What is a Financial Educator?

December 05, 2013

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my journey towards a career in financial education. But now whenever people ask me what I do, I always prepare for a longer conversation than if I were to say I’m a lawyer or I work for Google. If I say I’m a financial planner, people assume I’m selling something. If I say I’m a financial educator, people assume I teach at a school or university. To understand financial education, let’s take a look at how it relates to financial media, sales, and advice since I have some experience with each of them: Continue reading “What is a Financial Educator?”

How I Became a Financial Educator

October 10, 2013

For the past week, each of us has been writing about our careers as financial educators and how we got here. My interest in personal finance started at a really young age when my father, who was a stockbroker at the time, gave me the “Dean Witter Guide to Personal Investing” in the 4^th grade and I actually read it. (Linda, you’re not the only finance geek.) I can’t say that I understood all of it but I got the importance of saving as much of my measly allowance as I could and starting the magic of compound interest as early as possible. Continue reading “How I Became a Financial Educator”

My Second Career as a Financial Educator

October 09, 2013

If you would have told me in 1994 that I could make a living helping people with their finances without the pressure to sell financial products, I would have thought you were joking. Back then, there was a certain esteem associated with financial professionals, and as the stock market began to rise to records levels, the idea of NOT being an investment sales professional seemed silly. So attractive was the prospect of being successful as a financial advisor that I left my first job as a 401(k) enroller after six years to pursue a life as a personal financial advisor. Continue reading “My Second Career as a Financial Educator”

The Life and Times of a Financial Educator

October 07, 2013

The week of October 7-13 marks the 12^th annual Financial Planning Week that was designed by the Financial Planning Association to create awareness of the importance of having a personal financial plan. In the spirit of promoting a profession that we love, the Resident Financial Planners at Financial Finesse will be writing about our experiences providing workplace financial education. Continue reading “The Life and Times of a Financial Educator”

Introducing Our Newest Planner: Doug Spencer

August 19, 2013

When it comes to choosing a financial advisor to help get you closer to your financial goals, it’s important to ask some tough questions. We have a pretty rigorous hiring process here at Financial Finesse and only about 2% of potential candidates make it on board our team of unbiased financial educators. Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Doug Spencer, CFP®, one of the resident financial planners and a recent addition to the Think Tank at Financial Finesse. I asked him a series of questions trying to pick his brain and find out more about how he became interested in joining a growing group of financial planning professionals who are committed to providing unbiased financial guidance to employees in the workforce. Here is a summary of our discussion with some important resources included for anyone seeking an unbiased perspective on how to take control of their financial future: Continue reading “Introducing Our Newest Planner: Doug Spencer”

Confessions of a Former Financial Advisor

June 05, 2013

I began my career as a financial educator 18 years ago, only they didn’t call me an educator. I was a 401(k) enroller and my job was to educate employees on the benefits of participating in their employer-sponsored retirement plan. I very much enjoyed speaking to the many different groups of people that made up the workforce but I wasn’t a big fan of the travel — and neither was my young, new bride. Continue reading “Confessions of a Former Financial Advisor”