About Aljen Asset Management, LLC

What is Aljen?

Aljen Asset Management, LLC, established in 2003, is an independent fee-based/commission registered investment advisory firm providing comprehensive financial planning, services, and products to families and corporations across the United States.

As fiduciaries, we prioritize our clients’ interests above all else. Our commitment to acting in your best interest is at the core of everything we do. We adhere to the highest standards of integrity and transparency, ensuring that every recommendation and decision is made with your financial well-being in mind.

Our team, comprised of Certified Financial Planners (CFP®), employs a balanced investment philosophy centered on strategic asset allocation. This approach is designed to preserve and grow your financial assets over the long term, tailored specifically to your unique investment objectives, liquidity needs, risk tolerance, and future aspirations. By starting with your goals and visions, we craft personalized financial plans that evolve with you.

As third-party administrators for qualified retirement plans, we offer turn-key solutions that empower employers to efficiently manage their retirement programs while providing participants with robust support and a range of no-load investment options. Whether you’re planning for retirement or seeking comprehensive financial planning, Aljen Asset Management is dedicated to guiding you toward financial success with trust and expertise.

Elliott S. Collins CFP®

Mr. Collins is the Principal and Founder of Aljen Asset Management, LLC, an investment management firm and full-service employee benefits administration provider. Previously, he served as Principal and Co-Founder of WesCliffe Asset Management, Inc., an investment management and benefits administration firm founded in 1989.

Mr. Collins holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Babson College (formerly Babson Institute of Business Administration) in Wellesley, Massachusetts. His investment career began in 1984 at Moore & Schley, a member firm of the New York Stock Exchange, where he rose to the position of Co-Director of the Moore & Schley Pension Department. In 1988, he transitioned to Shearson Lehman Hutton as a Financial Professional Consultant, specializing in retirement planning. In 1992, Mr. Collins earned his Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) certification and subsequently taught certified financial planning courses at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Mr. Collins was named by Named by New Jersey Monthly as one of the 2013, 2016-2024 Five-Star Wealth Managers of the Year. Click here for more information.

This award was issued on 12/01/2023 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 03/13/2023 through 09/29/2023. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 6,515 New Jersey-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 462 (7% of candidates) were named 2024 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2023: 6,606, 407, 6%, 12/1/22, 3/21/22 – 10/18/22; 2022: 6380, 431, 7%, 12/1/21, 4/12/21 – 10/15/21; 6123, 459, 7%, 12/1/20, 3/30/20 – 10/23/20; 2020: 6210, 480, 8%, 12/1/19, 3/1/19 – 10/16/19; 2019: 6097, 477, 8%, 12/1/18, 3/21/18 – 10/12/18; 2018: 4383, 415, 9%, 12/1/17, 2/21/17 – 10/12/17; 2017: 3868, 664, 17%, 11/1/16, 2/25/16 – 10/7/16; 2016: 4143, 626, 15%, 11/1/15, 4/15/15 – 10/16/15; 2015: 5063, 672, 13%, 12/1/14, 4/15/14 – 10/16/14; 2014: 3315, 646, 19%, 12/1/13, 4/15/13 – 10/16/13; 2013: 4049, 733, 18%, 12/1/12, 4/15/12 – 10/16/12; 2012: 1312, 400, 30%, 11/1/11, 4/15/11 – 10/16/11. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria – required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP’s consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP’s consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client’s experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria – considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.

As CFP® professionals we meet rigorous education and experience requirements and are required to complete continuing education coursework. We are held to ethical and professional standards in the financial industry. CFP® professionals must master nearly 100 integrated financial planning topics ranging from: Investments Income tax planning Retirement planning Employee benefits Estate planning Risk management Insurance As CFP® practitioners we adhere to a strictly defined planning process: Meet with clients and gather data Establish and define the Client-Planner Relationship Analyze and evaluate the client’s current financial status and goals Developing and presenting financial planning recommendations and processes Implementing the financial planning process Ongoing monitoring of the process and recommendations Practicing with professional and regulatory standards CFP® Practitioners must agree to abide by a strict code of ethics. Integrity Objectivity Competence Fairness Confidentiality Professionalism Diligence Provide you with information about their sources of compensation and conflicts of interest in writing. CFP® Practitioners are compensated for their services they provide in different ways. Some are paid through commissions, and others through fees or a combination of both. As more people call themselves “financial planners”, finding the right professional to address your financial planning needs isn’t always as easy. Become familiar with a certified financial planner’s business style and understand the level of services he or she provides. Look for a measure of the planner’s commitment to ethical and professional quality standards. Look for a Certified Financial Planner who will put you and your needs at the center of every financial planning engagement.