Submitted by Jason Kley, CFP®, AIF, MBA - FPA of MN President-Elect
Why do we do what we do? For many of us, we work in our chosen field because of far more than a paycheck. We simply want to help others.
As a full-time financial advisor, I advise families on everything from investments, taxes, insurance, cash flow, estate planning, and educational planning. My goal is to assist families in achieving their goals in each of these areas. At times I feel more like a life coach than a financial expert. It’s of great reward when one of my clients says they are able to retire at the lifestyle they want and also provide for their family’s legacy without having to worry about any of the financial decisions.
Although I assist clients in establishing a structure to achieve their goals, a more important aspect is the foundation laid by the clients themselves. People generally don’t become my clients until many of their money habits have already been established and oftentimes that foundation of saving and investing was established at a young age. In addition to the clients I work with, I also enjoy assisting people with establishing good habits at a young age so that they too are in a better position to achieve their goals.
One organization that has allowed me to contribute to establishing good habits in high school students is BestPrep. BestPrep is a statewide nonprofit organization with a mission to prepare students with business, career and financial literacy skills through hands-on experiences that inspire success in work and life. BestPrep has helped over 1.6 million students in the past 40 years become better prepared for life after high school – including myself. As a high school student, I participated in BestPrep’s Minnesota Business Venture. This week-long program continues today in introducing students to leadership, business, financial literacy, and career options. More recently, I have gone into schools through the Financial Matters program to teach students about money management and through the Classroom Plus program to talk about my career track. Additionally, BestPrep provideseMentors, Technology Integration Workshop, and The Stock Market GameTM programs for students and educators.
If your calling extends beyond a paycheck and to a desire to help others, there are many opportunities to do so through FPA. Whether it’s conveying basic money management tenets to high school students, assisting low income households with budgeting and investing questions, or providing an overview of social security strategies to those who may not otherwise be our clients, FPA of Minnesota is helping people in numerous ways – and you can participate!
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