Employee Spotlight: John Inglese, Operations Associate

Meet John Inglese, one of Madison Trust’s Operations Associates. John joined the team a little over a year ago and has since been an integral part of the documents team. At the office, John is known as a “jack of all trades”; he is always willing to help anyone when needed and is involved in many of Madison’s processes. In his free time, John enjoys watching sports, going for runs, and driving around town on sunny days. 

We asked John a few questions to find out more about what it’s like to be an Operations Associate at Madison. 

As Operations Associate, what are your daily responsibilities?

I see operations as the engine of the vehicle. Each day we keep everything running smoothly. My main responsibility is to process paperwork in order to help every client fund their Madison Trust account and invest in the asset of their choice. This entails processing all of the documents uploaded to our secure uploads portal from 1:00 pm the previous day to 1:00 pm the current day for all Madison Trust clients. 

After all of the documents are processed, I follow up on different tasks and reach out to clients who need assistance. At Madison Trust, it is one of our goals to provide the best customer service in the industry. To hold up to our standards, I conduct personalized phone calls to see if the client has any questions or concerns about their account. While on the phone, I ensure the client understands everything going on in their account and provide further explanation if needed.  

Do you collaborate with other departments?

Yes, I constantly collaborate with our support team, who are on the phones helping our clients, and the investments team, who review the documents required to make an investment.  

What is your favorite part of your job?

I truly enjoy taking clients through the whole process - from funding their account to investing in an asset of their choice. I feel like I am helping people grow their portfolios and achieve a richer retirement.   

I also admire Madison Trust’s culture. The company not only creates a comfortable environment for its employees, but empowers us to question things without fear. We often have candid discussions about possible changes in our processes so that we can be more efficient and provide a better experience for our clients. 

What made you want to work in the financial services industry? What did you study in school?

I attended Montclair State as a business management major, Go Redhawks! While in school, I interned for two years at a law and consulting firm that worked with Registered Investment Advisors. This internship opened my eyes to the investing world. 

In your own words, what is a Self Directed IRA and what are the benefits of a Self Directed IRA? 

A Self Directed IRA is an individual retirement account that helps people achieve a richer retirement. It can be described as a hub that allows account holders to invest in many different assets - such as real estate or cryptocurrency. Although the Self Directed IRA comes with a lot of freedom to invest in the asset of your choice, account holders must understand the product, rules, and legalities.  

Are you currently invested in any alternatives? If so, what asset? If not, what alternative asset would you like to invest in? 

I am not currently invested in any alternatives, but I am interested in investing in an alternative asset in the future so I can diversify my retirement portfolio. The alternative industry is growing as people are looking to invest outside of standard stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. I’ve been looking at investing in either a private placement in a company that I trust or in cryptocurrency. 

The cryptocurrency trend is intriguing. Many of our clients invest in cryptocurrency through ErisX, and honestly it is quite brilliant. It provides IRA account holders investment options such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash all within a tax-advantaged account. The process of opening an account and investing is simple, so I am going to look into that to help achieve my financial goals. 

What is the most important fact someone should know about when looking to invest with a Self Directed IRA? 

There is more risk involved when investing through a Self Directed IRA because account holders are required to conduct due diligence. There are a lot of rules and regulations such as not commingling your IRA funds with personal funds, prohibited transactions, etc. that can lead to tax implications. I recommend doing your research and speaking to a financial advisor to help you get started.

Fun Fact: If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

Invisibility - If I had to save someone, I believe that being invisible would be a great advantage.