About Us

Robert Giarraffa

Portfolio Manager

Robert Giarraffa attended St. John's University in Queens, NY, graduating in 1968 with a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry. He began his career in the pharmaceutical industry, where he worked for 15 years. Bob was concurrently a member of the Army National Guard, from 1969 to 1976. He went on to attend Fairleigh Dickinson University, graduating in 1976 with an MBA in Finance.

Bob began his career in the financial industry as a Financial Advisor in 1978. In 1982, he went on to found what is now known as New Horizons Wealth Management and is an OSJ Principal with TFS Securities, Inc. in Lincroft, NJ. He created Backdoor Budgeting^SM in 1993, a Federally Registered method used to analyze cash flow. Bob currently maintains his FINRA Series 1, 7, 24, 64, and 66 registrations.

Bob's portfolio manager experience extends back to 1996, and has been the Lead Portfolio Manager for the Buy/Hold Plus Models since their inception in 2006. Bob's responsibilities include fund selection reviews, allocation analysis, portfolio model development, correlation assessment, and anything additionally related to the ongoing management of the investment portfolios.

Joseph P. Okaly

Co-Portfolio Manager

Joe graduated with honors from The College of New Jersey where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Finance. He has been working in the financial advising and investing field since 2007. Joe has served as a financial advisor and marketing associate for New Horizons Wealth Management, and has grown into a valued member of the Buy/Hold Plus team. Joe currently maintains his FINRA Series 7 and 66 licenses. His responsibilities include assisting the lead portfolio manager, Robert Giarraffa, in fund selection reviews, allocation analysis, and portfolio model development.

Tara Recupido

Marketing Director

Tara attended the University of Delaware and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Consumer Economics and Italian. Tara has experience in both the operational and marketing components of the Buy/Hold Plus program, previously working for three years in the operational side. During this time she handled the daily operations, as well as led two major conversions of custodians and portfolio management systems. Tara currently maintains her FINRA Series 7 and 66 licenses. Her wide-ranging experience has provided her with a thorough understanding of the program from multiple angles, allowing her to provide valuable insight to investment advisor representatives and their team members. In addition to acting as the main contact for advisors, Tara's responsibilities include the development, updating, and maintenance of all marketing resources.

Thomas P. Hyland

President of TFS Securities Inc.

Tom Hyland attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ on a full academic scholarship, graduating Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication and English. He began his career in financial services in 1986 with McLaughlin, Piven, Vogel, Inc. on Wall Street, rising to the position of Vice President. Tom left the firm to launch his own independent financial planning practice, which he has maintained since 1987.

Also in 1987, Tom founded TFS Securities, Inc., and later spearheaded the creation of the company's Registered Investment Advisor branch, which maintains the Buy/Hold Plus portfolio models. Tom currently maintains his FINRA Series, 7, 24, 27, 53, 63, 65, and 79 registrations, along with various other industry licenses and designations. Tom is a vital member of the Buy/Hold Plus team and is involved in maintaining and establishing new relationships with investment advisor representatives, identifying new channels for program growth, and ensuring superior program quality through conjunctive efforts across all program departments.

Jennette Fraler

Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer

Jennette handles the daily operations and is the primary liaison to Pershing, which serves as the clearing and brokerage platform partner. Overseeing the opening of accounts, trading, asset movement, and account reviews, Jennette is the primary contact for all things related to the brokerage, custody, and trading operations. Jennette currently maintains her FINRA Series 4, 7, 24, 27, 53, and 63 registrations. Jennette's in-depth knowledge and complete understanding of the brokerage and trading platform's functionality make her an extremely valuable asset to Buy/Hold Plus.