Harsh Dev
MY WHY
Why I Became a Financial Advisor
My path to financial advising was never a single moment of clarity — it was a progressive accumulation of passion, purpose, and real-world experience. For nearly 20 years, I have lived inside financial markets: first as an Investment Banking Analyst at Merrill Lynch, then as a Trader and Chief of Staff at Chopper Trading, and most recently as a Director at Northern Trust Asset Management.
Throughout each of those chapters, one thing stayed constant: family, friends, and neighbors looked to me as a trusted voice for their finances.
About Harsh
Harsh Dev brings nearly 20 years of extensive financial services experience to his role as a Financial Advisor at Forum Financial Management. His career has spanned investment banking, proprietary trading, and asset management. He provides a rare and well-rounded perspective on markets, risk, and client-specific financial planning.
Prior to joining Forum, Harsh served as a Director at Northern Trust Asset Management, where he focused on distribution strategy and client experience for diverse investment products and vehicles. Before that, he was a Trader and Chief of Staff at Chopper Trading, developing deep expertise in proprietary trading strategy, execution, risk-management, and in market structure. He launched his career as an Investment Banking Analyst at Merrill Lynch, where he honed his skills in valuation and detailed financial analysis.
Harsh holds a master’s degree with concentrations in finance, behavioral science, and entrepreneurship from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in economics, with honors, from the University of Chicago.
Outside of work, Harsh and his family are happiest being active in nature — whether hiking, biking, stand-up paddleboarding, or embracing new adventures. He is also an avid pickleball and tennis player, and automotive enthusiast.
MY ARTICLES & INSIGHTS
A PERSONAL APPROACH
Tell Us About Your Financial Life and Aspirations
Your experience begins with an initial meeting to identify your financial vision for the future and risk tolerance levels. We review our investment philosophy and approach with you so that you fully understand each milestone of our process and how our relationship will evolve over time.
PREVIOUS 
Discuss Topics Crucial to Your Financial Success
Over the course of the next few meetings, the content and breadth of each meeting is defined by your personal needs. We can review your estate planning and risk management needs, discuss retirement accumulation or distribution planning, evaluate educational funding needs, review your tax situation, and go over any other items crucial to your financial success.
PREVIOUS Develop a Strategic Plan Unique to You
Once you select an allocation, we put together a strategic implementation plan that will coordinate investment of your portfolio between qualified (tax-advantaged) assets and non-qualified assets in order to maximize tax efficiency. The topics we address during our time with you vary depending on your unique needs and situation.
Putting Your Plan Into Action
We establish your Forum account based on the portfolio allocation we discussed and what we learned about your risk tolerance and financial goals. With your new Forum account now in place, you will have the opportunity to access your Forum Client Portal for the first time and connect with members of the Forum Client Service team.
Review Goals and Plans When Your Life Changes
You will receive reporting that will clearly show your performance net of all fees and compared to applicable market indexes. Additionally your assets are held at a reputable third-party custodian that furnishes independent monthly reports so you can feel confident about the safe handling of your money.
