James Appel
James Appel, CFP® Associate Vice President, Investments

Jim believes every client deserves a personal and comprehensive planning approach for prioritizing and pursuing their financial goals. He considers it imperative that the financial advisor they choose to work with has the experience, knowledge, and empathy for understanding and addressing their needs.

Jim's experience in the venture capital and investment arenas, combined with his qualification as a Certified Financial Planner™ professional, provides him with a well-rounded background that helps him address virtually any financial situation his clients may encounter. “The pillar of success is the combination of education, experience and longevity, along with an ability to understand my clients’ desires and goals,” Jim says. “These skills allow me to help my clients navigate the financial maze and guide them through the development and implementation of a truly custom financial plan.”

Jim has more than 38 years of experience in the financial services industry. He joined Raymond James in 2007 and transitioned to Cohen Financial Management in 2016. Previously in his career, he managed multiple offices for Morgan Stanley, where he also served as a financial advisor and coordinated the firm’s equity offerings.

Earlier, Jim held a management position and served as a financial advisor at A.G. Edwards. He has Series 7, 63, 65, 9 and 10 securities licenses. He is a graduate of the Wharton School’s investment consultant program and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Colorado College.

Jim is originally from Minneapolis and today lives in Sarasota, Florida with his wife, Kathleen. They are foodies who are constantly exploring new recipes, restaurants, and specialty food stores. Kathleen is a professionally trained chef who tests recipes for America’s Test Kitchen and Cooks Illustrated.

Their favorite vacation spot is Charlevoix, Michigan, but they also enjoy exploring other cities, such as Memphis, Tennessee, Nashville, Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia, to seek out and experience the foods indigenous to each area. On the international front, they have enjoyed frequent and memorable trips to Italy and France.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, Certified Financial Planner,  CFP Logo Flame Design and  CFP Logo Plaque Design in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Raymond James is not affiliated with the above organizations and/or charitable causes.