Meet Ella Radberg.

She’s graduating on Saturday, December 17 with her bachelor’s degree in risk management and insurance, with a focus in financial planning.

Before going down the financial planning route, Radberg originally wanted to be a nurse.

“I just knew I wanted to help people,” Radberg said.

But realizing that the medical side of things was not the way she wanted to help, she looked at UNT’s programs and found financial planning.

“Financial planning is a lot more personal, and lets me work one-on-one with people,” she said.

Radberg said she has always been interested in saving and investing money, and now she can help other people in that field for a living.

“I liked how you get to sit one-on-one with people and see them progress in their lives, and see them reach their goals,” Radberg said.

While at UNT, Radberg served as a moderator for the Demystifying Financial Planning event, presented by Schwab Advisor Services in partnership with Schwab Foundation. She got to interview a panel of some of the top financial advisors in the Dallas, Fort Worth area.

She also served as a student ambassador at the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) Spring 2022 National Conference in Atlanta. It was there where she found out that she wanted to work for a firm that was fee-only, rather than one that also takes commission.

“I feel like fee-only is more ethical… you’re really there to just help the client with whatever they need and you’re not trying to sell them anything else on the side,” Radberg said.

Starting her financial planning career off early, she was recently hired part time by Aspen Wealth Management, and will move to full time after she graduates.

Radberg also plans to sit for her CFP exam next July, which is the highest certification in the financial planning field.

If she could give any advice to students looking into the financial planning field, she says it’s to take advantage of your professors and their resources.

“Take full advantage of the resources your professors send you, because they’re doing it for a reason,” she said.

Radberg wants to thank UNT Professors Mark Evers and David Ragan for giving her the resources and opportunities to further her education and kickstart her career in financial planning straight out of college.