About Us

David J. Gagnon is a financial and tax advisor with 33 years of experience. He has a deep understanding and broad experience in the areas of income and estate tax planning, asset protection, wealth management, retirement and income distribution management, multi-generational planning, succession and exit planning for business owners, and college planning.

David graduated with honors from Bentley University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management with a focus on accounting. He began his career as a CPA for the prestigious international accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche. David then founded a successful CPA firm, which he sold in 1993 to focus on developing a quality full-service financial planning firm.

Today, David is the founder and owner of First Financial Planners. It is an independent, full-service tax and financial planning firm dedicated to providing personal, comprehensive financial planning and tax strategies tailored to each client’s financial vision, goals, and objectives.

David holds the designations of Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Registered Financial Consultant (RFC), and Certified Fund Specialist (CFS). These certifications are earned through competency in education, licensing, and tenure in the accounting and financial planning fields.

David has lived in Madison, Connecticut, with his wife and three children for 21 years and is a lifelong resident of Connecticut. When he’s not in the office, you can find David kite surfing on Hammonasset State Park Beach or enjoying time with his granddaughter.

David is an active member of the following organizations:

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
• Personal Financial Planning Division (AICPA)
• Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants (CSCPA)
• Institute of Business and Finance (IBF)
• International Association of Registered Financial Consultants, Inc. (IARFC)
• National Association of Financial & Estate Planning (NAFEP)
• National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP)
• Society for Financial Awareness (SOFA)
• Master Elite IRA Advisor Group – Ed Slott, CPA

Trevor Phelan is a junior advisor and assistant to Dave. Before joining First Financial, Trevor was an independent life insurance agent for several years after graduating from UMass Amherst with a bachelor’s degree in resource economics. He is also a high school and AAU basketball coach.

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Alyssa graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from East Carolina University. She has spent over four years in the financial services industry helping many advisor offices across the country before becoming Dave’s administrative assistant.

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