I still remember the day that set in motion why I became a financial planner. While visiting my parents from college, talking to my Dad about my finances. I had proudly told him that I paid off the minimum balance on my credit cards every month. He looked at me puzzled, and as was his nature, he gently corrected me: “You know you have to pay off the entire balance, not the minimum balance, every month, right?”
Egg on my face, I drove back to college with my girlfriend as I admitted to how stupid I was (she readily agreed). Once that was over, within two months I had paid off all my credit card debt and never made that mistake ever again.
But what else was I missing? And where in the world did people go to learn about debt, finances, investing, all that type of stuff?
It certainly wasn’t my high school, where they taught nothing of the sort. Nor was it college.
So I searched for business/personal finance podcasts and came across some guy named Dave Ramsey. His teachings were straightforward and seemed like common sense:
Spend less than you make. Pay off your debts. Save 15% for retirement. Get an emergency fund.
It made sense and it seemed doable. I didn’t decide to be a financial planner then and there, but the seeds were planted, and I kept listening and applying the principles to my everyday life.
After college, I worked in various non-profits like the YMCA, Habitat for Humanity, and a homeless center for teenagers. These were all rewarding positions in organizations that I still admire and respect, but there was something missing for me. I had started reading and learning even more about finance and was ready to take a new direction in my career.
I started doing investment research for a company that sold research to firms on Wall Street. Basically, we were trying to create research that Wall Street firms would then use to make better investment decisions. It was fairly interesting work, yet again I knew something was missing and wasn’t where I ultimately wanted to end up.
I wanted to do something where I could help create and cultivate lasting change for people.
Something where I could combine my interests and knowledge with other people’s pain points. Where I could share my knowledge, and others would reap tremendous benefits from implementing solid advice.
And it finally hit me, “Scott, Why don’t you become a financial planner and help others learn about finance? Why don’t you help others learn the things that we should have been taught in high school and college but never were?”
So in February 2015, I finally took the plunge and became a financial planner. It hasn’t always been the easiest journey, but I can’t imagine being in a better profession. The ability to help people make wise choices in an area that is difficult for most of us is unbelievably rewarding. I not only get to help people learn and grow in their financial confidence, I also get to see the decreasing stress levels that come with a solid financial plan in place.
And there’s my story of why I became a financial planner. How did you end up in your profession? I’d love to hear from you: scott@dev-forthrightfinances.pantheonsite.io