Founder & Chief Education Officer at FinLit Tech | Author | Financial Literacy Advocate | Public Speaker

Mac Gardner

Work to promote Financial Literacy and Financial Wellness through my work as a published author, Financial Literacy advocate, and Founder of FinLit Tech.

* Serve as a Public Speaker for various Financial Planning/Financial Literacy/Financial Wellness topics.
* Our books "Motivate Your Money!" and "The Four Money Bears" are used by Financial Advisors and Certified Financial Planners across the country to promote Financial Literacy.
* Work with financial services industry leaders like eMoney to create a 1 hour CFP Continuing Education course based on "The Four Money Bears" book.
* We are developing a #FinLitTech contest called the "FinTech Bullpen" to promote more collaboration between FinTech and FinLit industries. 

I also support the newly created University of South Florida - Personal Financial Planning degree program as an original member of their Advisory Council.

I am a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) practitioner and I also hold the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®), Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS® )and Certified Wealth Strategist (CWS®) designations.

Advisory Board Member - Inclusion Lives Here

FinLit Tech is on a mission to "Build a Bridge Between Financial Literacy & Financial Technology".  As Chief Education Officer, I work to develop financial education content, provide research & market data, and connect FinTech resources to create digital platforms that are used to increase Financial Literacy and promote Financial Wellness.  Our organization works with leading Financial Services firms, FinTech companies, and Educational Organizations to provide Financial Education tools for all ages.

FinLit + FinTech = FinLit Tech

Financial Literacy + Financial Capability = Financial Wellness

The journey continues...

Founder & Chief Education Officer

Advisory Board Member

The USF Muma College of Business proposes to establish a new undergraduate-and-graduate degree program that will make it a nationwide destination of choice for people seeking in-depth training, and successful careers in financial planning.

The Personal Financial Planning (PFP) program will focus its resources on the looming nationwide shortage of Financial Advisors and Financial Planners. It will provide fundamental training in wealth management, financial & estate planning, portfolio analysis, sales, marketing, and interpersonal
communications. The Muma College of Business will recruit students from across the country to participate in the program. This will provide a well-trained local talent base, as well as a qualified pool of talent for career opportunities in financial services nationwide.

Advisory Council Member - Personal Financial Planning Degree Program

The Four Money Bears financial literacy educational platform was created to promote the awareness of financial choices in the minds of young children.  The first book, "The Four Money Bears" was published in April 2015.  Since that date, the book has reached thousands of elementary school children across the country.  The goal of The Four Money Bears initiative is to help children understand the why and how behind their financial decisions.  This understanding will lead to kids practicing healthy financial habits today, and in the future, become adults making smarter decisions with their money. 

Book Overview:

The Four Money Bears teach kids the four basic functions of money. Join Spender Bear, Saver Bear, Investor Bear, and Giver Bear as they teach kids ways to use money. When they work together they learn to build a budget and teach each other how to better manage their money today and for the future. By following the four simple Money Bear rules you can make your money work for you.

1) Spend Cautiously
2) Save Diligently
3) Invest Wisely
4) Give Generously


www.TheFourMoneyBears.com
#TeachKidsMoney
#MoneyMentor

Author | Financial Literacy Advocate | Public Speaker

If you’re looking for straightforward and easy to understand financial guidance, you’ve picked up the right book. Over the past two decades, as the world of personal financial planning has become more complicated than ever, Mac Gardner has consistently managed to synthesize the most complex financial strategies into a coherent, easily understood message to his clients. This ability to relate to them and set realistic expectations for them is what has moved many of his clients to consider Mac an integral financial resource in their lives.

Mac believes that life is a collection of experiences and stories shared by those we encounter on our lifelong journey. He has spent his career collecting and sharing stories about finance and personal financial planning—stories covering retail banking, trust administration, commercial lending, investment management, private banking, and comprehensive wealth management.

Author

As a Private Wealth Management consultant, I assisted both SunTrust Advisors and their clients by providing education and sales management support for various protection products, such as Life Insurance, Variable Annuities, Long Term Care and Disability Insurance. This is achieved through Goals Based Wealth Management and a Comprehensive Financial Planning process. During this process we addressed numerous Wealth Management Areas that are critical to Build, Manage, Preserve, and Transfer wealth to and through retirement. I also worked to address DoL practice management concerns with advisors and assist with preparing the firm's advisory force for new fiduciary standard practices.

I am a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) practitioner and I also hold the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®), and Certified Wealth Strategist (CWS®) designations.

Vice President

As the Branch Director of Executive Planning at The Noble Group I assist clients by providing Comprehensive Financial Planning Services. We practice Goals Based Wealth Management. During this process we address 14 Wealth Management Areas that are critical to Grow, Manage, Protect, and Transfer wealth. Some of these focuses are:

- Asset Allocation and Investment Strategy
- Qualified Retirement Plans/IRA Distribution Planning
- Non-Qualified Executive Compensation Plans
- Concentrated Stock Options
- Financing a Lifestyle Purchase
- Life, Disability, and Long Term Care Insurance
- Business Succession Planning
- Charitable Gifting During Life and at Death
- Transfer of Wealth to Spouse, Family, and Individuals

Branch Director of Executive Planning

Mac, an advisor with more than 17 years of experience in the financial services industry, specializes in investment management, insurance planning, retirement planning and estate planning.  He practices Goals Based Wealth Management and provides comprehensive wealth management services to assist his clients as they plan to and through retirement. Financial success achieved through knowledge, planning and a disciplined approach to managing wealth is something he firmly believes in.  His knack for making complex financial strategies easy to understand and his approachable demeanor put clients at ease. As he listens to clients’ life stories, he picks up on ideas that help define their financial destiny through planning.

• Provided comprehensive Wealth Management Solutions to high net worth clients of USAA with investable assets above $1,000,000.
 • Focused on comprehensive financial planning utilizing industry leading financial solutions.
 • Proactively managed client’s overall financial profile including non-qualified investment assets, qualified assets, retirement accounts, insurance, income planning, estate planning and real assets.

Wealth Manager

• Provided comprehensive Wealth Management Solutions to high net worth clients of TIAA-CREF with pension assets above $750,000.
• Focused on comprehensive financial planning utilizing NaviPlan software.
• Proactively managed client’s overall financial profile including non-qualified investment assets, pension assets, insurance, income planning and real assets.
• Served as producing Branch Office Manager supervising 7 registered representatives in the Houston office.
• Managed a $500 million portfolio with approximately 500 clients.

Wealth Management Advisor

• Provided comprehensive wealth management solutions to high net worth clients based in South Florida.
• Focused on Executive Compensation Packaging utilizing investment, insurance, and bank products.
• Proactively managed client’s overall financial profile including depositary assets, investment assets, and credit accounts.
• Served as Executive Compensation / Qualified Plan specialist for the South Florida Premier Banking & Investment Group.
• Managed a portfolio of approximately 160 families with net worth valued between $500,000 and $7 million.

• Worked closely with wholesalers and financial advisors providing retirement knowledge expertise.
• Educated financial advisors and consumers about retirement issues by conducting retirement planning and estate planning seminars.
• Conducted key account meetings with national brokerage firms, regional brokerage firms, and banks on various financial planning issues. 
• Hosted seminars for advisors and business owners focusing on retirement plans including; IRA’s, Small Business Plans, 401(k), 409A, Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation, COLI, ESOP, Defined Benefit Plans, Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA), Income Planning and overall retirement planning issues unique to high net worth clients.
• Conducted CE seminars for advisors on a wide range of financial planning topics.

Advanced Markets Wholesaler

• Specialized in sales, marketing and business development of 401(k), 403(b), 457, Defined Benefit, 412(i), 409A, COLI, ESOP, and Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation retirement plans.
• Responsible for the training and support of over 30 brokers, 20 commercial lenders, and numerous trust administrators to grow retirement plan assets.  
• Cultivated and maintained client accounts utilizing security products such as mutual funds, stocks, bonds, wrap accounts, annuities, IRA’s, UIT’s and insurance.                                            
• Accumulated approximately $50 million in Assets Under Management

• Successfully completed formal corporate credit training program based in the Commercial Banking Division.
• Responsible for financial analysis, credit analysis, and cash flow analysis of South Florida’s largest corporations and wealthy clients.
• Structured Working Capital, Accounts Receivable, and Real Estate collateralized loans, Revolving Lines of Credit, and Letters of Credit.
• Gained exposure to Capital Markets Division, Municipal Lending, Corporate Real Estate, Treasury Management, Merchant Services, and Securities.