Deborah Abildsoe
Founder Deborah Abildsoe’s extensive background in the investment world fueled her desire to create a company that could shift its focus to individual client needs. In 1999, Deborah founded Asset & Retirement Investment Associates, “ARIA”, with the goal of providing individualized asset management strategies to high net worth clients. She believed that clients deserved an alternative to cookie- cutter portfolios then offered by large firms, and instead began offering investment transparency in an industry where she believed there was little of it. In 2011, Guilford Savings Bank acquired a majority interest in ARIA and in 2016 the company name was changed to GSB Wealth Management to better reflect the growing relationship between the two firms. Today GSB Wealth Management, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guilford Savings Bank. Her 40+ years of experience in the investment arena include many years with Den norske Bank, Norway’s largest commercial bank, Merrill Lynch, Bank Boston and First Union. She has been quoted in the New York Times, spoken to peers on behalf of Fidelity Investments, and was named 2014 Woman of FIRE (Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate). Deborah co-authored two articles on estate and retirement planning for TIAA accounts together with Irving S. Schloss, Esq. which appeared in Bureau of National Affairs’ Estate, Gift and Tax Planning Journal, and an accompanying Tax Management Memorandum in 1997 and 1998. Deborah was featured with Irving Schloss in the Connecticut section of the New York Times in January of 1998. She has co-authored a book on the subject, Understanding TIAA-CREF, How to Plan for a Secure and Comfortable Retirement, published in December 2000 by Oxford University Press. She also co-authored with Irving Schloss an article titled How Much Do We Need to Retire? A realistic look at how life works and funds operate, which was published in Trusts & Estates, February 2009. Originally from Branford CT, Deborah currently resides in Guilford CT with her husband. She is active as a corporator of the Guilford Foundation and has served as President of the Board of the Guilford Art Center and the Guilford Free Library. She is also a Corporator of GSB. She travels frequently to Norway and Denmark to visit children and grandchildren. |