first in New York City and then in Miami. After four years in journalism, I launched my corporate communications career as spokeswoman, advisor, manager and writer.  I was a trusted media advisor and contact. 

    My all-time favorite experience, naturally, is being a mother to my daughter, Maureen, who graduated from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT, and has embarked on her own communications career.