Alp A. Atabek, AIF®, CPA*
Founder & Managing Partner
alpa@afsfinancialgroup.com
Although he was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Alp considers himself a local product, as he moved to Maryland when he was two years old and has been a proud Marylander ever since. Alp grew up in Silver Spring, attended Springbrook High School, and graduated from Catholic University with a B.A. in Accounting.
After graduating from Catholic in 1983, he immediately passed the CPA exam and opened a firm that focused on tax preparation and small business accounting in 1984. As luck would have it, Alp sublet office space from a prominent Bethesda financial planning firm; in hindsight, a decision that dramatically impacted his career. He came to enjoy the financial planning environment so much that in 1988, he began offering his clients financial planning and investment management services to complement his tax and accounting practice.
In 2000, he decided to sell his CPA practice to focus 100% of his efforts on helping clients with their financial planning and investment management needs. With his tax practice, Alp felt he was always working on his clients’ pasts, whereas through his financial and investment planning services, he was able to help plan people’s futures and really make an impact in their lives. Over the course of 35+ years, Alp has developed lasting partnerships with his clients, often spanning generations in families. Alp enjoys reflecting with clients on how he opened their first IRAs in the 1980s and is now guiding them through tax-optimized retirement income planning strategies for their golden years.
As of December 2023, Alp and his team joined Trusted Capital Group (TCG) Advisors, a HUB International Company, to enhance its Retirement and Private Wealth presence in the Mid-Atlantic region. Prior to joining TCG’s team, Alp was recognized as a Leader’s and Chairman’s Level Advisor within Commonwealth Financial Network, distinctions attained by the top 3% of affiliated advisors, for over 30 years. Alp often hears clients say how much they look forward to retirement, and he quips he must be blessed because he continues to love coming to work every day, eager to get the day started after his lengthy four-minute walk to the office.
Outside of work, Alp cherishes his time with his wife and high school sweetheart, Karen, their two daughters, Natalie and Casey, and their Atabek coterie of dogs. Alp is an avid cyclist who frequents the Capital Crescent Trail and the Eastern Shore near St. Michaels, MD, where he also owns a home and enjoys spending time with his family.
As an Investment Advisor Representative with Commonwealth Financial Network, Alp previously held the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Series 7, Series 63, and Series 66 Securities Registrations. Currently, he holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) professional designation awarded by the Center for Fiduciary Studies and the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license (inactive). Alp received a B.A. in Accounting from the Catholic University of America.
*inactive