Certified Financial Planner™ Program Instructor Spotlight: Christian Mauser

The need for financial planning services has resulted in the demand for professional, competent advisors. Christian Mauser, one of our Certified Financial Planner™ Program instructors, will be teaching the investment portion of our course. Here, he shares how he got his start, insight on the industry, and a few investment strategies.

Share your background and how it relates to this course? Why is it important for you to teach this?
I am a fee-only certified financial planner who has been practicing for seven years. I stumbled into an Intro to Financial Planning course in college and fell in love with the topic. To me, financial planning is not about market gains – it’s about helping people through the difficult decisions in their lives. Of course, the numbers do matter! But so do emotional transitions. In my work, I enjoy connecting with people and being able to provide friendly expertise. I try to simplify financial issues with stories that my clients can relate to, and I use humor to make serious topics easier to discuss.

It is important to me to help teach the CFP® curriculum because the industry needs thoughtful, caring and hardworking individuals to guide clients through the complexities of retirement. The average consumer is lost without us! Currently, we do not have enough real financial planners. Planners who know the CFP® curriculum and are eager to do good things for their client’s vs. eager to make personal gains. Unfortunately, our industry is tainted with sour stories about a few horrible individuals who should never be allowed to call themselves planners and I want to help turn that image around (Think Bernie Madoff, and how Hollywood portrays us: Patrick Bateman, Gordon Gekko, Ballers).

Who would benefit most by taking this course?
The primary target of this course is anyone interested in helping people and anyone interested in becoming a financial planner. The CFP® is the current gold standard of our industry.

Completing this course will help someone break into the profession with a leg up on the competition. Anyone with interest in people, who loves learning, and loves numbers – this is the field for them.

What types of job opportunities are out there for individuals in this field?
The current job market is excellent for a CFP. Currently, you can start a salaried position around $50,000 with no experience and your CFP marks. There are 10,000 Americans retiring each day, and the average financial planner is in their 50s. The demand for younger qualified financial planning professionals is at an all-time high, and will keep creeping up as the baby boomer advisors start to retire as well.

What do you consider the top 5 tips for investing at any age?

1. Take the time to understand the power of compound interest. “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it. He who doesn’t, pays it.” – Albert Einstein.
2. Don’t let your emotions get the best of you. “One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.” – Chinese Proverb. If you ever feel the urge to liquidate your portfolio, and you don’t need the money, you are probably making a mistake.
3. Purchase low cost, passively managed, well-diversified portfolios that are equity heavy. Look at the big picture, not just today’s situation.
4. Good investing is boring. You won’t get rich quick, but if you make the right decisions, over time you will be wealthy beyond need. “Beware the investment activity that produces applause; the great moves are usually greeted by yawns.” – Warren Buffett.
5. Be an optimist. The world is only going to get better, and the only rational investor is optimistic.