G. Carl Mahler, Jr., CFP^®

President, Pinnacle Group

Carl founded The Pinnacle Group in 1985. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with Raymond James, he helps individuals achieve, manage and maintain wealth through comprehensive planning, bringing more than 43 years of experience to the team. He serves a limited number of families, forming long-term, personal relationships with each of his clients by assisting them in the various financial elements of life planning – everything from developing investment strategies, retirement planning, and saving for children’s or grandchildren’s educations to coordinating strategies to help minimize income and estate taxes.

Carl’s goal is to provide every client confidence that the most effective strategies available are being employed for them, and that new strategies and tactics are continually reviewed. As their financial point-person, he presents clients pertinent information to help them make informed decisions.

Prior to his financial career, Carl spent six years as a medic in the U.S. Army Reserve during the Vietnam conflict. In 1969, he began working in the life insurance industry and, after three successful years, was offered a financial planning position with FDI Financial Corporation. He opened the Richmond office for FDI, a firm that was later recognized as the first financial planning firm in the East. When FDI disbanded in 1980, Carl helped create Commonwealth Equity Corporation with several of his former partners. After five years, he left to form The Pinnacle Group.

Previously, Carl has served on the local boards for both the Institute of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERs (ICFP) and the International Association for Financial Planning (IAFP). These boards were the predecessors to the Financial Planning Association (FPA). In 1987, Carl became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional through this organization. He has also been a board member and executive committee member of the Virginia Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organization granting wishes to children with life-threatening diseases.

For six years, Carl hosted a live, weekly financial talk show called, MONEYWISE on WRVA radio in Richmond, which was heard up and down the East Coast. Carl is currently recognized among the top 1% of personal financial advisors nationwide who are affiliated with Raymond James Financial Services. For the past seven years Carl has been named to the firm’s Chairman’s Council* in recognition of outstanding client service and exemplary professional growth. Carl has also been listed as one of Barron's 2010 Top 1000 Advisors in America. In the June 2008 issue of Virginia Business magazine, he was listed among the top 50 wealth advisors in the state of Virginia.

Carl has lived in Chesterfield County for over 40 years, and currently resides in Midlothian with his wife, Wanda. A huge fitness buff, he finally traded in marathons for daily neighborhood jogs, is an avid golfer and enjoys traveling. Most weekends, you can find him at the Porsche Racing Club or attending one of his grandchildren's sporting events.