Instructor Spotlight: Mike Nemzek, Personal Financial Planning

Why did you decide to become an instructor with DCE?

I completed my undergraduate studies as well as the Personal Financial Planning program through UCI DCE in preparation for the CFP® Certification Examination. My instructors were incredible mentors and advocates. Their goals were simple. Not only did they want to prepare students to pass the CFP® Exam, but they also aimed to equip them with the skills needed to stand out from the crowd. My goals are the same. I want students leaving my class to feel empowered to take the next step in their careers as financial planners.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I teach Survey of Financial Planning, which is one of the first courses in the Personal Financial Planning program. This allows me to discuss a wide array of financial planning topics throughout the class, and to help my students sharpen their knowledge of critical financial planning skills.

My favorite lesson to teach is the Time Value of Money. Mastering a financial calculator is essential to a financial planner, and this lesson is very calculator heavy. I love having the opportunity to teach my students the tips and tricks to become proficient with their calculators. It can be a huge confidence booster for students as they are preparing for the CFP® Certification Examination.

What’s unique about your teaching style?

My teaching style is rooted in real life application. While I understand the importance of teaching the content in a textbook, I often try to incorporate actual scenarios where I have applied the concepts throughout my career as a financial planner. This helps me emphasize not only what’s important for the students to learn, but also why it’s important to learn.

What do you find most rewarding about being an instructor?

Most of my students enroll in the Personal Financial Planning program to prepare for the CFP® Certification Examination, which is incredibly difficult. There’s no better feeling than a former student reaching out to me letting me know they passed the exam. Becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ was the best thing I did to advance my career, and knowing my students are embarking on the same path is so rewarding.

What advice would you give to anyone interested in pursuing a career in Personal Financial Planning?

The financial planning field is an incredibly competitive marketplace. Clients seeking the advice of a financial planner have thousands of options when deciding with whom they will choose to entrust their life savings.

A successful financial planner is one who invests in themselves to gain the knowledge necessary to excel at their profession. Not only is it important to master job-specific skills, it’s also critical to be an expert in the industry, adept at the economy, and in-tune with current events. An insatiable appetite to learn will serve a planner well.