The mission of the Garrett Financial Education Alliance (GFEA) is to help underserved Americans by providing financial education to enhance their financial knowledge and empower them to make positive changes in their financial lives. Our financial education focuses on steps to manage and prevent financial crisis.

Who do we assist?

Some of the groups we have identified as being  in need of our help include:

  • Underserved Americans who are facing financial transition or possible crisis due to unemployment, mortgage foreclosure, natural disaster, or other adversities.
  • People with limited resources who are potential victims or victims of unethical and abusive practices by financial service providers.
  • Young adults, including high school and college students. Our financial education will prepare and empower them to make healthy choices for their financial future.

How do we reach these people?

To date, GFEA has trained approximately  60+ independent financial professionals  located throughout the United States for the purpose of spreading professional quality financial education — education that helps people learn what they NEED to know — without a product sales agenda.

Our Mission is being deployed through these  Trained Educators who can best address their area’s  needs on a grass roots, community-by-community basis.  The method of delivering educational programs can vary depending on the audience, number of attendees and location.  Some programs may be open-to-the-public, while others are presented  through a sponsoring group or employer.

How are we different?

It’s likely that you’ve  been exposed to financial literacy courses in the workplace or a public forum. Given the average course and the typical presenter’s lack of delivery skills, you are not alone if you were unimpressed. The problem is that good-hearted presenters, who are poorly trained or ill-equipped to offer a professional level of financial education and advice, will always miss the mark.  Courses are either too “light” – offering little insight – or too “dense” – making attendees mentally check out from a sense of overwhelm – or too “dry” – causing even the most interested learner to doze off.

To complicate things, some financial companies send out sales people with a thinly veiled agenda to “educate” employees. These people are typically “wolves” dressed in sheep’s clothing. We  do not believe this is the way to serve those who need our help.  They already have enough stress in their lives and adding sales pressure is counterproductive.

GFEA Trained Educators must adhere to GFEA guidelines which require that they:

  • hold the CFP® designation
  • are practicing  fee-only financial planners
  • have completed  the GFEA Trained Educators Training Program.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.