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About Us

Meet Your Advisor

Get in touch with Jonathan

Jonathan Elks, FCA, CIMA®

business owner & founder
Boerum Hill Financial Advisors is an investment advisory and financial planning firm. The firm’s founder, Jonathan Elks, has over three decades of experience leading corporate wide financial functions within large organizations, and across many industries both domestically and globally. He has worked in BIG 4 global accounting and advisory firms, and well recognized public companies. He understands the need to always be relevant to customers and take time to understand their concerns and challenges, treating every client and situation as unique. By understanding you, and building strong relationships he can identify opportunities, solutions, and strategies that are tailor-made for you.

Jonathan has voluntarily undergone a vigorous certification program conducted by the Wharton Business School, in order to attain his CIMA certification, and is also a FCA (Fellow Chartered Accountant, Australia and New Zealand. Fellowships (FCA) are awards granted to Chartered Accountants members to recognise outstanding achievement in and/or contribution to the profession of accountancy at either a local, national or international level.). Jonathan mandatory designation is as a Registered Investment Advisor – New York.

17 Facts About Jon

Here’s an overview of my work and family life, where I’ve been and where I am.
  • I grew up in Australia. Where I lived there were many apple orchards, so my first summer job was “apple thinning” - reducing the apple bunches to threes so the new fruit would grow large. As I got older, I worked at the dispatch department of a local department store and spent the rest of my summer at the beach.
  • At an early age I had an affinity towards math, finance and economics.
  • I started my career with KPMG, a big CPA firm, and worked on many large accounts ranging from Dunlop tires, a gold mine, and The Gap. I even spent a short time in Papua New Guinea preparing the books for a tea and coffee plantation.
  • I have walked inside the crater of a live volcano…. the ground felt hollow.
  • I spent time as a CFO for an ice cream and yogurt company (my kids loved that) until the business was eventually sold to Nestle.
  • I completed an advanced management program at the Wharton business school.
  • I had a senior role in the largest telecommunications company in the southern hemisphere.
  • I immigrated to the U.S. with my family to start a job with Cablevision. A fun perk was flying in the New York Knicks and Rangers’ 737.
  • I have been divorced and understand the financial significance of this “transaction”, how it can be both a burden but also an opportunity.
  • I experienced the beginning of the financial crisis while working at the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). I saw what the recession did to peoples’ retirement and executives who didn’t take a Put option on their stock options and saw their value sink.
  • I have run two half marathons – in Miami and at the Great Wall of China.
  • I’ve been blessed with three wonderful children who, by their own efforts, went to good schools and now enjoy challenging and rewarding jobs.
  • I started my own business five years ago and have been helping start-ups, investment houses, non-profits and individuals.
  • Seven years ago, I started playing guitar in a Sunday School band for 3 to 6-year old’s. They are most forgiving.
  • Last year I made a small investment in an off-Broadway show because I believed in the story and the creator (please do not take this as an investment advice).
  • I’ve discovered working one-on-one with people has turned out to be the pinnacle of job satisfaction for me - earnings people’ trust, working together and with candor, is my minimum, not Assets Under Management (AUM).
  • I have lived in Brooklyn for eight years and thrive in this environment. I love the diversity, the endless activities and energy, and it is so neighborly.
"The biggest obstacle to wealth is fear. People are afraid to think big, but if you think small, you'll only achieve small things."
T. Harv Eker

My Fiduciary Oath to You

We're on Your Side of the table and put your best interests first in order to fulfill our fiduciary oath to you. We adhere to the CIMA fiduciary standard because you deserve unbiased advice. We are paid directly by our clients (fee only) for advice, not by earning commissions for selling life insurance or mutual funds.

  • Act in the best interest of the client.
  • Disclose services to be offered and provided, related charges, and compensation.
  • Provide clients information needed to make informed decisions.
  • Disclose the existence of actual, potential, and/or perceived conflicts of interest and relevant financial relationships, direct and/or indirect. Take appropriate action to resolve or manage any such conflicts.
  • Respond to client inquiries and instructions appropriately, promptly, completely, and truthfully.
  • Maintain confidentiality of client information, however acquired, consistent with legal and regulatory requirements and firm policies.
  • Provide competent service by truthful representation of competency, maintenance and/or development of professional capabilities, and, when appropriate, the recommendation of other professionals.
  • Comply with legal and regulatory requirements related to one’s practice of his or her profession.
  • Maintain a high level of ethical conduct.
THERE'S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT

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