About Us

Built for families who think in generations

We're advisors for people who want more than a product — they want a plan, a partner, and a path they can trust for decades.

My interest in finance started with loss.

When I was a senior in high school, my grandfather passed away. We were supposed to receive a meaningful inheritance, but we ended up with nothing. And it wasn't because of a bad investment or a market crash.

It was a series of small planning mistakes.

That experience stuck with me, and it drove me to understand how money is built, protected, and passed on so I wouldn't make the same mistakes.

Through my career in the U.S. Army and my years on the manufacturing floor, I'd spend my off-hours reading books on taxes, estate planning, and investing. Then one day, my wife, who had recently become an admin at a financial planning firm, told me, "You should just do this." She was right.

And in 2011, I started my practice which became Backwards Planning Financial in 2022. Fifteen years later, we've helped thousands of families to steward their wealth and resources for their children, and their children's children.

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children

Proverbs 13:22

Joe Garrisi

Founder & Wealth Advisor

When planning a military operation, you define your objective as clearly as possible.

Then, you work backwards to figure out how to accomplish your objective.

We apply the same discipline to your finances.

Instead of chasing returns or panicking at headlines, we ask one question: does this move us closer to your goal?

How we think

What sets us apart

Plans, not products

We integrate tax strategy, estate planning, investments, insurance, and asset titling into one coordinated plan — not a stack of disconnected products.

Transparency first

You'll always understand what you're paying, why, and what it's for. No hidden incentives, no surprises.

Education over jargon

We'd rather you understand your plan than simply trust it. We take the time to teach, so you can make confident decisions.

Built to last

We plan for the long arc — the next decade, the next generation — not the next quarter.