In 2010 I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance with a concentration in Financial Planning from Eastern Illinois University. By 2014, I had completed all of the requirements to earn the CFP® certification.
Right after graduation, I started as a financial advisor with a national insurance firm. At the time it seemed to be more focused on making sales than actually providing holistic objective advice.
In 2011 I was hired by a local community bank as a financial consultant to design and monitor investment/financial plans for clients. By 2018 I was recognized by Forbes as one of the top 1,000 financial advisors of the next generation. Shortly after that, our bank sold to another bank, and I decided it was time to move on and start a mission I had always envisioned by launching my own firm. My goal was to work with a smaller group of clients more closely, and reduce fees to a more equitable model.
My roots
I was born and raised in Collinsville, IL, as was my wife, Rebecca. We currently reside in O’Fallon with our 2.5 year old son, Sawyer, and our Jack Russell Terrier, Oliver. In May of this year, we will be welcoming a baby girl into our family. Becca and I love to travel and see new places, workout together, and try to get our son to eat the food he doesn’t like.
Why I chose this career
As soon as I learned about it, I was fascinated with the power of compounding interest and how saving just a little money systematically could grow to a very large amount over many years. It was a thrill to me to see how much I could build up by not spending the money I earned mowing grass or from allowance.
My father helped guide me to books to learn more about saving and investing. Economics and finance always clicked with me, so much so that I chose to do my 5th grade science project on buy and hold investing verse a short-term trading strategy.
As I grew older I realized most people do not share my interest in finance, and that there are many other areas of personal finance that people need help with besides investing.