Charting your financial course - Together.

Stephen Davis CFP®, ChFC®, APMA®

Managing Partner
Founding Partner
Senior Private Wealth Advisor

Stephen Davis serves as Managing Partner and Senior Private Wealth Advisor of Fairvoy Private Wealth. As a Founding Partner of Fairvoy, Stephen helped establish the firm to prioritize providing a personalized client-first approach.

With over 25 years of experience, Stephen provides investment advice, portfolio management, and financial planning to help clients reach their financial goals. As a portfolio manager, Stephen help design and implement personalized discretionary strategies for his clients. He assists clients in retirement planning, risk management, estate, and tax planning. His commitment to excellence has earned him recognition as a “Best-In-State Advisor” by Forbes/SHOOK in 2023.

His journey began in 1999 at Merrill Lynch, where he served as a financial advisor in the Birmingham market. Early in his career, Stephen earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification and the Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designation. In 2023, he furthered his education by earning the Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor™ (APMA®) designation.

In addition to serving clients at Merrill Lynch, Stephen played a pivotal role by training new hires and serving as a sales manager to senior advisors. In 2007, he co-founded the Davis Wealth Management Group alongside his wife Ashley Davis. They later partnered with Alan Word, forming The Davis, Word & Taylor Group.

Stephen graduated with a Finance degree from the University of Mobile and was part of the N.A.I.A. National Championship Golf Team. In 2015, he achieved a personal milestone by receiving his private pilot certification, later earning his instrument rating. Beyond his financial acumen, Stephen enjoys playing the piano, cherishing moments at Lake Martin, and serving his community as a member of the Vestavia Hills Lions Club. Celebrating 25 years of marriage, Stephen and his wife Ashley continue to build a legacy of financial expertise and personal connection.

Certified Financial Planner ®(CFP)
The CFP Designation is issued by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. To earn the credential, each candidate must have a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university and three years of full-time personal financial planning experience. In addition, candidates must take the CFP Certification examination and complete a CFP-board registered program or hold an accepted designation, degree or license. Every two years, a CFP practitioner must complete a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education. More information regarding the CFP designation can be found at www.cfp.net.

Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
The ChFC® is offered by The American College. To receive the ChFC® designation, you must successfully complete all courses in your selected program, meet experience requirements and ethics standards, and agree to comply with The American College Code of Ethics and Procedures. Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)) designation is obtained by completing 6 core, 2 elective courses and a final exam for each course. As a prerequisite the IAR must have 3 years of full time business experience within the 5 years preceding the awarding of the designation. This designation requires 30 hours of continuing education every 2 years.

APMA® – Accredited Portfolio Management AdvisorSM
Individuals who hold the APMA® designation have completed a course of study encompassing client assessment and suitability, risk/return, investment objectives, bond and equity portfolios, modern portfolio theory and investor psychology. Students have hands-on practice in analyzing investment policy statements, building portfolios, and making asset allocation decisions including sell, hold and buy decisions within a client’s portfolio. The program is designed for 80-100 hours of self-study. The program is self-paced and must be completed within one year from enrollment.
Continuing Education (CE)

To maintain the APMA® designation, individuals are required every two years to complete 16 hours of continuing education, reaffirm adherence to the Standards of Professional Conduct and comply with self-disclosure requirements.

To learn more about the APMA® designation, visit https://www.cffp.edu/

The 2023 Forbes Next-Gen Wealth Advisors Best-In-State ranking, developed by Shook Research, is based on the period from 6/30/2021 to 6/30/2022 and was released on 4/4/2023. Neither Fairvoy Private Wealth nor any of its advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award. Please see www.forbes.com for more information.

Neal Carroll CFP®, CPWA®, CPFA®

Chief Operating Officer
Founding Partner
Senior Private Wealth Advisor

Neal Carroll serves as Chief Operating Officer and Senior Private Wealth Advisor of Fairvoy Private Wealth. Neal is a Founding Partner of Fairvoy and is motivated by a commitment to personalized service built on authentic connections and addressing clients’ unique needs.

Neal has more than two decades of extensive experience in wealth management and financial planning, Neal joined Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2003, serving as a financial advisor in the Birmingham market. Soon after, he earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification to assist clients with planning and investment needs. Subsequently, Neal obtained the Certified Private Wealth Advisor™ (CPWA®), focusing on the specialized planning needs of high-net-worth individuals.

Beyond individual clients, Neal brings expertise in corporate services and benefits, holding the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA®) credential. This highlights his expertise as a plan fiduciary and aiding others in managing their roles and responsibilities. Neal collaborates closely with corporate clients on cash management, lending, qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, and other business advisory services.

Neal graduated from the University of Alabama’s School of Business. He resides in Birmingham with his wife, Anne Turner, and their two sons, Davis and Grey, along with the family’s furry friend, Mr. Brown. Apart from his professional pursuits, Neal enjoys spending time with his family, running, engaging in outdoor activities, and contributing to the community. He actively participates in Mountain Brook Community Church and the Vestavia Hills Rotary Club.

Certified Financial Planner ®(CFP)
The CFP Designation is issued by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. To earn the credential, each candidate must have a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university and three years of full-time personal financial planning experience. In addition, candidates must take the CFP Certification examination and complete a CFP-board registered program or hold an accepted designation, degree or license. Every two years, a CFP practitioner must complete a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education. More information regarding the CFP designation can be found at www.cfp.net.

Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA)
The CPWA® designation signifies that an individual has met initial and on-going experience, ethical, education, and examination requirements for the professional designation, which is centered on private wealth management topics and strategies for high-net-worth clients. The designation is administered through The Investments & Wealth Institute (“IWI”) formerly known as the Investment Management Consultants Association. Prerequisites for the CPWA® designation are a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or one of the following designations or licenses: CIMA®, CIMC®, CFA®, CFP®, ChFC®, or CPA license; have an acceptable regulatory history as evidenced by FINRA Form U-4 or other regulatory requirements and five years of professional client centered experience in financial services or a related industry. CPWA® designees have completed a rigorous educational process that includes self-study requirements, an in-class education component, and successful completion of a comprehensive examination. CPWA® designees are required to adhere to the institute’s Code of Professional Responsibility and Rules and Guidelines for Use of the Marks. CPWA® designees must report 40 hours of continuing education credits, including two ethics hours, every 2 years to maintain the certification.

CPFA®– Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor
Federal law regulates standards of conduct for those who manage qualified retirement plans. Plan advisers who sell and service these plans must act in accordance with these basic fiduciary principles. The Certified Plan Fiduciary Adviser (CPFA®) credential demonstrates an adviser’s knowledge of, expertise in, and commitment to working with retirement plans. Plan advisers who earn their CPFA® demonstrate the expertise required to act as a plan fiduciary or help plan fiduciaries manage their roles and responsibilities.
To attain designation of CPFA®, an individual must:

1. Education – The CPFA® Coursework covers four key areas:
2. ERISA Fiduciary Roles and Responsibilities
3. ERISA Fiduciary Oversight
4. ERISA Plan Investment Management
5. ERISA Plan Management

The CPFA® exam includes 75 multiple choice questions for which a candidate will have 3 hours to complete.

Continuing Education – In order to maintain credential(s), the candidate must earn 20 CE credits every two-year cycle. Two (2) of the 20 CE credits must be on ethics/professionalism topics.

Ashley Davis CPA®, CRPC®

Chief Financial Officer
Founding Partner
Senior Private Wealth Advisor

Ashley Davis serves as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Private Wealth Advisor of Fairvoy Private Wealth. Ashley is a Founding Partner of Fairvoy and takes the initiative to prioritize personalized support and tailored financial solutions to help those she serves.

Ashley specializes in investment and financial planning advice by implementing personal financial plans to guide clients in achieving retirement, estate, tax, and gifting goals. Ashley’s background in accounting proves instrumental in helping clients navigate their financial goals.

Starting her career in public accounting, Ashley garnered extensive experience working with prominent corporations such as Saks Fifth Avenue, ProAssurance Corporation, and Warren Averett. Her academic achievements include obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Mobile, earning an M.B.A. from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and obtaining the Certified Public Accountant (CPA®) certification.

In 2007, Ashley joined Merrill Lynch, co-founding the Davis Wealth Management Group, which later evolvied into The Davis, Word & Taylor Group through a partnership with Alan Word. Ashley served as a Senior Relationship Manager on the Davis, Word, & Taylor team and was recognized as the new Financial Advisor of the year by the Birmingham Complex after completing her initial program at Merrill. Ashley’s commitment to client service and financial planning led her to attain the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC®) designation.

Ashley has been married to Stephen for 25 years. She enjoys travel, reading, scrapbooking, and quality time on Lake Martin with her family, including her cherished dog, Chase.

Certified Public Accountant (“CPA”)
The Certified Public Accountant designation is a national professional certification. The State Boards of Accountancy determines the laws and rules for each state/jurisdiction. Educational requirements vary by state. Applicants for CPA licensure must meet sufficient requirements for education and experience and pass a national examination. Education and Examination CPAs are licensed and regulated by their state boards of accountancy. While state laws and regulations vary, the education, experience and testing requirements for licensure as a CPA generally include minimum college education (typically 150 credit hours with at least a baccalaureate degree and a concentration in accounting), minimum experience levels (most states require at least one year of experience providing services that involve the use of accounting, attest, compilation, management advisory, financial advisory, tax or consulting skills, all of which must be achieved under the supervision of or verification by a CPA), and successful passage of the Uniform CPA Examination. Ongoing Requirements In order to maintain a CPA license, states generally require the completion of 40 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) each year (or 80 hours over a two-year period or 120 hours over a three-year period). Additionally, all American Institute of APPENDIX A — 8 Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) members are required to follow a rigorous Code of Professional Conduct which requires that they act with integrity, objectivity, due care, competence, fully disclose any conflicts of interest (and obtain client consent if a conflict exists), maintain client confidentiality, disclose to the client any commission or referral fees, and serve the public interest when providing financial services. The vast majority of state boards of accountancy have adopted the AICPA’s Code of Professional Conduct within their state accountancy laws or have created their own.

Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor ®(CRPC)
Ashley earned the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, CRPC®️, designation from the College of Financial Planning. Individuals who hold the CRPC®️ designation have completed a course of study encompassing pre-and post-retirement needs, asset management, estate planning and the entire retirement planning process using models and techniques from real client situations. Additionally, individuals must pass an end-of-course examination that tests their ability to synthesize complex concepts and apply theoretical concepts to real-life situations. All designees have agreed to adhere to the Standards of Professional Conduct and are subject to a disciplinary process. Designees renew their designation every two years by completing 16 hours of continuing education, reaffirming adherence to the Standards of Professional Conduct and complying with self-disclosure requirements.

H. Alan Word

Director
Founder
Senior Private Wealth Advisor

Alan serves as a Director and Senior Private Wealth Advisor of Fairvoy Private Wealth. After gaining valuable experience working with clients and training new advisors, Alan played a pivotal role as a Founder of Fairvoy with a dedicated focus on client-centric service.

Alan focuses on helping multi-generational families by designing and overseeing personalized strategies. Going beyond conventional advisory roles, he creates these well-designed strategies with the goal of helping families establish a meaningful and enduring legacy. His leadership within Fairvoy Private Wealth ensures this tradition continues for many years.

Alan commenced his financial career in 1977 in Memphis, TN, affiliating with one of the precursor companies of Smith Barney. In 1993, he assumed a managerial role and relocated to Knoxville, TN. Subsequently, in late 2001, Alan was presented with the opportunity to lead the Birmingham, AL office.

Throughout his career, Alan has consistently embraced the challenges of client service while also serving as a mentor to fellow advisors. Diverse experiences have enriched his professional journey in three distinct Southern markets, where he honed his skills and expanded his knowledge. In 2013, Alan made a strategic move to Merrill Lynch, becoming an integral part of a team dedicated to wealth management for individual clients and to continue serving as sales manager to new advisors. He was a founding member of the Davis, Word, & Taylor Group.

Alan has been married to his wife, Harriet, for 51 years. They have two sons and have been blessed with five grandchildren. He has had the opportunity to serve on boards in every community he has lived in and loves to serve and help people. Giving back is part of his DNA.

Claudia Johnston

Vice President
Co-Founder
Private Wealth Advisor

Claudia serves as Vice-President and Private Wealth Advisor of Fairvoy Private Wealth. As Co-Founder of Fairvoy, Claudia is driven by a commitment to streamlining operations to prioritize our client’s best interests.

Claudia embarked on her career in financial services in August 2000 as a Client Associate in the Private Wealth division of Goldman Sachs in the Atlanta office. With a dedication to excellence and a desire to work more with her clients, in 2004 and 2005, she pursued the General Securities Representative Qualifications Examination and the Uniformed Combined State Law Examination, expanding her knowledge in investment securities, economics, laws, and regulations. She transferred to the Chicago Goldman Sachs office in 2005, contributing a decade of invaluable experience. In October 2010, Claudia joined Merrill Lynch, bringing a wealth of expertise and a commitment to the clients and teams she served. A proud graduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, she combines her academic foundation with her financial acumen to offer clients a unique perspective.

Growing up in a military family, Claudia has lived in various locations, including the Washington, DC area and overseas. Her family roots tie back to Alabama, where her father grew up in Selma. Married to Jeremy and a devoted mother to her son Mack, Claudia values family and community. She has successfully completed both the Chicago and Marine Corps marathons. As a member of St. Stephens Episcopal Church, Claudia finds fulfillment in contributing to her community and fostering a sense of belonging. Her love for snow skiing and family travel reflects a balance of adventure and connection.

With her commitment to building deep and meaningful relationships with clients, Claudia is their advocate in navigating the complexities of financial planning. Her dedication and impact in the industry were acknowledged when she was recognized as one of the “2023 Women to Watch in Birmingham.”

The 2023 Women To Watch is published in the Birmingham Business Journal and is based on the year of 2023 and published on 9/29/23. Neither Fairvoy Private Wealth nor any of its advisors pay a fee in exchange for this recognition. Please see https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/c/2023-women-to-watch/20151/women-to-watch-claudia-johnston.html for more information.

Alma Maric

Vice President
Co-Founder
Associate Wealth Advisor

Alma serves as Vice President and Associate Wealth Advisor of Fairvoy Private Wealth. As Co-Founder of Fairvoy, Alma is focused in her determination to establish a visionary firm dedicated to prioritizing client’s needs.

Alma brings over 15 years of invaluable experience in the financial services industry, having served in key roles at Discover Bank, Morgan Stanley, and Merrill Lynch. Alma served as a valuable member and Registered Client Associate within the Davis, Word, & Taylor Group, focused on the needs of her clients. Born in Bosnia, raised in Germany, and a resident of America since 1998, Alma is trilingual, adding a unique cultural perspective to her professional endeavors. For the past eight years, Birmingham has been her home, where she has focused on building lasting client relationships.

Alma’s educational journey includes graduating from trade school in Germany and earning her Associate’s Degree in Business Management at Jeff State Community College in Birmingham, AL. Her commitment to lifelong learning is reflected in her continuous pursuit of knowledge and skills. With the support of her team, in 2023, she passed both the General Securities Representative Qualifications Examination and the Uniformed Combined State Law Examination, expanding her knowledge in investment securities, economics, laws, and regulations.

A loving mother of two, Alma shares her time outside of work with her daughter Selma and son Max. She enjoys family activities, hiking, exploring new destinations, and indulging in a good read. Alma’s culinary skills extend beyond her love for cooking, and she is currently engaged in learning the art of tennis.

Macy Beasley

Client Relationship Specialist

Macy, a Mississippi native, recently graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, focusing on finance, investment strategies, and market economics. While at Mississippi State, she was an active member of the Shackouls Honors College and several academic and service-based organizations, where she held leadership positions. These experiences allowed her to participate in workshops and networking events that connected students with industry professionals, further enriching her understanding of the financial landscape.

Her academic accomplishments, paired with internship and work experience, provided her with a strong foundation in finance, customer relations, and economic research.

Now based in Birmingham, Macy has joined Fairvoy Private Wealth as a Client Relationship Specialist. In her role, she is committed to fostering meaningful client relationships, ensuring financial goals are met through personalized service and strategic guidance. Macy’s dedication to exceptional support and open communication ensures clients feel valued and informed throughout their financial journey.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Macy is passionate about continuous learning and personal growth. She enjoys spending time with family, attending church with friends, reading, and staying active.

Ashley Burt

Client Relationship Specialist

Ashley Burt serves as a Client Relationship Specialist at Fairvoy Private Wealth, where she is dedicated to fostering meaningful client relationships and delivering exceptional service tailored to each client’s financial needs and goals.

A Birmingham, Alabama, native, Ashley graduated from The University of Alabama in 2021 with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations. She launched her career in Chicago, where she gained valuable experience in sales across various industries, including logistics, media and marketing, and corporate housing. Known for her competitive drive and commitment to excellence, Ashley consistently demonstrated her ability to build strong relationships and exceed expectations.

A former competitive volleyball player, Ashley brings a strong sense of discipline, teamwork, and leadership to her role. Her passion for mentoring others extended beyond her athletic career, as she served as a volleyball coach in Chicago, inspiring and guiding the next generation of athletes.

In July 2023, Ashley returned to Birmingham and transitioned to a sales role before joining Fairvoy Private Wealth in November 2024. At Fairvoy, she works closely with clients to provide personalized service, build authentic connections, and deepen her expertise in the financial industry.

Outside of work, Ashley enjoys traveling to new destinations, attending concerts, reading, and spending time with her puppy, Addi.