John Zinaich, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, AIF®
John began his career in financial services back in 1990, immediately after graduating college. After gaining experience with a very large insurance company, a very large brokerage house/investment bank, and a small community bank, he knew that the only way he could truly serve the best interests of his clients was to become an independent financial planner. In 2005, he did just that.
Being independent, he is not beholden to any one product or service, and can offer his private clientele the best investment offerings and services as viewed through a fiduciary lens.
Service and sage advice are the cornerstones upon which Zinaich Capital and Risk Management was founded, and as the name implies, the firm specializes in the management of wealth, with a focus on mitigating the risk that can erode that wealth over time.
Tracy Zinaich, Director Of Operations
Tracy started with Zinaich Capital & Risk Management in August 2022. Prior to that, Tracy worked in the Property & Casualty industry for 31 years handling the larger and more complex bodily injury claims. During her time there, Tracy handled a specific claim that set precedent in the state of Maryland and received numerous compliments for her prompt, friendly, and knowledgeable customer service. Because of her experience, she was also a reliable resource to her coworkers.
During high school, Tracy was Pennsylvania state champion in Cross County and Track and Field and was ranked 19th in the nation at Kinney Nationals. Tracy furthered her running career at Arizona State University for one year before transferring to the University of Maryland for her remaining 3-year period. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland.
At Zinaich Capital & Risk Management, Tracy is primarily responsible for the servicing paperwork associated with client accounts, maintaining the firm’s schedule, working with Cheryl on new relationship onboarding, making certain that all requested client transactions get completed, and keeping the client relationships up to date on all processing matters.
In her time away from work, Tracy enjoys keeping in touch with her four very active adult children, traveling to visit with them, walking, watching sports both in person and on television, and volunteering in the nursery at church.
Cheryl Forster, Professional Administrator
Cheryl Anne started with Zinaich Capital and Risk Management in August 2012. She left in April 2017, to pursue other options and returned in July 2020.
Cheryl Anne has a Bachelor’s in History from Mary Washington College (now University of Mary Washington) and a Paralegal Certificate from Frederick Community College.
In her role as Professional Administrator, Cheryl Anne maintains the client and firm files in SharePoint, prepares and reviews account paperwork for, and with, clients; tracks accounts to make sure transactions, such as funding, contributions and distributions are accurate; and acts as liaison between John and our clients and money managers. In her time away from work, Cheryl Anne enjoys reading, crocheting, and spending time with her friends, and her son, Bradley. She lives in Myersville, MD.
Investment Committee
PETER MURPHY, CFA® President & Chief Investment Officer
Pete joined Founders Financial in 2012, was named President of Freedom Capital Management Strategies® (FCMS), the firm’s innovative investment management platform, in 2014, and has served as the firm’s Chief Investment Officer since 2016.
He leads the FCMS investment team and oversees the investment strategies available through FCMS. He is also responsible for leading the platform’s strategic growth and development initiatives. Pete’s forward-looking and unique perspective is what makes FCMS a force to be reckoned with in the industry. Pete brings over fifteen years of investment experience to the team.
Prior to joining Founders Financial, he was a member of the Investment Team of the University of Notre Dame Investment Office, which is responsible for overseeing investments in the University’s endowment fund. Pete earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Notre Dame and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.
Brian Zabora, CFA® Investment Director
Brian joined Founders Financial in 2021 and serves as an Investment Director for FCMS. In this role, he oversees our institutional investment process, which includes global macroeconomic and capital markets research, asset allocation, portfolio construction, and fund manager due diligence. Brian is also responsible for strategic research and development projects as we continually seek to deliver innovative investment solutions through FCMS.
Brian brings over 25 years of investment experience to the team primarily focused on institutional equity research at several prominent firms, including: Legg Mason, Credit Suisse, Stifel Financial, and Hovde Group. He most recently served as the Director of Investment Management at a wealth management firm in Baltimore. Brian earned his Master and Bachelor of Business Administration from Loyola University Maryland and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.
Tyler French Investment Analyst
Tyler joined Founders Financial in 2023 as an Investment Analyst for FCMS. In this role, he is responsible for implementing our investment process with a focus on research, due diligence, portfolio analysis, and trading. Tyler also plays a key role in our communication and advisor engagement initiatives and seeks to make an impact via his infectious energy, thirst for knowledge, and analytical rigor.
Prior to joining Founders, Tyler worked as an Investment Performance Analyst at StepStone Group. He earned his Bachelor’s in Finance from the University of Maryland, College Park and is currently pursuing the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.