Some Exciting Changes for Guide Financial Planning
Change is in the air! It is now officially spring, flowers are starting to bloom, and we have all (hopefully) adjusted to daylight savings time. Here at Guide Financial Planning, we’re experiencing some exciting changes as well.
New Team Member: Cal
Perhaps the biggest change is the addition of another team member, Cal Treichler. We have been slowly growing our team through the years and Cal is now the fourth member. Ironically, he was actually the first person Ben ever hired at the firm when he worked as an intern back in 2017 before his senior year of college. Cal graduated from the University of Minnesota and spent two years working at a different fee-only financial planning firm gaining experience and earning his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. Now he is back as an Associate Financial Planner and we are excited about everything he brings to the team. You can read more about Cal here.
Passed the CFP® Exam: Amy
Another one of our team members, Amy, just passed the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ exam on March 12. This is a major feat, as it is a comprehensive exam that covers the content from seven college-level courses on financial planning and only has a 62% pass rate, according to the most recent numbers. Ben passed the exam 12 years ago and Cal did so last year, so they know how hard she had to work. Here is a picture of everyone celebrating Amy’s accomplishment at a team meeting. This is the virtual version of an office party—notice the balloons?
Even though she has passed the exam, Amy is not yet a CFP® certificant. There are four requirements to use the designation—education, exam, experience, and ethics—and she’s still working on getting enough hours for the experience component. She will be getting more involved in client meetings and financial planning analysis as she trains in the hands-on application of everything she has studied. To hear more about Amy’s story and how she ended up here, listen to this podcast that she and Ben did together with XYPN Radio, a show for financial planners. She also wrote about why she chose to pursue CFP® certification on her own blog for pastors here.
New Office: Ben
Finally, Ben has a new office! He and his family recently moved to a new home in the Minneapolis area. With the arrival of his fourth child last summer, they had officially outgrown the house that he had owned since his bachelor days. A new house means a new office, so clients have recently noticed a new background and better lighting during their Zoom meetings. He’s really enjoying his new office, and these pictures will show you why.
Here at Guide Financial Planning, our goal is to make high-quality, Bible-based financial guidance available to more people than are traditionally served by the financial services industry. That is why we strive for the preeminent education and designations while providing a service model that doesn’t require wealth or an ongoing commitment. As you can see, we are constantly growing and improving, both in numbers and skill, so that we can serve more people in a more excellent way. To learn more about what we do and how we can serve you, schedule a free call today.
About Guide Financial Planning
Guide Financial Planning is led by founder Ben Wacek, who is a Christian fee-only Certified Financial Planner™ and Certified Kingdom Advisor®. He has a passion to help people of all income levels make wise financial decisions and steward their resources from an eternal perspective using Biblical principles. Based in Minneapolis, MN, he works with clients both locally and virtually throughout the country and abroad. You can follow the links to learn more about Guide Financial Planning and our team and the services we offer.