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Joel Anderson, MBA

Associate Financial Advisor
What do you love doing outside of work?
I enjoy spending time with my two young children, especially taking them to parks and different parts of the city. I also enjoy gardening. I have my own vegetable garden, grow native wildflowers, and even have a mini orchard (apples, pears, pawpaw). I love growing food, sharing my bounty with neighbors, and teaching my kids how to be self-sufficient and be good stewards of the earth. During the pandemic, I also picked up several other hobbies like pottery, poetry, and star gazing.
Why did I decide to become a financial advisor?

I initially became interested in financial literacy and saw the devastation that can occur when families don’t have the adequate knowledge to save money and invest for the future. I experienced this growing up, and I saw how money can empower people to live more intentional, more fulfilled lives.

When I was getting out of the military I really wanted to stay in a role where I could serve and work closely with people.


What’s one of my favorite things I’ve helped a client change in their life (financial or otherwise)?

At my prior firm, I got really interested in legacy planning. When thinking about legacy, most clients would say that they would leave whatever money was leftover when they die to their kids. But there’s more than money to a person’s legacy!

So I started to capture people’s stories. The lessons people learn and the lives they live are so important and when they die that all disappears, and that’s a travesty! Your personal legacy is more important than money. If you asked someone what they wanted to leave for their kids, they wouldn’t say money, they would say they wish they told their kids something or did something.

I created a keepsake book and then did a “book release.” The client used it and shared her stories with the people that were close to her. She was so grateful and the process of going through her story was really powerful. The things that were the most important to her are getting passed down to the people she cares about the most. I helped her upload her story to the Library of Congress to be preserved forever.

What experiences do I bring to my work helping clients?

In order to be a good financial advisor you have to have a heart of service, you have to want to serve and help people. Prior to this I was in the military and the medical field. Working in hospitals and emergency medicine overseas I really developed a love of people and a love of helping others.

I realized that a financial advisor has to be good at listening. I volunteer at a crisis line and through that I learned the importance of being present and listening. You don’t even have to offer advice, just listen and that is impactful.

I have my MBA and that helps with the analytical part of the job. Projects, models, an understanding of Modern Portfolio theory, all of that helps me serve clients and make a difference for them.

 

I love making a difference in my community by…

I volunteer for an organization in Pittsburgh where we help to resettle Afghan refugees who are here on a refugee visa. I worked with Afghanis when I was there in the military and I wanted to continue that connection back home in the US. I think it’s important to create a sense of community and for them to feel like they belong. Pittsburgh is not very diverse but is very welcoming. Helping those in need create a community makes a world of difference to them.

MS, Financial Planning, Golden Gate University (In process, expected date of completion of May 2023)

MBA, Fox School of Business at Temple University

BA, Health Services Administration, University of Arizona

Meet the Team