Steve Doster, CFP^®

Steve first discovered his interest in finance and investments shortly after graduating from The University of Arizona in 1993 with a BS in mechanical engineering. He accepted a position in an intensive training program along with twenty other recent graduates. Steve’s first employer, a Fortune 500 company, offered excellent health and retirement benefits. “I was surprised and slightly embarrassed that my new coworkers and I were baffled about what choices to make among all the retirement and investment options presented to us during the new employee orientation,” stated Steve.

It was then that he realized the education system does not address the basics of financial planning. It wasn’t his fault that twenty intelligent, college-educated kids didn’t know this stuff. However, no one would be to blame except himself if he didn’t do something about it. So he jumped in head first to self-educate himself by reading every financial book, magazine, and newspaper he could get his hands on. It wasn’t long before his interest in financial planning developed into a passion to help his friends and family navigate the maze of retirement savings plans, tax laws, and investment options.

In 2003, Steve went on to earn an MBA from Arizona State University with a specialization in finance. Upon graduation, Steve accepted a position in Southern California with JPMorgan Chase as a financial analyst working his way up to a client manager and vice president. After several years working at a large financial firm, Steve became a Certified Financial Planner™ professional and started his own financial planning firm in 2009. He met Sheryl Rowling five years later and, as they say, the rest is history!

Educating clients to help them achieve their unique life goals is what Steve enjoys the most about financial planning.

His industry association memberships include:

• National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA)
• Financial Planning Association (FPA)
• San Diego Equality Business Association (SDEBA)
• Columnist for San Diego Uptown News

On the personal side :

Steve loves to get outdoors. Hiking is his first choice and the local trails will be the most likely place to find him on the weekends. He also likes swimming, biking, and yoga to stay healthy while having fun.

Something you may not know about Steve:

He’s been taking sailing lessons so that he can begin chartering catamaran sailboats in exotic locations around the world. His secret dream is to live on a 42 foot catamaran for a year or two while sailing the Sea of Cortez and Central American coastline.