MEG CURRY, CFP^®

My path to financial planning was definitely not a straight line. I consider myself a major career changer.

In 2001, when the high tech bubble burst I found myself without a job. I took a contract customer service position at a large financial services institution, where I overheard numerous conversations with clients who were taking out huge loans against their retirement accounts! While for some it may have been a fund of last resort, from what I could gather many folks were simply using their retirement savings as a kind of bank. My interest was piqued! Didn’t people understand they were forgoing future opportunities? That started the wheels turning for me. I wholeheartedly believe that when we provide solid education, we can empower people to make good choices for themselves. If clients understood the impact of their financial decisions they might have acted differently.

Separately (and because I’ve always been interested in “the fine print,”) I took a tax preparation class and was told, “I had a strong tax head.” That was another sign that pointed me to financial services.

When it became clear that there wasn’t a path for me back into tech, I decided to take myself back to school. I enrolled in the Master’s in Financial Planning program at Bentley University, and earned a graduate certificate in taxation to further expand my knowledge and nurture my “strong tax head,” a comment reinforced by my tax professor.

What I love about Beck Bode is the fact that it is fee-only. I could never work on a commission basis. Even though Beck Bode is growing it has a small company feel to it, which I also appreciate.

CREDENTIALS AND OTHER INTERESTING FACTS

• My Bachelor’s degree is in Computer Science from Boston University.
• I earned my CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional designation (CFP®) in 2010.
• I’m a swimmer, a treasured gift from my mom, and a cyclist. When I decided to embark on this career change, I fulfilled a dream by cycling cross country the preceding summer – 4,200 miles – finding many swimming holes along the way!
• My favorite causes include the American Heart Association, the Boston Area Gleaners (which does impressive work by sharing excess harvest from local farms with food banks) and Budget Buddies, a financial literacy program targeting low-income women.