Before starting LifeGoal, our founders held leadership roles at some of Wall Street’s largest and most respected firms — including BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, Legg Mason, Lord Abbett, and Schroders (the largest asset manager in the UK).
They learned portfolio construction at the highest level, watching the build out of trillions of dollars in ETFs, mutual funds, and hedge funds— the very products purchased by everyday investors.
In their roles, they traveled the country and worked with thousands of financial advisors. This gives them a unique advantage today: they were able to cherry-pick the most effective financial planning, investment, and tax mitigation strategies in the industry. Just as importantly, they saw firsthand the costly mistakes advisors make—and built LifeGoal to avoid them entirely.
Thank you—sincerely—for considering becoming a client of LifeGoal Investments.
(Although, we don’t really call you a “client”… we prefer Partner.)
Education: Iona University (BA & MBA, Finance, Magna Cum Laude).
Work History:
Early Days: Taylor grew up with modest roots in a one red light town in Upstate NY. He’s from a large extended family where sports, music, and community were everything. Taylor’s mother was a statistics professor- so the emphasis on numbers and analysis was instilled at a very young age.
Now: Taylor has an awesome wife, two daughters, a son, and a dog named Cuse. He and his family spend their weekends outdoors playing sports and listening to music with friends and family.
Fun Fact: Taylor’s first job as a kid was picking blueberries on the family farm- at the ripe old age of 7 years old.
Giving Back: Taylor and his two siblings sponsor a college scholarship each year to the student from their home town that’s shown the most grit and tenacity in sports, as well as the classroom.
Certifications:
Education: Iona University (BA, MBA).
Work History:
Firms: Legg Mason, BlackRock iShares, Schroders London, Hartford Funds
Early Days: Brett, who is brothers with Taylor, and grew up in the same blue collar, one redlight town in Upstate NY.
Now: Brett has an awesome wife, two daughters, and a son. He and his family spend their weekends hiking mountains and snowboarding back down them.
Fun Fact: Brett was a captain on the football team and holds the record for the most kick return yards in a career at Iona University.
Giving Back: Brett and his two siblings sponsor a college scholarship each year to the student from their home town that’s shown the most grit and tenacity in sports, as well as the classroom.
Early Life: Boston-born, Nick spent most of his formative years in Parker, Colorado. When he wasn’t on the football or baseball field, he embraced the great outdoors—skiing, hiking, and camping with family and friends.
Now: Nick lives in Clifton Park, NY with his wife, two daughters, and their many rescue animals.
Fun Fact: Nick played both Division I football and baseball at Iona University. He also once earned a college scholarship after his team took second place in a statewide burrito-eating competition sponsored by Qdoba.
Giving Back: Nick and his wife are passionate supporters of animal rescue organizations, contributing to causes both locally and across the country.
Certifications:
Education: Utica College- Bachelors of Science in Business, Economics & Finance- Minor in Risk Management & Insurance - Concentration in Financial Planning
Work history:
Early days: Max grew up in a small farm town in Upstate New York where hunting, fishing & sports were a staple. Graduating high school from Delaware Academy, he went to multiple New York State Section finals for both basketball and golf. He went on to pursue academics and athletics at Utica College where he was a member of the College Golf team.
Now: Max has a girlfriend and a silly German Shepherd at home, and they all love to spend time outdoors. In his free time, Max continues to be an avid hunter and fisherman and competes often in Archery tournaments.
Fun Fact: Max once made a half court shot during halftime at an Orlando Magic NBA game for $5,000.
Certifications:
Education: Siena College, BA
Early Days: Evan was born and raised in Upstate New York alongside his 3 siblings. His upbringing in a tight-knit community helped him build lifelong relationships, instilling a sense of responsibility and shared values since a young age.
Now: Evan recently graduated from Siena College with a 3.93 GPA, where he developed a strong foundation in finance - thriving in courses like Derivative Securities, Fixed Income Securities, and Risk Management. His passion for analytical thinking inspired him to further sharpen his investment expertise as a CFA Candidate. Outside of work, you can find Evan on the golf course, in his backyard, spending time with his family and friends, or out on a trail walking his dog.
Fun Fact: Evan manages and plays on an adult league soccer team with his old high school teammates during the summer.
Tal Daley has over 35 years of investment industry experience. Before retiring in 2016, Tal held senior positions at Legg Mason and its affiliates. He began his career as a financial advisor in 1984 and by 1986 was promoted to Assistant Branch manager. In 1987 Tal was named Chief Market Strategist of Legg Mason’s research department.
In 1991 Tal was asked to lead the development of the mutual fund distribution effort for Legg Mason’s growing mutual fund family. His management responsibilities included the marketing, sales, operations, and technology platforms. He also managed the direct sales operation of the Legg Mason Funds. Importantly, Tal believed that sales of Legg Mason’s mutual funds should be based on economic and investment conditions, not how “hot” a fund was at any given time. Tal created the Intellectual Capital Group within LM Funds Marketing to provide advisors a research-based rationale for considering Legg Mason’s funds.
Tal moved to Legg Mason’s affiliate, Legg Mason Capital Management, in 2007 as the head of the Investment Specialist Group, working directly with advisors and wholesalers. In 2012 Legg Mason Capital Management was absorbed by another Legg Mason affiliate, ClearBridge Investments, where Tal became the Managing Director and Senior Investment Specialist.
Throughout Tal’s career, he has believed that investment decisions should be based on the intersection of economics, markets, policy, and behavior. This is a more complex investment decision-making process, but Tal believes it can lead to better long-term outcomes.
