Elijah has been a fee-only financial planner for over eight years. In 2025, he started Essa Financial to provide transparent and client-centric financial advice to folks in the Louisville community and beyond.
Elijah was born and raised in Louisville. His father, David, was a Lebanese immigrant who came to the U.S. in the 1970s. Throughout his life, David continually instilled the values of hard work, education, and financial literacy in his kids. If it were not for David’s encouragement, Elijah would not have sought the path of becoming a financial planner. Though David is no longer with us, the firm name Essa Financial, along with the logo, are homages to his legacy and his influence on Elijah’s life.
After graduating from Western Kentucky University’s Personal Financial Planning program in 2017, Elijah started his career with Coats Financial Planning, a pioneering fee-only financial planning firm in Louisville. Elijah served as a Senior Financial Planner at the firm, directly working with 30+ clients and supporting over 100 households in his time there. His time spent learning under Stuart Coats at the firm was pivotal to his growth as a financial planner.
As a teacher, Elijah’s favorite part about being a financial planner is communicating complex planning topics to clients in ways that are more easily understood. He enjoys the education aspect of being a planner, especially in a one-on-one environment. He values deep relationships with clients, and is always willing to listen and learn. He also believes exceptional client service (and swift communication) is the cornerstone of financial planning.
Elijah is actively involved in the profession. He is an active volunteer with the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), having previously served on their Genesis board for young advisors for five years and currently serving on the South Region board as the Membership Chair. He also reviews scholarship applications for the CFP Board Center for Financial Planning, which provides assistance to qualified candidates for the CFP® exam.
Elijah was named a Rising Star by Financial Planning magazine as a part of their inaugural national list of ten planners in 2021. He graduated in December of 2022 with a master’s degree in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University. In addition to his role as a planner, Elijah teaches part-time as an adjunct professor at the University of Louisville. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the non-profit Washington Mutual Fire Insurance Association.
Elijah resides in Louisville with his wife, Sarah, and dogs, Landon and Korra. Aside from financial planning and teaching, Elijah spends his time frequenting local coffee shops, running (short distances) around his neighborhood, playing video games, watching the Minnesota Timberwolves, and of course, spending time with friends and family.
Curious if you’ve invested wisely or just want to talk to someone about your finances? Elijah wants to chat. At the end of the day, he loves helping people better understand their financial situations.
