September 2025: Diary of a CFP® Pro — This month we celebrate Grandparents Day!
Listen to the podcast on Inkandescent Radio
Episode 101: Margaritas with Marguerita — Meet Risk Management specialist Terrell Joyner, Financial Advisor, Charter Oak Financial
July 14, 2023: From women receiving a large inheritance to ensuring a financial legacy continues with the next generation, risk management specialist Terrell Joyner, a financial advisor at Charter Oak Financial, tells us how to plan and prepare for the future.
A Note from Marguerita Cheng, CFP® Pro, CEO Blue Ocean Global Wealth — As we enter the fall season this month, I realize there is a lot happening in the world that is giving us all great pause about our financial futures. How it will play out, no one knows. But I do know one important thing: The key to success is taking life one day at a time, while being as smart and savvy as possible about our money, time, and caring for our loved ones.
Each month: I have been sharing chapters of my newest book, Diary of a CFP Pro, where I offer monthly insights on how you can build financial independence. This month we shine a light on the precious grandparents who have helped many of us grow into successful adults. Below, you’ll find insights into how to protect them from scams that are alarmingly ubiquitous.
On a happy note: Fall also makes me want to tie on my Charm City shoes and go for a cooler run. As you’ll see in the video above, running is a passion of mine. It was an honor and a privilege to help with this promo for Charm City. I hope it inspires you to put on your sneakers and join me! In the meantime, click here to read my most recent run: “Running Rio Marathon Miles & Human Connection: A Story from the Heart of Rio.”
Margaritas with Marguerita: I also invite you to take a listen to the podcast above that I did with my friend Terrell Joyner, a financial advisor at Charter Oak Financial. Click here to listen to more podcasts on MargueritaChengRadio.com.
Image: Flickr.com
September 2025: Celebrate Grandparents’ Day this Month by Protecting Your Elders from Financial Fraud
Protecting the elderly from financial abuse is essential as financial fraud threats rise. While online scams are common, fraud can also happen by phone, mail, or person. What’s more, aging adults make specific targets for financial scams. According to a recent MetLife study, financial abuse costs elder Americans $2.9 billion annually.
Reality check: To best protect your loved ones, I’ve highlighted the most common types of scams to teach them the warning signs and caution them against sharing their financial information:
- Medicare Scams: Medicare schemes that target seniors happen all too often. It can start with scammers pretending to be Medicare representatives or fraudsters posing as insurance agents to gather personal information. Because health insurance is often confusing, some people are too willing to share more than they should smooth out what they believe are medical billing issues. If an insurance thief gets personal details, they can use it to bill Medicare for fake services and pocket the money.
- Teaching tip: When protecting the elderly from financial abuse, advise them to keep their medical information private and help them understand Medicare insurance. Remind them to limit whom they share their Medicare number, Social Security card, or other personal information.
NEWS YOU CAN USECheck out the media interviews and articles that I am quoted in or have have penned for publications including Kiplinger, USNews, and CNBC: Marguerita In the News.
August 2025: The “Top 100 Money Expert List is live!” Congratulations to Marguerita Cheng!
Money’s Best Women Planners 2025
July 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 the other CFPs 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.