July 2025: Diary of a CFP® Pro — Celebrate your Financial Independence!
A Note from Marguerita Cheng, CFP® Pro, CEO Blue Ocean Global Wealth — This month, I want to begin sharing chapters of my book, Diary of a CFP Pro, where I offer insights each month on how you can build financial independence.
Reality check: Increasingly, investors — especially women — are turning to female financial planners for help to manage their money. In a recent reserach report by the CFP Board, we not only learn that 23 percent of financial planners are female. And, the industry is looking to increase that number.
The bottom line: 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 and my experience as a woman.
Many people from different walks of life 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.
Make the cake: As my holiday gift to you, check out how to prepare the celebratory cake pictured above, courtesy of Partylicous.net. The base is a white cake topped with red and white striped buttercream frosting, a blue chocolate ganache drip, and chocolate-covered strawberries — a tasty treat for your next patriotic picnic or party! Find the recipe here.
HOW CAN I HELP? By using the resources through this website, you’ll find tips, trends, newsbreaking insights, and more. For insights and informatou about how you can mazimize your financial plan, click here to contact me today! — Rita
Margaritas with Marguerita podcast and video show: On my podcast and video show, Margaritas with Marguerita, we’ve conducted more than 100 conversations with leaders in the finance world who are determined to help you grow your confidence and wealth for your entire lives.
- Click here to listen to the podcasts on my Radio channel
- Find all of the video versions of the interviews on MargueritaCheng.tv
Books by Marguerita: I can’t think of a better gift for women than to get a handle on our finances. Some may want to save more or invest more wisely. Others may need to learn to find ways to work better on money issues with their partners or make sure there’s enough money for their kids to attend college.
- Whatever your financial goal, click here for monthly ideas and insights in my latest book, Diary of a CFP® Pro.
- You’ll find more tips you can put into practice today in my first book, Wealth Management Rules.
Check out the media interviews and articles that Rita has penned for publications including Kiplinger, USNews, and CNBC. “I hope these will give you insights into what you need to do in the coming year,” she says. Click here to read the media mentions.
July 10, 2025, Money’s Best: Marguerita Cheng is one of the Top Women Financial Planners 2025 — Marguerita Cheng CFP® Pro is one of Money’s choices for the top 30 women planners this year. The editors explain: “All highly qualified, customer-centric financial advisors who serve clients of all backgrounds. Whether you need comprehensive financial planning or niche expertise for a life transition, these financial experts are well-equipped to help you live a richer life. This list of the best financial planners is a collaboration between Money and the Financial Planning Association (FPA), a trade association and membership organization that represents more than 17,000 financial planners across the United States.” Click here to see who made the list.
Investment News named Marguerita Cheng one of its 2025 “Best Certified Financial Planners in the USA | 5-Star Financial Planners,”The news outlet reports “Americans are facing a growing need for guidance and support in their financial affairs and that trend doesn’t look like it’s going to end anytime soon. Not only are people wealthier, but their financial situations are more complex relative to previous generations due to more retirees relying on savings, an increase in the range of products available, and the explosion in alternative investments.
“Consulting giant McKinsey & Company estimates that “by 2034, at current advisor productivity levels, the advisor workforce will decline to the point where the industry faces a shortage of roughly 100,000 advisors.” The sharp demand for CFP services has pushed InvestmentNews’ 5-Star Financial Planners to stand out in a dynamic market by exemplifying excellence, integrity, and dedication in helping their clients. Marguerita was nominated and then benchmarked against others to determine the country’s best.
“While the winners have varying skill sets, a commonality is that the most successful financial planners specialize. They are serving a particular niche and have leveraged it to obtain a competitive edge,” the editors explain.Click here to see who else is a top CFP in 2025.