Can you share a brief overview of your role within the company and what your day-to-day responsibilities look like?
As Planning & Investment Associate I get to bridge both the investment management and financial planning sides of Curo’s practice. I also get to literally cross the bridge as I help service clients in both our Maryland and Virginia offices. My responsibilities include assisting Curo’s Partners in client meetings, designing and updating financial plans for clients, researching investment ideas, keeping tabs on the current economic and market environment, build out investment allocations, trading model portfolios, creating market update presentations and helping run Curo’s Investment Committee.
What's a recent project you've worked on that you're particularly proud of, and what impact did it have on the company?
I really enjoy helping run Curo’s Investment Committee. When I joined Curo about a year and a half ago, the team was looking for ways to unify our portfolio management process as Curo used to be two separate practices that merged together. It has been an on-going project, but I have been able to help with the implementation of Curo’s new portfolio models that takes the best of both practices. These new models have gone from just an idea in 2023 to actually being implemented with about $125 million invested.
How do you stay motivated and innovative in your role, especially during challenging times?
As a child my favorite board game was Monopoly and from an early age, I had an interest in seeing money grow. I first got into the world of investing when I was in high school. Seeing investment growth and progress overtime despite temporary setbacks helps me stay motivated. As does the market, life has its ups and downs, and it’s good to remember that challenging times can often be those with the most opportunities.
Outside of work, what are some hobbies or passions that you pursue?
Between getting married and buying a house, 2024 brings some exciting next steps in my life. Outside of work, I have recently been focused on doing DIY projects around our new home to make it more functional and beautiful.
Looking forward, what's one goal you have for the next year, either professionally or personally?
I am currently studying for the BFA or Behavioral Financial Advice designation which helps combine traditional financial advice with the fields of Psychology and Neuroscience. It is one thing to give financial advice based on “the numbers”, but for advice to be really effective it needs to take into consideration the complexities of the human brain and psyche. While studying for the BFA I have been able to learn more about how the mind works and how to help clients make better financial decisions.