Our Firm & Mission

Eric Nichols started his career in financial services after being recruited from Villanova University by Equitable Advisors in 2003. From the beginning, Eric focused his practice on the needs of educators and their families. Over the years Eric has advised well over a thousand teachers and administrators. Due to his holistic approach to financial advice, Eric works with the spouses and other family members of many of his clients as well. As a result he has also developed tremendous experience working with for those outside of the education arena such as corporate executives, business owners, attorneys, and physicians.

Eric has won numerous industry awards as a financial professional, and also in his previous position as Divisional Vice President of Equitable. Eric is recognized as one of the top financial advisors in the country.

He has spoken or presented at industry functions, and has presented countless times for school employees and administrators on various financial planning, investment and insurance related topics.

A lifelong student of his craft, Eric holds FINRA Series 7, 66, and 24 licenses and Life, Accident, and Health Insurance licenses. He is also a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (CFP^®), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC^®), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU^®), Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP^®), and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC^®).

In 2012 Eric founded Educated Wealth Strategies. The firm was created with a clear mission--to provide high end, comprehensive financial services to teachers and administrators and their families across the country.

In an effort to provide an educational resource for teachers nationwide, Eric wrote and published the book “Financial Planning for Teachers” in 2016. The book was created to give all teachers a high level overview of how to create a financial plan and how to prepare for the financial issues that they may face throughout their lives.

Eric lives in the greater Philadelphia area with his wife and three sons. He enjoys outdoor sports and spending time with family and friends.

CFP^® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM are certification marks owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. These marks are awarded to individuals who successfully complete the CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Dylan has practiced financial planning since 2010 when he was recruited to AXA, now Equitable Advisors, to work with educators. In 2015, he joined Educated Wealth Strategies, a specialized group within Equitable, where he set out on a mission, to raise the standard of financial advice to public school employees, and their families. As Dylan’s practice grew, he found himself referred to professionals, and business owners in other occupations, as well as families looking for financial guidance. Today, Dylan continues his mission by helping his clients use holistic financial strategies to grow, preserve, and transfer wealth for retirement, business, family, and charity.

He prides himself on having a high degree of empathy. He uses this skill to create a transparent planning process, and to tailor financial strategies for his clients. Along with the proper analysis, and diligence, Dylan will help you sort through financial considerations pertinent to your situation and make a plan. His promise is to work alongside you with integrity, reliability and a high degree of expertise. As a CFP^® certificant Dylan has an obligation to work in your best interest, he's confident you'll understand his passion is to help you live life as you intend.

Dylan has completed a number rigorous educational programs earning him the following professional designations and licenses. CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (CFP®), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC^®).

Retirement Planning Specialist – A Retirement Certificate awarded by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Retirement Benefits Specialist of Tax-Sheltered Plans, Series 7, 66, Life Accident and Health, Dylan continues his education adding to his certifications regularly.

Originally from Connecticut Dylan resides in the Lehigh Valley with his wife. In his free time Dylan enjoys the outdoors, practicing drums, self-improvement, and helping others. He serves on the board of Kenyan Health Care Initiatives Inc. - A 501(c)3 devoted to developing primary health care infrastructure and educational programs for over 8,000 people in central Kenya, Africa, and is a graduate of Moravian University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Financial Economics.

CFP^® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ are certification marks owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. These marks are awarded to individuals who successfully complete the CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

Ashley Siedt started her career in the financial services industry in 2011 as a field development specialist while working on a M. Ed at DeSales' University. She cut her studies short when she decided to follow in her father's and grandfather's footsteps and began developing her career as a financial professional.

Ashley is building her practice with the intent of helping educators, public servants, and their families. She firmly believes that those who dedicate their lives to bettering society deserve access to qualified, competent financial professionals.

Ashley holds Series 7 and Series 66 licenses alongside Life, Accident and Health insurance licenses, and is also a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)

She lives in the Lehigh Valley with her husband, Justin, and their children.

Mike Sawyer graduated from the Central Pennsylvania Business College, started working in the financial service industry in 1983. Mike holds the designations ChFC® (Chartered Financial Consultant) and CLU® (Chartered Life Underwriter).

Over the years, Mike has advised many individuals and small businesses to accumulate and distribute wealth. His formula includes coordinating comprehensive financial planning with other professionals, such as attorneys and accountants.

Mike splits his time between his Easton, PA and Ft Myers, FL offices. He enjoys travelling and golf. Mike and his wife Karen have two children and two grandchildren.

Charlie was raised in Philadelphia and graduated from Chestnut Hill College. Considering his upbringing, he appreciates the blue-collar work educators do and how much of an impact they have on our society. He is passionate about helping educators with their personal finances and retirement plans as well as their spouses. He aims to help educators expect more out of their financial planner. 

As a part of EWS, Charlie works intently with educators and their families to understand their needs, and desires to take advantage of relevant financial strategies that complement their employer benefits. While forming each client’s financial strategy, he considers that everyone’s situation is different and therefore no strategy is the same.

Charlie resides in Glenside, PA. In his free time, he practices Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and enjoys spending time with his nieces.

Simon began his career in financial services after graduating from West Chester University and is proud to help educators achieve their financial goals. While focusing on the retirement benefits of educators, he enjoys combining financial literacy with comprehensive planning to develop trust and understanding.

Proud to be part of Educated Wealth Strategies, Simon aims to help education professionals beyond their pension and 403(b) plan. With the firm’s mission to elevate the level of financial services provided, he works diligently, placing educators and their family’s needs first.

Simon grew up in Chester County and currently lives in West Chester, PA. Outside of work, he enjoys trying new restaurants, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Pam Boyer, a graduate of Shippensburg University, previously worked at a local bank as Vice President of marketing for 12 years. After leaving to start a family she enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom to her twin boys. As they started school, Pam began working for Equitable Advisors as an administrative assistant in 2006. She joined the Educated Wealth Strategies team as Director of Client Services in September of 2012. Pam lives in Bethlehem PA with her husband, Brian.

Stephanie began her career as a legal secretary for Margolis, Duckworth & Funt in 1984 after earning an Associate's Degree in Legal Secretarial from Allentown Business School. She has since spent 11 years as a field office administrator for Novellus Systems where she was responsible for a wide variety of office duties, field support and marketing.

In 1998 Stephanie joined Equitable Advisors where she is currently employed as administrative assistant to Michael E. Sawyer. Stephanie lives in Bethlehem, PA with her husband Sam, and has two children Breanna and Matthew.

Shannon helps in the implementation process of your financial recommendations by providing a concierge level of service in the areas of account opening, account updates, and scheduling both existing and prospective client appointments. She closely coordinates the underwriting process of life insurance, the transfers of assets, and funding of accounts. She helps instill confidence in our clientele through her reassuring demeanor, integrity, and attention to detail.

Shannon is a graduate of Lehigh University, enjoys travel, creative projects with her son, and resides in Bethlehem, PA with her family.