Alden Shmerling, CFP®, CPWA®, CDFA®

Alden Shmerling is a partner and the chief planning officer at Elwood & Goetz. In her role, she oversees and steers the firm’s financial planning services, leads an advisory team, and manages client relationships. Alden is also the managing director of the firm’s Atlanta office in Glenwood Park, which she established in 2019. 

She joined the firm in 2010, immediately after graduating from the University of Georgia’s financial planning program. Starting her career at a then-nascent financial planning firm, Alden helped establish E&G’s business foundation and continues to have an integral role in its development and success.

The scrappy, startup mentality is what initially drew Alden to E&G. Believing in the founding partners’ vision and core values, she wanted to be a part of a fee-only financial planning firm that truly put its clients first. Elwood & Goetz gave her the opportunity to do that while furthering her aspirations to build a business that directly and positively impacts people.

As a business savvy financial planner and Certified Private Wealth Advisor®, Alden has a deep interest in and understanding of complex financial situations and innovative planning strategies. Specifically, she specializes in helping high net worth clients identify tax saving opportunities to minimize capital gains taxes and maximize the value of their investment portfolio.

Outside of the office, Alden has remained involved with her alma mater as a past chair of UGA’s Financial Planning Alumni Board. She has also served in the Junior League of Athens and holds memberships with various professional organizations, including the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, Investments & Wealth Institute, and the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts. 

Alden is a cooking enthusiast, as her husband and friends can attest to after enjoying her tasty homemade chili on a college football Saturday. She also loves globe-trotting, concerts, and being a dog mom to her rescue pup, Moira.