XMLFinancialGroup » Our TEAM

Brett Shane Bernstein, CFP®
Managing Partner

Brett Bernstein is a Managing Partner and co-founding Partner of the XML Financial
Group. Mr. Bernstein serves as the firm’s Chief Operating Officer, head of operations, and leads the firm’s estate and trust transactions. Previously, he was a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch, where he was designated Sales Manager for a complex that managed over $5 billion in assets.

Education & Philanthropy
Mr. Bernstein received a bachelor of science degree in finance from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and continued his education at Georgetown University where he completed his Certified Financial Plannertm designation. He is a volunteer for the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. Board of Examiners. Brett serves as the membership chairman and is the Vice President of the Board of Directors for Lakewood Country Club; he is a member of the EagleBank Foundation Golf Committee; and he is Vice Chairman of the GW Cancer Institute Advisory Board.

Michael Patrick Jacobs, CFP®
Managing Partner

Michael Jacobs is a Managing Partner and co-founding Partner of the XML Financial Group. Mr. Jacobs serves as the firm’s Chief Financial Officer and plays a pivotal role in its merger and acquisition activity. Previously, Michael was a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch. Mr. Jacobs also served as Vice President of Classic Industries, Inc., a manufacturer of precision medical devices.

Education & Philanthropy
Mr. Jacobs received a bachelor of science degree with a dual major in finance and accounting from Loyola College in Baltimore and furthered his education at the College for Financial Planning where he earned his Certified Financial PlannerTM designation. He is also a graduate of Gonzaga College High School. Michael holds several board seats for organizations including: the Mental Health Association of Montgomery County, Gonzaga College High School Development Committee, and the Planned Giving Council for Catholic University. He is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery and an active parishioner
at Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase.

Robert D. Kanor, ARPC
Managing Partner

Robert Kantor is a Managing Partner and co-founding Partner of the XML Financial Group. Mr. Kantor serves as the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer. He also serves as the head of the firm’s investment committee, which drives asset allocation strategies and investment securities selection. Previously, he was a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch, where he specialized in custom retirement plan design. He also served on the Advisory Counsel to Management and was a founder of the Charity Giving Committee.

Education & Philanthropy
Mr. Kantor received a bachelor of science degree in business management from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and continued his education through the Society of Administrators and Record Keepers earning the title of Accredited Retirement Plan Consultant. Rob serves as the Golf Chairman for both the Amity Club of Washington and Lakewood Country Club. He has served as a Lakewood Country Club board member and sits on the Board of the National Capital Area Alzheimer’s Association.

Kevin Patrick Peters
Financial Consultant
Managing Partner
XML Insurance Group

Mr. Peters has been in the financial services industry for the past ten years, specializing in Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, Long-Term Care and Estate Planning, as well as a variety of Business Insurance Planning. While working at one of the industry’s largest insurance companies, Mr. Peters hired, trained, and developed new insurance professionals and assisted them in growing their businesses and becoming financial advisors. During that time, Mr. Peters also helped small and medium-sized local businesses develop design comprehensive benefits plans. With a strong desire to provide his clients with independent insurance planning recommendations, Mr. Peters established his own independent insurance company in 2003, Benefits Insurance Group, Inc., which would eventually merge with XML Financial Group to become XML Insurance Group. Mr. Peters is one of the founding members of the Washington, DC metropolitan chapter of the National Aging In Place Council (NAIPC), which assists in providing education and resources to the local aging population. Additionally, Mr. Peters serves as the President of the Board of Directors for a local non-profit organization in Washington, DC, the Kingman Boys and Girls Club.

Jason Elliot Klopman
Senior Financial Consultant

Mr. Klopman is a Senior Financial Consultant with XML Financial Group and has been in the financial services industry for the past five years. His specialty revolves around financial planning and asset allocation strategies. Through his training with one of Wall Street’s largest financial institutions and then XML Financial Group, Mr. Klopman acquired the necessary skills to help continue to build XML Financial Group’s practice. He is a key component to the analysis, preparation and implementation elements of the financial planning process.

Education & Philanthropy
Mr. Klopman graduated from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of business with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance. He then went on to continue his education with Kaplan University, completing requirements to sit before the Certified Financial Planners Board of Standards to obtain his CFP® designation. Mr. Klopman volunteers at various food drives for MANNA Foodbank and supports the American Diabetes Association.

	Jonathan C. Lowe Senior Financial Consultant
Mr. Lowe has been in the financial services industry as a financial consultant for the past twelve years. Jon’s primary responsibility at XML is managing client risk through asset allocation. He currently sits on the Executive Board for a local charity benefiting The American Diabetes Association, and volunteers regularly for groups such as the JUST TRYAN IT (helping kids with Cancer), SOME (so others may eat), and the Joslin Diabetes Center. Jonathan attended East Carolina University, where he concentrated his studies in Business and Finance. Originally from Kensington Maryland, Jon currently resides there now with his wife Grace and son Max.

The Executive Team