Source: Think Advisor

The good news is, [my] bachelor’s and MBA positioned me to be a business owner. … The academic lessons helped me manage the business whereas the hands-on experience has helped me become a solid advisor. — Jamie M. Lima, CFP, Woodson Wealth Management, San Diego, California

My international human experience coupled with my education in finance and economics gave me confidence that I could make it in this business. Hopefully someday I can offer my services internationally in places that do not have robust financial services like we do here in the United States. — Matthew Stearns, CFP, Millennial Money Management, Meadville, Pennsylvania

Social Security was interesting; … I remember learning the poorest, poor demographic in the U.S. was the oldest old woman (85+). This is because she often didn’t work, lost [her husband’s] pension, spent all their assets on his care, and now has one Social Security check, plus the widows tax. … Today as a financial planner, and especially as a widow, I serve other caregivers and widows. Money, personal savings, law (including marriage), public policy all come into play for a plan. [But] success in a portfolio is more about the client’s economy than the economy. —Megan Kopka, CFP, Kopka Financial, Wilmington, North Carolina

After all that education, I felt more well rounded and ready to become a financial planner. Since I opened up my own practice, [I’ve realized] I really needed to understand economics, finance and accounting (taxes) to provide a valuable service to my clients. — Dan Herron, CFP, Elemental Wealth Advisors, San Luis Obispo, California

Majoring in finance helped me become a financial advisor simply by teaching me the language. [Also] learning about concepts like the time value of money, duration, correlation coefficients, was really helpful. The specifics of how to perform calculations was much less important. …
Straight out of college I became a credit analyst at a regional bank, which meant I helped underwrite commercial loans. That job was a springboard to become a financial planner, because a lot of the finance concepts that apply to businesses can also be applied to individuals. — Dan Stous, CFP, Flagstone Financial Management, Lincoln, Nebraska


I was going to go to law school, [but first] I helped my father organize his [financial advisory] business better so he could sell it. After six months I fell in love with it. — Charlie Rocco, CFP, Moneco Advisors, Fairfield, Connecticut

While in graduate school I helped start Red to Black Financial Coaching. … My involvement with Red to Black and the overlay of financial counseling courses went a long way toward preparing me to be an advisor. — Jason L. McGarraugh, CFP, Neal Financial Group, Houston


I wanted to use the concepts from corporate finance to help families improve their personal balance sheet (net worth) and improve cash flow management. That’s when I discovered financial planning. … I’m so glad I found my financial calling. I always tell people that recognizing what you don’t like can be just as important as what you like. I didn’t like how finance seemed so elusive. — Marguerita M. Cheng, CFP, Blue Ocean Global Wealth, Potomac, Maryland


I got my MBA in personal financial planning from Georgia State University. I used the degree to change careers. — Serina Shyu, LPL Financial, Atlanta, Georgia

As a side note, the turning point was when a librarian pointed to a set of books and said, “That’s the Internal Revenue Code: no one understands the whole thing.” I was entranced by that. I dove into taxes and tax law. So now, I’m a CPA, J.D., CFP and CFA. Can’t help myself. — Leon C. LaBrecque, CFP, Sequoia Financial, Troy, Michigan

Being a part of that program was an absolute game changer. My professor had been a Merrill Lynch advisor for 30 years at that point and he was an adjunct professor to help train the next generation of advisors. Aside from the connections, being a financial planning major fulfilled the education requirement for the CFP designation, which is invaluable. You get to study the very thing that you will be doing every day in a very practical way: case studies. — Pamela Rodriguez, CFP, Fulfilled Finances, Sacramento, California
Ask advisors what their major was in college, or how they became an advisor, and you’ll get a wide variety of answers. Some may have followed their mathematical strengths while others took a different path. Even those with family in the business might have taken a roundabout route to eventually become an advisor.
We asked readers how their college degree helped them in their quest to becoming an advisor. Many had careers before entering the field, but once they found the advisory field, they stayed.
We split the multitude of responses received through Financial Planning Association and the XY Planning Network into two areas. Here we spotlight advisors who earned college degrees in a finance-related field (next will be those who took a non-financial path). Despite those financial degrees, many didn’t join the advisory business until long after college.
We received dozens of responses but can only share some them here. Thanks to all those who participated. See the gallery above for our spotlighted advisors. Some answers have been edited for length.