Cristina Campbell, CFP®, is passionate about assisting her clients in reaching their financial goals by creating effective financial plans and investment strategies. She has over 13 years of experience in the financial services industry and specializes in retirement planning. While studying for her MBA in Financial Planning, Campbell had the opportunity to work at Empirical Wealth Management. Campbell has worked for several companies, including Charles Schwab and Fidelity Investments. Her previous experience and the CLU program have prepared her to continue servicing her clients.
Her financial planning career journey began in the early stages because she loves numbers and working with people. However, she was unsure if her clients would take her seriously because her clients would be working with a young financial advisor. Furthermore, while studying for her undergraduate degree, she knew that she loved people, numbers, and establishing a relationship with clients. She chose the MBA Financial Planning Program at California Lutheran University because the program will advance her knowledge. Also, “during my undergraduate, I did not have real-world experience. With the advancement of technology and the rise of fintech companies, I wanted to stay ahead of the curve. I love education and learning too because we never stop learning.” Several reasons to attend CLU are “the flexibility the program offers, the advancement of the courses, and the price of the program.” The most impactful course for her was the small business planning course because it was a learning experience, and the course was eye-opening when working with small businesses clients. Also, the applied research in financial planning because the course is eye-opening. She is writing a research paper on financial literacy in children and the available tools for children to learn financial topics. Finally, she advises students to “be ready to roll up their sleeves and do not think about it too much. Taking one course at a time allowed me to focus on that particular topic.”
To prepare for the CFP®, she mentions that she completed her course work at UC Berkeley and purchased a “robust crash course from Kaplan.” After studying through the course, she felt more prepared to take the six-hour exam. Also, she advises that “you do not need to learn everything in the tax code; only the conceptual basis will be enough to help you answer the questions in the exam.”
Cristina Campbell, CFP®, is a Lead Advisor at Empirical Wealth Management. A typical week at Empirical Wealth Management begins with scheduling quarterly client meetings and client reviews to meet with clients to stay up to date with their current situations. If some of her clients went through life-changing events, she would map out how it would change their overall financial situation. Also, she spends a third of her time prospecting for new clients, and some of her clients are referred directly from Charles Schwab.
In the next 5 to 10 years, she wants to continue working at her firm and someday become a partner. The final pieces of advice that Campbell offers to students are, “It does not happen overnight; incremental changes make a huge impact over the course of your lifetime. What I learned is that adding small amounts over time adds value.” Also, “it is important not to get stressed out about the little things. Focus on the big picture, work hard, and be kind to people.”
About Cristina Campbell, CFP®:
Cristina Campbell, CFP®, is a student at California Lutheran University studying for her MBA in Financial Planning. She is a Lead Advisor at Empirical Wealth Management, who assists clients reach their financial goals, creating and implementing their financial plans, and developing effective investment strategies. With over 13 years of experience, she specializes in retirement planning and strategies.
About the Author:
Rafael Nieves Rios is a graduate student at California Lutheran University, graduating in 2024. He is studying for an MBA in Financial Planning. In February 2020, he created a personal finance blog called Financial Crumbs.
Cristina Campbell, CFP®, is passionate about assisting her clients in reaching their financial goals by creating effective financial plans and investment strategies. She has over 13 years of experience in the financial services industry and specializes in retirement planning. While studying for her MBA in Financial Planning, Campbell had the opportunity to work at Empirical Wealth Management. Campbell has worked for several companies, including Charles Schwab and Fidelity Investments. Her previous experience and the CLU program have prepared her to continue servicing her clients.
Her financial planning career journey began in the early stages because she loves numbers and working with people. However, she was unsure if her clients would take her seriously because her clients would be working with a young financial advisor. Furthermore, while studying for her undergraduate degree, she knew that she loved people, numbers, and establishing a relationship with clients. She chose the MBA Financial Planning Program at California Lutheran University because the program will advance her knowledge. Also, “during my undergraduate, I did not have real-world experience. With the advancement of technology and the rise of fintech companies, I wanted to stay ahead of the curve. I love education and learning too because we never stop learning.” Several reasons to attend CLU are “the flexibility the program offers, the advancement of the courses, and the price of the program.” The most impactful course for her was the small business planning course because it was a learning experience, and the course was eye-opening when working with small businesses clients. Also, the applied research in financial planning because the course is eye-opening. She is writing a research paper on financial literacy in children and the available tools for children to learn financial topics. Finally, she advises students to “be ready to roll up their sleeves and do not think about it too much. Taking one course at a time allowed me to focus on that particular topic.”
To prepare for the CFP®, she mentions that she completed her course work at UC Berkeley and purchased a “robust crash course from Kaplan.” After studying through the course, she felt more prepared to take the six-hour exam. Also, she advises that “you do not need to learn everything in the tax code; only the conceptual basis will be enough to help you answer the questions in the exam.”
Cristina Campbell, CFP®, is a Lead Advisor at Empirical Wealth Management. A typical week at Empirical Wealth Management begins with scheduling quarterly client meetings and client reviews to meet with clients to stay up to date with their current situations. If some of her clients went through life-changing events, she would map out how it would change their overall financial situation. Also, she spends a third of her time prospecting for new clients, and some of her clients are referred directly from Charles Schwab.
In the next 5 to 10 years, she wants to continue working at her firm and someday become a partner. The final pieces of advice that Campbell offers to students are, “It does not happen overnight; incremental changes make a huge impact over the course of your lifetime. What I learned is that adding small amounts over time adds value.” Also, “it is important not to get stressed out about the little things. Focus on the big picture, work hard, and be kind to people.”
About Cristina Campbell, CFP®:
Cristina Campbell, CFP®, is a student at California Lutheran University studying for her MBA in Financial Planning. She is a Lead Advisor at Empirical Wealth Management, who assists clients reach their financial goals, creating and implementing their financial plans, and developing effective investment strategies. With over 13 years of experience, she specializes in retirement planning and strategies.
About the Author:
Rafael Nieves Rios is a graduate student at California Lutheran University, graduating in 2024. He is studying for an MBA in Financial Planning.