William F. Flanigan III, CRPS

William Flanigan has more than 20 years of experience as a Financial Advisor. He began his career while attending the University of Maryland, then a top 20 business school. While pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting, William began an internship at Smith Barney in 1996, discovering a new found passion for Finance. Eager to follow what would become his lifelong passion, William obtained his Series 7 (currently held with LPL Financial) license while an intern at Smith Barney. After graduating from UMD in 1997, William joined the firm of PaineWebber & Co., as a Financial Advisor in Newport Beach, California.

PaineWebber was an investment bank and stock brokerage founded in Boston in 1880. The firm had long survived many booms and busts, including the famed financial crash of the 1890s. While working at PaineWebber, William traveled cross country multiple times, building relationships with private wealth individuals, many of whom remain loyal clients to present day. Developing a strong client base, William began investing securities for clients and did exceptionally well. He was awarded “Rookie of the Year” by PaineWebber in 2000 and became a Pacesetter Club level Advisor beginning in 2001.

PaineWebber was acquired by Swiss bank, UBS in 2000 to form UBS Paine Webber which was later renamed UBS Wealth Management. William remained with UBS Wealth Management for the next seven years, serving private wealth clients and rising through to Vice President-level. After 9 years with PaineWebber/UBS, in 2007 William joined Wachovia Securities as a Senior Vice President. The vast majority of his clients followed him to Wachovia Securities, where William provided the same level of service.

In 2008, Wells Fargo Bank acquired Wachovia Securities to form Wells Fargo Advisors. William retained the same level of seniority at Wells Fargo Advisors and also made Premier Advisor status. He remained at Wells Fargo Advisors throughout the recession, including the market volatility that ensued. During this time, he began devoting himself to conducting extensive, independent research on the entire history of U.S. stock exchanges. He also began reading and studying the strategies of renowned investors and heavily explored research tools provided by third party vendors. He began analyzing publications such as Investor Business Daily which was started by Bill O'Neil an American entrepreneur, stockbroker and writer, who founded the stock brokerage firm William O'Neil & Co., in 1963 and the business newspaper Investor's Business Daily in 1983. O’Neil authored books such as How to Make Money in Stocks, 24 Essential Lessons for Investment Success, and The Successful Investor, and is the creator of the CAN SLIM investment strategy. William completed the CAN SLIM Master’s Program in 2012 and even met Bill O’Neil. O’Neil’s books are just a small sample of books and publications William has studied and incorporates into his investment strategies.

William also attended the Dorsey Wright Broker Institute, to obtain extensive training on technical analysis and became a member of the Market Technician Association for some years. William’s favorite books which he encourages clients, associates, and friends alike to read include, How to Make Money in Stocks, the Encyclopedia of Chart Patterns, and Reminiscences of a Stock Operator.  William wholeheartedly believes a successful market investor must have a firm understanding of both Fundamental Analysis and Technical Analysis (stock charts). Please read more about William’s investing approach throughout the website.

*CRPS conferred by College for Financial Planning.