Steve is the President/Owner of Richard Young Associates and co-host of the MoneyMD podcast.  He graduated from Clemson University in 1986 with a BS in Chemical Engineering.  After nine years working as a chemical engineer, mostly at the Savannah River Site, Steve joined Richard Young Associates in 1995 as a financial planner and advisor.  In 1998 he completed his CFP® coursework through the College of Financial Planning and obtained his designation as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™.  He is licensed in investment advice and insurance, and is a SmartVestor Pro for Dave Ramsey. 

Steve has served as the financial chairperson for Young Life - Aiken for over 20 years, and is a Qualified Kingdom Advisor for planning and investments.  Steve serves as the Treasurer and a deacon at New Covenant Presbyterian Church where he and his wife, Kathy, are members.  He is a past committee chairperson and member of the Augusta Rotary and a Paul Harris Fellow.  He currently serves on the board of the CAM Fund, which supports research for childhood brain cancer.  Steve is an avid golfer and enjoys woodworking.

John is an advisor with Richard Young Associates and co-host of the MoneyMD podcast.  He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BA in Finance, followed by an MBA in 1992.  John had 15 years of experience in corporate financial planning before joining Richard Young Associates in 2007. He is a Dave Ramsey Certified Counselor as well as a Certified Kingdom Advisor®. From 2008-2020, John was a Ramsey Local Provider for investments and long-term care insurance.  He is licensed in both securities and investment advice.  

John founded My Why Foundation which focuses on closing the wealth gap in our local, underserved community. He also serves as a founding member of the ACTS vehicle ministry team. In addition, John volunteers in his church as the leader of the finance ministry team, where he counsels those in need and has helped facilitate over twenty Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University classes since 2009.  John and his family have a passion for teaching our youth about finances, and have sponsored Dave Ramsey’s Foundations in Personal Finance for local CSRA high schools since 2014.  He has served on the boards of directors of the Megiddo Dream Station, Leadership AC, Salvation Army, Performing Arts Group, and Hungry No More charitable foundations.  John and his wife, Tammy, have two grown kids – Danielle, who works in Orlando, Florida, and Matthew, who we are fortunate to have working with us here at Richard Young Associates!

Josh is an advisor and the director of operations for Richard Young Associates.  In 2013, he graduated magna cum laude from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, followed by a Master of Professional Accountancy a year later.  Josh earned his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license in South Carolina and joined Ernst & Young, LLP in Greenville as a tax accountant, working with some of the country's largest hedge funds and private equity firms.  In 2016, Josh returned to Clemson to earn his Master of Business Administration and graduate with a perfect GPA.  While Josh officially joined our team in January of 2017, over the years he has designed a number of unique financial planning and data management tools that have allowed Richard Young Associates to offer advanced, customized planning and analysis for our clients.

Matthew has been an advisor with Richard Young Associates since 2018 and is a graduate of the University of South Carolina’s honors college. He studied finance with a concentration in data analytics and conducted his research for his senior thesis on financial literacy in South Carolina high schools. He then completed his CFP® coursework with Kaplan University and obtained his designation as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. Matthew is also a Certified Kingdom Advisor®.

During his time at USC, Matthew volunteered with his local church, serving as president of their business council his senior year. His new church home is Christ the King Church here in Augusta, where he serves as the deacon of finance. Matthew has a passion for educating youth and volunteers in the CSRA when he has the opportunity, teaching high school and college students the fundamental principles for living wisely and managing their finances. Matthew is also committed to teaching finance to the community at large, recently leading a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class in the Aiken / Augusta area.

Ryan is an advisor with Richard Young Associates and a 2014 graduate of Clemson University. While he grew up in nearby Aiken, Ryan and his wife, Sarah, spent five years in Greenville, SC, before moving back to the Augusta area. At Clemson, Ryan was an intern at State Farm before joining them full-time after graduation. He then transitioned to Swagelok, a global expert in industrial components.  Ryan has always been passionate about helping people with their finances and decided to make a career pivot. He completed his CFP® coursework with the University of Georgia and obtained his designation as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. Ryan is also a SmartVestor Pro for Dave Ramsey.

Ryan and Sarah are big fans of Dave Ramsey and have been following his principles since early in their marriage.  He is thrilled to be in a career where he gets to work alongside people, one-on-one, to help teach them and build a plan towards reaching their financial goals. He and Sarah are always looking for ways to lend a hand outside the office. The two of them love being immersed in their local community and are active members of First Presbyterian Church in Augusta. If you’re looking for the quickest way to connect with Ryan, look no further than asking him to join you for a cup of coffee or to tag along on your next round of golf.

Born and raised in Chicago, Zach began his advisor journey in 2008 when he interned at Smith Barney. A year later he graduated from Marquette University with a B.S. in Finance. After college, Zach went on to explore his passion for biblical studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and earned his Master of Arts in New Testament. It was there he met his bride, Caroline. After they were married, Zach and Caroline moved to New Hampshire where Zach directed a vibrant ministry to college students at Dartmouth College.

After ten years in the ministry, Zach resumed his career as a financial advisor. He joined back up with the folks at Smith Barney (now Morgan Stanley) before transitioning onto the Richard Young Associates team in early 2021. Zach and Caroline have four children, the oldest of whom is six. He loves coffee, which may or may not be related to his having four young children. Zach and Caroline are members of First Presbyterian Church in Augusta. In his free time, Zach loves to read, play basketball, and spend time with Caroline and their kids.

Abbie is a financial advisor with Richard Young Associates.  She graduated with honors from Clemson University, earning a BS in Marketing with dual minors in Management and Psychology, all while working as a professional photographer and videographer.  Abbie’s career since then has ranged from Marketing Director to Business Operations Director and even to co-founder of a mortgage company, all of which has equipped her with a diverse skillset in start-ups, operations, and real estate financing.

After much thought and prayer, Abbie decided the time was right to finally make the jump into financial planning as she had long intended. She is passionate about helping others with their money, and she earnestly wants them to feel financially secure and well-equipped for retirement and all of life’s journeys along the way. Abbie is currently working through the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ coursework to be even further equipped to set her clients up for success. She and her husband Cody enjoy the outdoors, particularly with their golden retriever, Remy, as well as travelling, staying fit, and building relationships in the Augusta area. Abbie’s diverse experiences, her tenacity, and her personal approach make her an exceptional advisor for helping her clients navigate their unique financial journeys.

Born and raised in the sunshine state, Justin graduated from Florida State University with a major in Sports Business and a minor in Business Management. During his university years, he was already paying close attention to financial experts like Dave Ramsey, structuring his lifestyle around the principles he learned. After an early career in the sports market, Justin transitioned to a role in the tech sector, where he met his future wife, Danielle, while living in Orlando.

Justin and Danielle married in 2022, and they decided it was time for him to shift gears and channel his passion for business and finance into a career in financial planning. Shortly after their wedding, they moved to Augusta, and Justin joined our team as a financial advisor. His experience in various industries and his business acumen have brought an invaluable perspective to our team. Justin is currently working towards becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ through Wake Forest University. In his spare time, Justin and Danielle enjoy all things outdoors, including fly fishing, camping, and exploring nature with their energetic golden retriever, Snook.