Who we are
Jeff formed Financial Planners Assistance Corporation in 1982 during the boom years of new Financial Planners, and wanted to provide support and assistance specifically geared toward the needs of Registered Investment Advisers.
Jeff has been a member of the Pennsylvania Bar since 1973 and is a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association and The American Bar Association. He has served as an expert witness in over twenty cases since 1982.
Jeff has written dozens of books and articles on regulatory compliance. The first, The Financial Planner’s Handbook to Regulation and Successful Practice, Dearborn Publishing, has become a staple in the investment advisory and broker/dealer firm. Also among his publications are “The Registered Investment Adviser’s Guide to Surviving an SEC Audit” and “The Registered Investment Adviser’s Guide to the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988”. Jeff has written in excess of eighty articles for professional journals and magazines. He currently writes a monthly column on registered investment adviser liability for the Journal of Financial Services Professionals and has had articles published in CCH’s Practical Estate Planning. He has also been quoted several times in The Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, Financial Planning Magazine and Investment Adviser Magazine, as well as other publications.
Prior to forming FPA, Jeff was a full time professor at The American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and prior to that time, he was employed by The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, Philadelphia, PA. He is an attorney, member of the Pennsylvania Bar as well as the various national, state and local bar associations.
Jeffrey Kelvin
Founder and Outsource Chief Compliance Officer
Jim Cullen joined Financial Planners Assistance Corp. in 2013 and currently serves as its President and Senior Compliance Consultant. He advises state and SEC registered investment advisers on a broad range of regulatory and operational matters, including firm registrations, compliance program development, regulatory examinations, advertising and marketing, conflicts of interest, and complex business arrangements.
Jim began his compliance career with Raymond James & Associates in its Asset Management Services division, where he supported the firm’s separately managed account and wrap fee programs and earned the Series 7, 24, and 66 licenses. He later served as Senior Compliance Manager for Roosevelt Investments, a $5 billion registered investment adviser whose activities included advising mutual funds, participating as a sub-adviser in wirehouse wrap and UMA programs, publishing institutional research, and managing quantitative, fundamental, and hedged investment strategies.
Jim has spoken at industry events hosted by IA Week, XY Planning Network, and NAPFA and has been featured in IA Week. He also serves as a guest lecturer in Columbia University’s Master of Professional Studies in Wealth Management program.
Jim earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in Economics, from the University of South Florida and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
Jim Cullen
President, Senior Compliance Consultant and Outsource Chief Compliance Officer
Vadim Archipov
IA Marketing and ERISA Compliance Consultant
Vadim Archipov has worked in the financial services industry since 1999 and has specialized in regulatory compliance since 2005. As an Investment Adviser Marketing and ERISA Compliance Consultant with Financial Planners Assistance Corp., he assists clients with advertising and marketing review and ERISA-related matters.
Before joining FPAC, Vadim held several compliance roles with Raymond James. As a Compliance Specialist with Raymond James Financial Services, he reviewed, edited, and approved marketing materials for independent branch offices. He later served as a Compliance Supervisor in the Asset Management Services division of Raymond James & Associates, which oversaw more than $75 billion in assets under management. In that role, Vadim supervised a team responsible for advertising review, policy and control development, compliance testing, annual review documentation, new product and marketing initiatives, and regulatory examination preparation and response.
Vadim also served on Raymond James Financial’s ERISA Working Group, where he helped develop and evaluate firm policies addressing existing and emerging ERISA requirements.
Jennifer Lombardi
Compliance Advisor - State and IAR Registrations
With more than a decade of experience at Financial Planners Assistance Corp., Jennifer Lombardi plays an integral role in guiding clients through state investment adviser registrations and Investment Adviser Representative licensing. Her attention to detail, organizational skills, and familiarity with state regulatory processes help keep filings on track and make an often-complex process easier for our clients.
Jennifer is equally known for her warm personality, quick wit, and ability to bring positive energy to even the most paperwork-intensive projects.
Outside the office, Jennifer enjoys new adventures, spending time by the ocean, and finding plenty of reasons to laugh—preferably from a safe distance whenever sharks are involved.
Meara Melidossian, IACCP®
Compliance Advisor and Outsource Chief Compliance Officer
Meara Melidossian, IACCP®, brings more than a decade of financial services experience to Financial Planners Assistance Corp., including in-house compliance leadership and consulting work with registered investment advisers, mutual funds, private funds, and broker-dealers. As a Compliance Consultant and outsourced Chief Compliance Officer, Meara helps clients develop, administer, and strengthen compliance programs tailored to their business activities and regulatory obligations.
Before joining FPAC, Meara held compliance roles with John Hancock Investment Management, SEC Compliance Solutions, and The Roosevelt Investment Group. Her experience includes regulatory filings, Codes of Ethics, marketing review, forensic testing, mock regulatory examinations, risk assessments, due diligence, cybersecurity and business continuity, electronic communications, and compliance program management.
Meara earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, with a minor in General Business, from the University of Rhode Island. She also holds the Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional (IACCP®) designation.