Meet Our Team of Professionals

Stephen Abramson is the President and founding partner of APS Pension & Financial Services established in 1977, a mid-size consulting and actuarial firm employing twenty-two professional and support staff specializing in pension and pension-related services.  

For over 40 years, APS has been providing closely held businesses with financial services including pension design and administration, business succession planning, and wealth preservation planning. In 2015 APS Investment Management was established to provide fiduciary services to 401(k) and 403(b) plans and in 2018 APS Wealth Management, a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), was established to provide investment management services to individual clients and retirement plans replacing his previous relationship with a Broker/Dealer.  

Steve has taught professional level education programs for the American Society of Pension Actuaries; lectured to various professional groups, including the National Conference of CPA Practitioners, The NYS Society of CPAs, Nassau Bar Association, the C.W. Post Tax Institute, and the National Institute of Pension Administrators; and conducted continuing education seminars for Certified Public Accountants for the past 35 years. He is co-author of Plan Smart, Retire Rich published by McGraw Hill in 1998; author of Advisor’s Guide to Qualified Plans originally published by Aspen Publishing in March, 2002 and recently updated with the 7th edition, and Retirement Financial Management for Clients Approaching Retirement published by Aspen Publishing in August, 2002.  A less technical version of Advisor’s Guide to Qualified Plans entitled Guide to Qualified Retirement Plans: A Plain Language Primer was published by the International Association of Employee Benefits in March, 2005.  The second edition of this book was released in 2008.

Steve graduated from Cornell University in 1964, earned the designation of Chartered Life Underwriter in 1967 from the American College, Certified Pension Consultant in 1970 from the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries and Chartered Financial Consultant from the American College in 1972.

Steven J Musmanno is a Co-Managing Principal,  Chief Investment Officer (CIO) and Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) of APS Pension & Financial Services, as well as APS Wealth Management, LLC (APSWM) an SEC Registered Investment Adviser, and APS Investment Management (APSIM); an Institutional Fiduciary Services and Registered Investment Advisor Firm. 

His responsibilities as CIO involve overseeing the firm’s investment strategy, as well as setting investment asset allocation policy and direction for all APSIM Risk Based Investment Portfolios, including lead Portfolio Management. He serves as the Chairman and Chief Fiduciary of the APSIM Fiduciary Investment committee. He is also responsible for day-to-day portfolio trading and operational management of the Institutional Fiduciary Business and Wealth Management of client investment policies and accounts. Steven is also Chief Compliance Officer of APSWM, LLC and serves as Pension and Qualified Plan Consultant to the Actuarial Consulting and TPA business. 

APS Investment Management is an Institutional Fiduciary providing ERISA Plan Governance services and Independent Advisory Services to ERISA Qualified Retirement Plans, including DBs, 401(k) and 403(b) plans. APSIM builds and manages Risk-Based Model portfolios as well as conducts Independent Fiduciary Assessments for 401(k) and 403(b) Plans on behalf of the Private and Non Profit Sectors.

Steven started his financial career with Merrill Lynch in New York,NY in 1994. He worked in the Investment Banking/Private Client area, providing Equity portfolio strategy to High Net Worth clients and syndicating Direct Placement programs on Equity New Issues. Steven served in a variety of capacities, from Equity Sales Trader to Equity Strategist, rising to a position of Head of Marketing/Sales in the Emerging Markets Equity Research group. 

Steven received an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business in 2002 and is a CEFEX certified lead analyst.

Carolyn has been with APS Pension & Financial Services since January of 2006. Her responsibilities include the overall operations of the accounting department such as accounts payable and receivable, client payment services, company payroll and reconciling company financial accounts and expenses. Carolyn works closely with Stephen Abramson and Steven J. Musmanno to manage all aspects of the Company’s financial structure.

Cassandra Valdes has over 15 years' experience in office management and operations. Cassandra ensures that business activities run efficiently and align with the APS's goals and strategic initiatives. Her role includes managing human resources and client service. She works closely with both Co-Managing Partners and executive managers to streamline processes, improve operational performance and drive growth. Strong leadership, problem-solving skills and a deep understanding of organizational systems are essential in her success of this role.

Cassandra graduated magna cum laude from Forida Atlantic University.

Mark is a Senior Plan Consultant with APS.  In that capacity he consults with business owners who are interested in setting up a qualified retirement plan or would like to make their existing plan more efficient and cost effective.  Mark will also meet with the owner’s CPA to ascertain how best to match the objectives, cash flows and tax deductibility desired with a proper plan design.  Along with the actuarial expertise of the APS staff, Mark will then help to design the features that meet the aforementioned needs and desires.

In addition, Mark meets with each plan’s participants through annual education meetings to assist them with better understanding the benefits of participating in their company’s plan, as well as explaining the investment options available to them.  He is also a member of the APS Investment Management’s investment committee which monitors and benchmarks available investment options for our 401(k) clients.

Mark also works with private investment and insurance clients by managing portfolios for them as a Fiduciary Investment Advisor, always mindful of a client’s best interest.  Frequent client meetings and reviews help to insure that each client’s investment strategy aligns with their risk tolerance, time horizon, and goals.

Sharon Roland has been with APS Pension & Financial Services Inc. since April 2006. She serves the function of Wealth Management Operations Manager, responsible for the efficient coordination and management of the operations process within the Investment Advisory Services (IAS) Business, including the oversight of the APSIM 401k Fiduciary Services business.

Sharon works closely with all members of the Investment Consulting team (AKA the Investment Advisors), the wealth management team, the Administration team and our custodians to ensure the efficient, effective and compliant delivery of money management advice and services. She helps to ensure that compliance files, SEC filings, compliance documents, manuals and policies are maintained and audited periodically, maintaining records of insurance policies and claims. Sharon also collaborates with all team members to identify risks impacting the organization’s business and functions and recommending solutions with continuous improvement of the company’s risk management program.

Rachel has an MBA in Finance, a BS in Biology and over 15 years of experience in the Financial Industry. She is a Certified Retirement Management Advisor through the Investments & Wealth Institute. Rachel prepares financial analyses and financial plans for clients including conducting investment research and reporting. She assists with the creation and implementation of workflows and procedures to improve efficiency and enhance client experience.

Aida Sanchez-Alicea has over 20 years of experience in pension administration specializing in defined contribution plans.

Aida has her BA degree in Science, Math and Technology and has been with APS Pension since 1999. In 2016, she joined APS Investment Committee lending her 401(k) and client service experience to the group. Aida continues to provide administrative services.

Karen joined APS Pension & Financial Services in 1986 and has been part of the 401(k) Pension department as a Pension Administrator since 1989.  

She is responsible for ensuring 401(k) clients are in full compliance with the latest rules and regulations of the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor.  Her work includes reconciling plan assets, discrimination testing, and calculation of employer contributions.  The pension plans that Karen services are mainly 401(k), Safe Harbor, and Profit Sharing.  

Scott Marin is a pension consultant at APS. Scott began his career working for the Actuarial, Benefits and Consulting section of the “Big 8” accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand. Scott joined APS in 1993.

He was designated a Qualified Pension Administrator by the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries.