Michael Lehman is the CEO and Founding Partner of Premier Path Wealth Partners. Before launching Premier Path, Michael ran an advisory group at Merrill Lynch for 12 years and at Wells Fargo before that. Michael brings over 25 years of comprehensive experience to the firm and has developed a unique perspective in working with families, business owners, and executives. Michael has established and continues to grow a robust financial services firm built on the principle of understanding his clients’ unique needs and concerns to simplify their financial lives. Michael is acknowledged as a seasoned professional who seeks the latest, most advanced knowledge and techniques to address the sophisticated needs of high-net-worth clients and companies’ retirement plans.
Michael’s industry accreditations include the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® certification, Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®), Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor® CPFA®, and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™, CRPC™ designations. Forbes has also recognized Michael on the Best-In-State Advisors list in 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018 and Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams, 2023.
Michael earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Rider College, where he majored in Decision Sciences and was a scholarship wrestler. Committed to sharing his time and knowledge, Mike is a Stand Up for Financial Literacy founding member. He lives with his wife, Nina, an art teacher, and their two daughters in Basking Ridge. They enjoy exploring, traveling with the family, and volunteering for various charitable causes.
Certified Financial Planner: The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM, CFP® and federally registered CFP® (with flame design) marks (collectively, the “CFP® marks”) are professional certification marks granted in the United States by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (“CFP Board”). The CFP® certification is a voluntary certification; no federal or state law or regulation requires financial planners to hold CFP® certification. It is recognized in the United States and a number of other countries for its (1) high standard of professional education; (2) stringent code of conduct and standards of practice; and (3) ethical requirements that govern professional engagements with clients. Currently, more than 71,000 individuals have obtained CFP® certification in the United States.
Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®): Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) certification is an advanced professional certification for advisors who serve high-net-worth clients. It’s designed for seasoned professionals who seek the latest, most advanced knowledge and techniques to address the sophisticated needs of clients with a minimum net worth of $5 million. Unlike credentials that focus specifically on investing or financial planning, the CPWA® certification program takes a holistic and multidisciplinary approach.
Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA): The CEPA program, created in 2007 by the Exit Planning Institute, is an in-person, MBA-style program. The five-day course is held several times a year across the U.S. (Cities offering the program in 2020 include Atlanta, Cleveland, Chicago, New York and San Diego). Advisors who earn this credential are specially trained to help business owners create an exit plan — a blueprint for selling your company for maximum benefit. A certified exit planning advisor isn’t just concerned with your business goals; they consider your personal and financial objectives as well. A CEPA takes a holistic approach to help you develop a business strategy that integrates all aspects of your life.
Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA): The National Associationof Plan Advisors (NAPA) is an organization designed for retirement plan advisors. This organization oversees all coursework and exams required to become a CPFA. A Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) is a financial professional that demonstrates expertise and experience working with retirement plans. During the CPFA certification, candidates spend around two months learning about fiduciary services for retirement plans.
Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM (CRPC®): The Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM, or CRPC® program, is a designation program for financial professionals. This program enables experienced advisors, who are focused on retirement planning for individuals, define a “road map to retirement.” There is a focus on clients’ pre- and post-retirement needs, as well as issues related to asset management and estate planning. Our program now includes a course topic titled ‘Understanding Social Security, Military and Government Retirement Benefits’ that helps students gain specialized knowledge to address the retirement planning needs for government and military employees.
Forbes Best in State Advisor Disclosure: Data as of 4/2022. The Forbes ranking of Best-In-State Wealth Advisors, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, gained through telephone, virtual and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. Those advisors that are considered have a minimum of seven years experience, and the algorithm weighs factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their approach to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK receive a fee in exchange for rankings.
Forbes Best in State Teams Disclosure: Data as of 3/31/22. Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm that includes: a measure of best practices, client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerance vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Neither SHOOK nor Forbes receive compensation in exchange for its Top Wealth Management Teams placements or rankings, which are determined independently (see methodology above). Participation in this directory is limited to ranked teams and advisors; once placed on a ranking, teams or advisors may choose to pay fees to Forbes and Shook for premium listing features as indicated by highlighted names. SHOOK’s research and rankings provide opinions intended to help investors choose the right financial advisor or team and not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Investors must carefully choose the right advisor or team for their own situation and perform their own due diligence. Past performance is not an indication of future results. For more information, please see www.SHOOKresearch.com. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC.