February 2021 Student Forum

Student Forum Meetings are intended for current, former and prospective students, and all current and former instructors in the UCSC-Extension Personal Financial Planning Program, and for members of any FPA chapter. These meetings are not open to the general public.

Overview:

Topic: Top 10 Skills and Attributes for New Planners to Master

Panelists: Sarah Burchardt, CFP®, VP – Corporate Financial Conssultant; Renata Carico, CFP®, Financial Advisor, USE Credit Union

Location: Zoom Session

Launching your career as a personal financial planner requires mastery of some key skills. In this UCSC Silicon Valley Extension Student Forum, panelists will share their observations about:

The skills that needed development.
The skills that surprised them.
The skills that they thought were important, but in the scheme of things, were less important.

Some students are challenged by the analysis, calculations and financial software, while others struggle with the softer skills such as client engagement, professional networking, and how to listen like a counselor. We’ll talk about it all to narrow in on the skills and attributes that contribute most to success and avoid some stumbling blocks along the way.

Please join us at this dynamic online session to learn from financial planning professionals as they talk about how they applied their academic learning to their first year in practice.

There will be time for questions.

This event will be held online via Zoom.  We will open with announcements at 11:50 a.m. and stay open for networking and Q&A after the presentation. Registration is required. Check back soon for additional information. Registration will be open soon at www.fpasv.org.  Registration closes on February 24^th, 2021.Click here to register.

About the Panelists: 

Sarah Burchardt, CFP®, works with clients from all walks of life and has been helping people navigate their financial lives for the past six years. Sarah’s recent experience with guiding her sister through a small tech-start up acquisition confirmed her commitment to helping people navigate and embrace the complexity of financial decision making. Sarah likes to work with people to help them turn financial stress into financial confidence. Whether you don’t know where to start or you want to dive deeper into an investment strategy, Sarah has the ability to simplify and activate people to help them make progress and build confidence. Sarah earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Washington University in St. Louis and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. During normal times, Sarah spends her time playing ice hockey, riding horses, and volunteering with the Rotary Club of Menlo Park.

Renata Carico, CFP®, is a Financial Advisor with USE Credit Union in Northern California. In this role, she helps members work toward the future of their dreams with comprehensive wealth and retirement planning and investment management. Drawing on strong analytical skills and her own life experience, she helps both new and experienced investors identify their financial goals, then create and implement plans tailored to their individual situation. Prior to joining the USECU team, she spent eight years with one of the nation’s largest investment brokerage firms, holding the position of Vice President and Financial Consultant. A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, she holds Series 7, Series 66 and California insurance (#0I75340) licenses. She also taught the math course for the Personal Financial Planning curriculum at the University of California, Santa Cruz extension. Renata earned her Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and spent the early part of her career working in Silicon Valley’s high technology and medical device industries. A health, wellness and exercise enthusiast, Renata enjoys spending her free time with family and friends.