My financial education began at age 13 when I got my first job mowing lawns. I later worked in groves digging irrigation, moved furniture, drove trucks, drove a cab, and even taught teenagers to drive (yikes!). Hard work, but satisfying to have a taste of financial freedom.

In college, I was equally fascinated by music and economics. My degree at UCLA was in Business Economics, but I also pursued music. I was offered a scholarship at USC to continue my music education where the principles of supply and demand kicked in! Opportunities for musicians were scarce and the supply of great players, strong. I loved music, but that would not be my career.

While in school, I worked at UCLA’s credit union. There, I was introduced to banking, lending, and customer service and began taking night courses in a little- known field called financial planning. I progressed from life insurance to commodities, and finally into the securities field where I earned the Certified Financial Planner™ designation.

Shortly into my career, I realized working for a large financial firm wasn’t for me. Big companies pushed mediocre products on consumers, emphasizing “sales” over service, and often made recommendations that were better for the company, but worse for the client! (That’s how they pay for those marble-tiled offices!) That convinced me I would work as an independent advisor – where I could access the la technology, and do what I thought was best, without being pressured by a sales manager. And 30+ years later, I’ve never looked back.