Stu Malakoff,
CFP®, CDFA®, CPFA®, CRPC®, PWA, CWS® President CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®PRIVATE WEALTH ADVISOR
Stu brings more than 35 years of experience to his role as a financial advisor, combining deep industry knowledge with an unwavering commitment to his clients. While he stays current on market trends, Stu believes there is no substitute for long-term experience in wealth planning and financial markets when making well-informed decisions that align with each client’s goals.
He has been a Certified Financial Planner® professional since 2005 and also holds designations as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor, Certified Wealth Strategist, and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠, credentials that reflect his dedication to continuous learning and exceptional client service.
Stu has also earned the Private Wealth Advisor designation from Raymond James. This designation reflects his experience in managing the financial concerns of families, individuals and organizations of significant wealth, and his mastery of methods and resources necessary to support their expansive financial interests.
Before joining Raymond James in 2020, Stu spent nearly two decades with Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch. He earned his economics degree from the University of Rochester and an MBA with honors from Columbia Business School. Earlier in his career, he specialized in corporate banking for major media and telecom companies.
Stu is passionate about improving lives through community service. He has served on several nonprofit boards, including Friends of the Children Central Oregon, where he was Board Chair for three years and now serves as Board Member Emeritus. Previously, he was President of the Princeton Elks Charitable Trust.
Stu and his wife, Vicky, relocated from Hopewell, New Jersey to Bend, Oregon in 2018 to be closer to family. They have three grown children, Schuyler, Aubrey, and Teagan. Outside of work, Stu enjoys traveling, hiking, photography, and playing bass and guitar.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, Certified Financial Planner®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization's initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
Private Wealth Advisor is a designation awarded by Raymond James to financial advisors who have demonstrated mastery in anticipating and managing the expansive financial needs of high-net-worth individuals, families and organizations.
The Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors 2026 ranking, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, mostly gained through telephone and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. This ranking is based upon the period from 6/30/2024 to 6/30/2025 and was released on 4/7/2026. Those advisors that are considered have a minimum of seven years of experience, and the algorithm weighs factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their practices and approach to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Out of approximately 52,043 nominations, roughly 11,302 advisors received the award. This ranking is not indicative of an advisor's future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients' experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Compensation provided for using the rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please visit https://www.forbes.com/best-in-state-wealth-advisors/ for more info.