Diary of a CFP®: What I Wish I Knew at the Start of My Career: Insights from Successful Women CFP® Professionals
By Marguerita Cheng, CFP® Board of Directors
May 2020 — While the world is experiencing an unprecedented disruption as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, financial planners around the globe are leaning in to support their clients and their communities during these trying times.
More and more, those planners are women. Recently, it was Women’s History Month; and the month before that, CFP Board announced that the number of female CFP® professionals had grown above 20,000 for the first time.
In commemoration and acknowledgement of the pioneering women in the financial planning profession who helped reach this milestone, several of our female CFP Board Ambassadors offered wisdom about what they wish they knew at the beginning of their careers.
WOMEN’S ADVANTAGE
Investors are drawn to advisors who can relate and share experiences with them, which is why it’s increasingly vital to diversify the ranks for CFP® professionals across the country, according to Marguerita Cheng, CFP®, CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth.
“Even though I didn’t necessarily look like most everyone else in the profession, I wish I realized then the power of being able to connect with someone who shares my background,” says Cheng.
“There are many people from different walks of life who could benefit from the services provided by a financial planner. And the personality traits that might appeal to one person or demographic, may not resonate quite as well with women or people of color.”