Matt Otto, CFP^®, AIF^®

MANAGING DIRECTOR, PARTNER

Matt Otto has spent more than 31 years advising individuals, families, and business owners through complex financial decisions. He began his career as a financial advisor at A.G. Edwards & Sons, a traditional Wall Street investment firm, and later joined the New York boutique firm Shields & Co., where he created and managed an equity options portfolio for high-net-worth investors.

Matt went on to spend 17 years with SunTrust Bank in Sarasota, Florida, where he launched The Otto Group, a family-office-style practice focused on advanced financial planning for high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners. In 2015, Matt joined Hightower Advisors as a Partner and Managing Director. Today, The Otto Group serves clients as fiduciaries, with a legal obligation to act in their best interests in guiding them through complex life and financial decisions.

Matt’s advisory approach is grounded in fiduciary responsibility, disciplined judgment, continuing education, and a deep understanding of each client’s broader financial life. He holds the (AIF) Accredited Investment Fiduciary^® designation, the (CFP) Certified Financial Planner^™ certification, Series 7, 66, and 63 registrations, and Florida Life, Health, and Variable licenses. These credentials support his work in helping clients evaluate decisions thoughtfully, sequence planning priorities, and align financial strategies with long-term personal, family, and business goals.

At the center of Matt’s work is a focus on helping clients navigate the full arc of life: building, transitioning, preserving, and ultimately stewarding wealth with intention. His process integrates individualized advanced planning frameworks with investment strategy, risk management, and ongoing coordination, providing structure and continuity as client circumstances evolve.

Matt’s technical experience includes advanced planning in tax management, asset protection, risk management, guide various legal pre-planning strategies, and commercial and residential real estate analysis. Matt has deep experience in options trading, equity derivatives, hedging strategies across fixed income and equities, managed portfolios, structured solutions, and alternative investments, including private real estate, private equity, and private debt. His experience in alternative investments helps clients evaluate strategies designed to behave differently from traditional public market allocations and to support broader portfolio objectives.

Matt’s commitment to comprehensive financial planning and thoughtful risk management was shaped early in life by a difficult financial event his family experienced during his youth. That personal experience helped inform The Otto Group’s discovery process, which has been refined over three decades and is grounded in real-life planning conversations, client priorities, and widely accepted planning practices. More information about the methodology and its core elements can be found at theottogroupathightower.com.

Over the course of his career, Matt has received financial industry recognition, including Forbes’ list of Best-In-State Wealth Advisors in Florida¹, award years of 2018-2025, and Five Star Professional Wealth Advisor², for the periods 2012, 2014, 2015-2016, 2018-2019, 2021-2025.

An entrepreneur at heart, Matt previously owned and operated several small businesses; currently Matt invests in multifamily apartment properties. He is also an active supporter of organizations including Tidewell Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, The Child Protection Center, Team Tony Foundation, All Star Children’s Foundation, the American Jewish Committee, Charity Water, The Save The Redwood League, and Wild Earth Guardians.

A dedicated learner and avid reader, Matt is a member of the American Association of Individual Investors and the Sarasota chapter of the Financial Planning Association. Outside of work, mission and values are equally central to his life. Matt and his family live by a shared mission statement reflecting 17 core values. His personal interests include mountaineering; Nordic, downhill, and backcountry skiing; trail running; hiking; road and mountain biking; strength and endurance training; and exploring national forests.

The Otto family divides their time between Sarasota, Florida; Montecito, California; and Avon, Colorado.

¹This rating was provided by Forbes’ Best-In-State Wealth Advisors and covers the period 2018-2025. There was no compensation exchanged in consideration for or the use of this rating. For more information, please visit Forbes/Shook Research.

²This rating was provided by Five Star Professional, Wealth Manager and covers the periods 2012, 2014, 2015-2016, 2018-2019, 2021-2025. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The Five Star 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 Five Star Professional. 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 Five Star Professional in the future. Five Star Professional is not an advisory firm, and the content of this material should not be considered financial advice. For more information on the Five Star award and the research/selection methodology, please visit Five Star Professional.