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FOR OWNERS

Your business and your balance sheet are one plan.

While many companies have a 401(k), a properly designed qualified plan can be the cornerstone of a business owner's own retirement. Plan design, executive strategies, and tax-aware personal planning work best when one team sees the whole picture.

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How we design every plan

A dynamic experience for participants

Proper financial wellness planning for every employee.

Maximum benefit for the owner

Plan design that works as hard for you as it does for your team.

Fiduciary coverage

A documented process that keeps the plan compliant.

One door leads to the other

1

A plan review identifies where the current design may not align with the owner's goals.

2

A cash balance plan is evaluated alongside the company's existing retirement benefits.

3

Plan options are modeled against the priorities of the owner and the workforce.

4

That opens a broader planning conversation around protection, investments, and estate planning.

Illustrative. Every situation is different and outcomes are not guaranteed.

Strategies for owners

The 401(k) is
‍just the beginning.

Explore whether an additional qualified retirement plan fits the owner's goals, workforce, and overall plan design.

Consider selective benefit arrangements for key executives, coordinated with the company's broader compensation program.

Evaluate employer-funded life insurance arrangements as one option for providing additional benefits to selected employees.

Review specialized life insurance solutions for eligible investors as part of a broader risk-management and estate-planning conversation.

Comprehensive evaluation of business strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to inform strategic financial decisions.

Coordinate business structures and major transactions with the owner's legal, tax, and financial advisors.

Fortis Lux Financial and MML Investors Services, LLC do not provide tax or legal advice. Strategies are coordinated with your own tax and legal professionals. Fortis Lux does not provide qualified business valuations.

OWNER EXAMPLE

How a plan review helped a family-owned apparel manufacturer lower costs and put its pension to work.

‍

The owners of a family-owned apparel manufacturer had offered a 401(k) plan for years without looking closely at what it cost. A plan review showed total fees of 1.3%, and several funds on the menu no longer met the plan’s own review criteria.Alongside it sat a frozen pension plan that was costing about $9,000 a year while providing no benefit to the owners or the business.

We began with a full review of the plan’s fees, investment menu, and documented review process. We helped the owners simplify the lineup from a bloated menu to 24 lower-cost investment options, each measured against the plan’s own criteria.

We also evaluated the frozen pension and recommended reactivating it, so it could serve the owners’ retirement goals instead of sitting idle.

Plan fees fell by 0.88%, from 1.3% to about 0.42%. Participants now have a clearer, lower-cost menu, and the owners have a documented process for reviewing it going forward. With the pension reactivated, 92% of the benefits are directed to the owners.

The examples provided are for illustrative purposes only and are based on specific circumstances. Results will vary and no representation is being made that any client will achieve similar outcomes. Past results are not indicative of future outcomes.

OWNER EXAMPLE

How a plan review helped a family-owned apparel manufacturer lower costs and put its pension to work.

‍

The challenge

The owners of a family-owned apparel manufacturer had offered a 401(k) plan for years without looking closely at what it cost. A plan review showed total fees of 1.3%, and several funds on the menu no longer met the plan’s own review criteria. Alongside it sat a frozen pension plan that was costing about $9,000 a year while providing no benefit to the owners or the business.

‍

Our solution

We began with a full review of the plan’s fees, investment menu, and documented review process. We helped the owners simplify the lineup from a bloated menu to 24 lower-cost investment options, each measured against the plan’s own criteria.
We also evaluated the frozen pension and recommended reactivating it, so it could serve the owners’ retirement goals instead of sitting idle.

‍

The result

Plan fees fell by 0.88%, from 1.3% to about 0.42%. Participants now have a clearer, lower-cost menu, and the owners have a documented process for reviewing it going forward. With the pension reactivated, 92% of the benefits are directed to the owners.

The examples provided are for illustrative purposes only and are based on specific circumstances. Results will vary and no representation is being made that any client will achieve similar outcomes. Past results are not indicative of future outcomes.

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Edward Zang

Edward Zang

Director of Research and Analysis

Edward is the Director of Investment Strategy for New York City based Fortis Lux Asset Management. As of 2025, he oversees more than $2 billion in multi-asset class investment portfolios. He has 25+ years of wealth management experience, beginning in 1999 with Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in Greenwich, CT.

Edward operated his own wealth management outfit in New York which he ran until 2011 prior to joining MetLife Premier Client Group (now Fortis Lux Financial. He is committed to offering the highest level of investment techniques and investment research; his extensive knowledge of investing allows him to provide complex strategies and comprehensive portfolio management suitable for high net worth investors. The approach he uses for investment research and risk assessment utilizes a combination of fundamental and technical analysis.

In 2016, MetLife Premier Client Group was acquired by MassMutual, and Hudson Wealth Advisors was merged into Fortis Lux Financial.

Edward is a BSME graduate of Lehigh University, class of 1996.

Samuel Gordon

Samuel Gordon

Research Analyst

Sam Gordon is a Research Analyst with Fortis Lux Financial, based in New York City. He specializes in portfolio construction, tactical asset allocation, investment product selection, and trading. For the last decade, Sam has helped advisors and their clients better understand their current investment positioning and capitalize on ever-changing market opportunities.

Sam began his career at a boutique equity research firm, analyzing individual company fundamentals to advise on the construction of institutional portfolios. He moved into personal wealth management in 2020, leveraging those security-level analytical tools to help financial advisors build goal-oriented strategies for their clients. He holds a B.S. in Finance and in Marketing from Lehigh University (class of 2015), maintains Series 7 and 66 licenses, and is currently pursuing his CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation. Based in Brooklyn with his wife Emily, Sam enjoys adventurous travel, golfing, cooking, and historical documentaries.

Lisa Fischetti

Lisa Fischetti

Director of Relationship Management

Lisa began her career External Wholesaling to Financial Advisors within Financial Institutions at AIG SunAmerica, She has continually progressed in her career to National Sales positions of greater scope and responsibility, from AIG National Accounts, to Wells Fargo Advisors where she covered Bank, Wire and Independent Channel Relationships for the National Sales Group. Most recently, Lisa represented the MetLife Securities Broker-Dealer covering the MetLife PCG Advisors Channel which was later acquired by MassMutual. Lisa continues her work in national sales, previously represented MetLife Securities covering the MetLife Advisors Channel, which was later acquired by MassMutual.

Lisa offers a blend of financial services multi-channel wholesaling and relationship management. Her strong sales experience and sales management expertise have been valuable to her success in penetrating target markets, generating additional sources of revenue, and forming strategic relationships.

Stephen Cohen

Stephen Cohen

Executive Vice President

Stephen graduated from Pace Law School in 1985. He practiced law in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Business Planning.

He entered the Financial Services industry in 1988 and became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner in 1991. He was a founding partner of Hudson Wealth Advisors, an office of MetLife, whose focus was to help clients accumulate and preserve their wealth. In 2016, the MetLife Premier Client Group (MPCG) was acquired by MassMutual, and Hudson Wealth Advisors was merged into Fortis Lux Financial.

Stephen specializes in working with small businesses assisting them with their employee health and group benefits, as well as, retirement planning and financial planning. His extensive

experience in this field has resulted in an expertise with closely held companies and the planning associated with their owners and officers.

Stephen is a member and participates in a leadership role in NAIFA (National Association for Financial Advisors).

Stephen resides in Katonah, NY with his wife, Carrie and his three children, Brandon, Aaron and Leah.

* Licensed but not practicing.


Ronnie Don

Ronnie Don

Financial Advisor

For more than 20 years, Ronnie has built her financial advisory practice one relationship at a time. Many of the clients she works with today have been with her for years, giving her the opportunity to support them through different stages of life, from career and family changes to business decisions, retirement, and planning for the next generation.

That long term perspective shapes the way Ronnie works. She takes the time to know her clients, understand what matters to them, and help them navigate important financial decisions as their lives evolve. Over the years, many of those relationships have grown beyond the traditional advisor client relationship and developed into long-standing personal and professional connections.  

Ronnie works with individuals, families, and business owners, bringing together financial planning, wealth management, investment and portfolio strategies, retirement planning, and insurance solutions. Her approach is personal and practical, with strategies tailored to each client’s priorities, circumstances, and long-term goals.

Ronnie began her career with Penn Mutual at PPG before joining MetLife Premier Client Group and later becoming part of Hudson Wealth Advisors, which joined Fortis Lux Financial in 2016. While her practice has grown and evolved over the years, her approach has remained the same: stay close to her clients, understand what they need, and be someone they know they can call when an important financial decision comes up. Today, she also collaborates with colleagues and draws on the broader planning, investment, and financial resources available through Fortis Lux Financial.

For Ronnie, success is not simply about reaching a financial milestone. It is about building relationships that serving as are source for clients and their families through the years.

Ronnie lives on the Upper West Side of New York City withher husband and two daughters.

‍

Nilay Patel

Nilay Patel

Investment Registered Representative

In 2014, Nilay Patel began his financial services career with First Investors, which is now known as Foresters Financial. He started out building a business by doing seminars for baby boomers by showing them a savvy way to build a retirement income stream incorporated with social security. Nilay enjoys helping others accomplish their financial goals and be able to find comfort in their golden years knowing that it’s possible to get there with a plan in place. By joining Fortis Lux, Nilay is excited to continue to formulate the financial goals and objectives of his clients and their families to the best of his ability.

Nilay’s passion remains the same regarding the service he provides to his clients. His goal is to leverage the tools available at Fortis Lux while using a holistic planning approach to enhance the client experience throughout their financial journey.

Nilay enjoys coaching a youth baseball travel team during the summers and traveling with his wife Carli exploring new places.

Nilay graduated from St Johns University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. He resides in Rockland County, NY with his wife Carli.

Michael Luftman

Michael Luftman

EVP, Head of Wealth Management

Michael Luftman brings nearly three decades of experience to the individuals and families he serves. He began his career in 1997 in PaineWebber's Investment Banking Program, then built his practice as a financial planner with Scher Financial Group, a MetLife office, before founding Hudson Wealth Advisors. In 2016, following MassMutual's acquisition of the MetLife Premier Client Group, he merged Hudson Wealth Advisors into Fortis Lux Financial, where he now leads the wealth management practice.

Michael is committed to building long-term relationships, and helping clients reach their goals is his first priority. He focuses on wealth management and investment strategy, protection, and retirement planning, drawing on deep experience and world-class planning tools to help each client build lasting financial freedom.

EDUCATION

  • B.S. in Finance, Pennsylvania State University
  • International Finance and Taxation, University of Seville, Spain

DESIGNATIONS

  • ChFC®, Chartered Financial Consultant
  • CASL®, Chartered Advisor for Senior Living

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP & HONORS

  • Fidelity Advisory Council, Member (2001 to present)
  • BlackRock Masters Club, Member (2007 to present)
  • MetLife Securities Advisory Board, Member (2004 to 2016)
  • Professional memberships: NAIFA, FPA, and IAFP; former advisor, NFL Financial Advisory Program

COMMUNITY

Outside the office, Michael coaches two baseball teams in his community and runs 5K races alongside his children to support veterans' and cancer charities. He mentors through the Veterans Association and is an avid reader of military history, including non-fiction on the Navy SEALs and Special Forces.

Ken Weiss

Ken Weiss

Financial Planner

Ken Weiss began his career in 1988 working in a diversified family business, where his responsibilities included managing an investment portfolio consisting of equities, real estate and other income-producing assets in the US and Asia, as well as its international manufacturing operations.

With a focus on retirement planning and a commitment to long-term asset preservation and accumulation, Ken embarked on a career in wealth management in 2002 at Hudson Wealth Advisors, an office of MetLife. He specializes in helping professionals and their families achieve their financial goals, providing them with tax-efficient solutions to build and preserve multi-generational wealth. In 2016, Hudson Wealth Advisors was merged into Fortis Lux Financial.

Ken earned a BA degree from Boston College in 1984 and a JD from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 1988 and obtained his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification in 2013.

He is a member of the Financial Planning Association and Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law’s Dean’s Council.  Ken is also a Founding Member and investor in SPiN Global, a world-class table tennis and social club located in New York City and in other major cities in the U.S. and Canada.

CRN202502-1757606

* Licensed but not practicing.

Domiciled in NY.

‍

Jason Klein

Jason Klein

Financial Planner

Jason Klein, CFP® began his career in the financial services industry in 1998 as a Financial Advisor for Morgan Stanley. He spent four years working at Merrill Lynch, where he designed financial plans for high net worth individuals, corporate clients, as well as professional athletes and entertainers. Jason worked as the Director of Financial Planning for the Cowan Financial Group from 2003 until 2007. He became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional in 2005.

Jason joined the MetLife Financial Group of New York in 2007 as its Advanced Markets Consultant and Financial Planning Director. He transitioned into the role of Director of Strategic Planning for Hudson Wealth Advisors in 2013. Jason utilizes his extensive knowledge as well as advanced planning tools to create comprehensive and focused financial plans for their clients. These financial plans include retirement analysis, business and employee benefits, financial position, wealth accumulation, estate planning, and protection planning. He is committed to helping clients organize their financial lives and putting them on the right path towards realizing their financial goals.

In 2016, MetLife Premier Client Group was acquired by MassMutual and Hudson Wealth Advisors was merged into Fortis Lux Financial.

Jason lives in Mamaroneck, NY with his wife Heather, daughter Molly, and son Ian.

Domiciled in NY.

Edward Kovac

Edward Kovac

Investment Advisor Representative

Edward has been working in the financial services industry since 1996, and is currently an Investment Advisor Representative with Fortis Lux Financial. He’s committed to helping his clients through the many stages of life by determining the most appropriate strategy for every unique situation. He always strives to deliver the highest quality of service, while also making sure the end goals are being met. His areas of expertise include: retirement income strategies, wealth accumulation and estate planning.

Edward holds FINRA licenses series 7 and 63 along with Life, Accident and Health Insurance licenses in New York.

Edward currently resides in Pound Ridge, New York with his wife and son.

Brandon Cohen

Brandon Cohen

Financial Services Representative

Brandon Cohen graduated from Cornell in 2013 with a dual major in Economics and History. Upon graduation, he worked as an analyst for Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch.

Specializing in blending wealth management and protection planning strategies, he joined Hudson Wealth Advisors in 2015 to help his clients achieve their financial goals. In 2016, Hudson Wealth Advisors and MetLife Premier Client Group were merged into Fortis Lux Financial.

Brandon lives in New York City and is an active member of both the NY Historical Society as well as the Cornell Club. He enjoys travelling, reading, and staying active during his free time.