Second-Generation Advisor Becomes 100,000 CFP Certificant

Simone Lee of Bedminster, N.J., is the daughter of a Jamaican immigrant who leads a Merrill financial planning practice.

|

A New Jersey advisor with Merrill Wealth Management has become the 100,000th Certified Financial Planner professional in the U.S., the CFP Board has announced.

“We are honored to welcome Simone Lee as the 100,000th CFP professional,” said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. “Her path to CFP certification reflects the evolving financial planning profession, as younger people pursue financial planning careers and diversity within the CFP professional community grows.”

Based in Bedminster, N.J., Lee, 31, is a first-generation American and a University of Maryland graduate who transitioned from a career in IT to pursue financial planning. Her mother, Judith Lee, CFP, immigrated from Jamaica and leads a Merrill financial planning practice focused on comprehensive wealth management. In 2019, Simone joined her mother’s practice as a financial advisor.

Latest News

See all >>

Healthcare Rollbacks Will Hurt Many Older Americans: KFF

Health policy experts anticipate fallout for early retirees and nursing-home residents under the new budget reconciliation law.

Tariff Volatility Drives Investors to Actively Managed Funds

Analysts say active managers focused on three factors may lead them to outperform the broader market in the months ahead.

Georgia Ponzi Scheme Duped 300 Investors Out of $140M, SEC Alleges

First Liberty Building & Loan started by making bridge loans to businesses but switched to a scam, investigators say.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Offers Opportunities for Advisors, Investors

Financial advisors need to understand these changes to serve their wealthy clients properly.

Being ‘Wealthy’ Harder to Achieve Since 2021

Inflation and soaring costs have raised the amount Americans think it takes to be wealthy. And the number varies by generation.

Vanguard Announces Three New Treasuries-Based ETFs

Vanguard Fixed Income Group now offers 36 fixed income bond ETFs, including 28 index.