You've worked hard to build something meaningful. Now let's make sure it's ready to work for you.
I help business owners and pre-retirees turn financial complexity into a clear, coordinated plan, so you can retire with confidence and leave a legacy worth leaving.
I work most closely with owners who are still the engine of a practice or business they’ve spent years building, and with the families and pre-retirees around them who need more than investment management.
As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) and former pastor, I bring both the credentials and the calling to guide you through the decisions that matter most. I serve clients locally in the Harrisburg area and across 17 states virtually.
→ Book your complimentary 60-minute intro call. No cost. No pressure. Just clarity.
Who I Serve
I lead with one focus and serve the families and pre-retirees around it.
The business owner (my focus). You’ve built a professional or medical practice, or a business, that runs on you. It’s your life’s work and, quietly, your retirement plan, and no one has ever told you what it’s actually worth or whether you can afford to stop. You don’t need another product pitch. You need someone who can connect what you’ve built to whether you can walk away on your terms.
The pre-retiree. You’re within roughly 10 years of retirement and you want to know: Am I on track? What do I do about taxes? How do I turn what I’ve saved into income that lasts? Maybe there’s a pension decision you can only make once and can’t take back.
The planning family. You’re balancing retirement savings, college funding, aging parents, and estate planning all at once, and you need someone to help you see the whole picture, not just one piece of it.
What these clients share: they want advice, not just products, and a relationship, not just a transaction.
The Problem I Solve
Most people near retirement have the pieces. What they're missing is the plan.
You have a 401(k). Maybe a brokerage account. Life insurance. A business. Real estate. A college-bound kid. And a vague feeling that it doesn't all fit together yet.
You've worked with people who sell products. What you need now is someone who thinks in plans — who can look across all of it, ask the hard questions, and help you see clearly what's working, what's not, and what needs to change before it's too late to change it.
That's what I do.
Business Owner Exit Planning
For business owners: your exit is the biggest financial event of your life. Are you ready?
Most business owners have 80–90% of their net worth tied up in their business — but fewer than 20% have a written exit plan (Walking to Destiny by Christopher M. Snider). That's not a criticism. It's just the reality of building something every day without time to step back and plan for what comes after.
As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), I work with business owners years before a transition or sale to help you:
- Understand what your business is actually worth: Not the number you hope for — the number a buyer would pay, and why.
- Identify and close the gaps before they cost you: Value gaps, owner dependency, key-man risk, succession blind spots.
- Align your business exit with your personal financial goals: So, when the day comes, you walk away with what you need — not less.
- Coordinate with your CPA, attorney, and other advisors: Exit planning is a team sport. I help bring the right people to the right table
Thinking about selling or transitioning your business?
→Start with a complimentary Business Exit Readiness conversation.
How I Work - The Process
Here's what working together looks like from the first conversation:
We meet — no cost, no obligation: A 60-minute conversation to understand where you are, where you want to go, and whether I'm the right person to help you get there.
We build your plan together: I look across your full financial picture — retirement income, taxes, insurance, estate, college funding, business value — and we create a coordinated plan, not a stack of products.
We stay in it together: Life changes. Plans should too. I stay actively engaged with you as your circumstances evolve — retirement, business transition, family shifts, market changes.
College Planning
College planning: don't assume you make too much to get help.
As a Certified College Planning Specialist (CCPS®), I help families with high school-aged children understand their real options — including strategies most families never hear about because no one took the time to explain them.
Whether your child is two years away or five, earlier planning means more options and fewer surprises. Let's find out what your family's situation actually looks like.
Get your free College Money Report
→A personalized snapshot of your college funding picture.
About Ray Stark
I didn't start in finance. I started in people.
For over two decades, I served as a pastor in the Church of the Nazarene including planting a church from scratch and building it into a thriving congregation — walking alongside families in their hardest seasons, and learning that the most important conversations are the ones most people keep putting off.
When my wife and I relocated to Harrisburg to be closer to family, I made a career change that turned out to be a natural one. The work of a financial advisor — at its best — looks a lot like the work of a pastor: sitting with people in the middle of uncertainty, helping them see clearly, and guiding them toward wise decisions that honor their values and protect their families.
I've been a financial advisor since 2017. I lead Thrivent – Choice Financial Group in Harrisburg. I hold the CEPA (Certified Exit Planning Advisor) and CCPS® (Certified College Planning Specialist) designations. But more than credentials, I bring a genuine calling to this work — a belief that money is a tool, and that used wisely, it can fund a life that matters.
"I believe every family deserves a clear financial plan that reflects their values, protects what they've built, and opens the door to a future they can actually look forward to."
For Referral Partners
Do you work with pre-retirees or business owners?
If you're a CPA, attorney, business consultant, or other professional advisor serving clients who are navigating major financial transitions, I'd welcome a conversation about how we can serve your clients together.
My planning-led approach, CEPA credential, and long-term client relationships make me a resource — not a competitor — to the professional advisors already in your clients' lives. I'm not here to replace anyone. I'm here to make sure the pieces fit.
Let's talk about how we can work together.
→A 20-minute call is all it takes to explore the fit.
The best time to get a plan was years ago. The second best time is now.
You don't need to have everything figured out before we talk. In fact, most people who call me say, "I wish I'd done this sooner." All you need is a willingness to look clearly at where you are — and a desire to move forward with confidence.
Book your complimentary intro call with Ray.
No cost. No pressure. Just clarity.
Education & Accomplishments
- CEPA® (Certified Exit Planning Advisor)
- CCPS® (Certified College Planning Specialist™)
- FINRA Series 7 General Securities Representative
- FINRA Series 66 Uniform Combined State Law
- Life & Health Insurance Licenses
- M. Div., Nazarene Theological Seminary
- B.A., Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Meet My Team
