new year, new career St. LouiS
Looking to go in a new direction? 2026 may be the time to do it.
Becoming indispensable to your workplace
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Tips to help you climb the work ladder
(StatePoint) In today’s employment landscape, which is characterized by technological disruption, protecting your career against restructuring efforts and downsizing is essential. Here are three ways to become indispensable to your company:
Be a leader
Become someone that your colleagues, supervisors and supervisees trust, respect, and look to for insight.
Doing the bare minimum is a fast track for fading into the woodwork. Instead, become someone that your colleagues, supervisors and supervisees trust, respect, and look to for insight. Make a point of having a broad understanding of your department and company’s overarching goals and priorities so that when you speak up in meetings, you’re doing so from an informed, holistic standpoint. Identify processes that need fine-tuning and share ideas for implementing them. Showcase your ability to lead by volunteering to oversee high-visibility projects and by becoming a mentor to interns and new staffers.
Get the right certification
In many industries, acquiring the right certification can impact your income, advance your career and help make you a vital member of your company. Take financial advising for instance. Certified financial planner certification has been considered the standard for 50 years. In fact, 79% of CFP® professionals say they have a competitive edge over other financial advisors.
Highly valued by consumers — 90% say they feel more confident working with an advisor with a financial planning designation — CFP professionals are employed by more than 10,000 firms across the United States and research shows they get better results for their clients.
Prestigious designations like CFP® certification have rigorous standards, demonstrating to potential employers and clients alike your talents, ethical standards and capabilities. And because maintaining certification requires continuing education, your employer will know that you are staying on top of developments in your field, so you can remain positioned as a stand-out team member. To learn more, visit CFP.net.
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Be willing to pivot
Organizational strategies and priorities can change over time. Understanding these shifts and being flexible is essential to staying relevant at your company. This may require learning new skills and software, obtaining new certifications or even going back to school. The important thing is being willing to pivot if needed.
With the right attitude, and a willingness to invest time and energy to develop your professional skills, you can advance your position in your company and secure your place as an essential member of the team.
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Are you financially prepared for the New Year?
(StatePoint) A new year is a chance to embrace a wallet-friendly mindset and make a fresh financial start. But what changes will make the most impact?
Certified financial planning professionals are sharing their favorite resolutions for 2026:
Calculate spending: Before any other money planning in 2026, you need to calculate your spending. Did you end 2025 with more money than you had
at the beginning of the year? If so, your budget is likely in good shape and you can thoughtfully leverage excess funds to pay down debt or save for a specific goal. If you’re facing a net deficit, it’s time to cut spending where you can or identify ways to increase your income.
Build savings: Make 2026 the year you automate savings, increase your contributions to your retirement accounts and adopt a “pay yourself
first” approach to building your nest egg. The sooner you take these steps, the longer you’ll have to watch your savings grow. Your financial advisor can help you determine how much you’ll need for the future you want — whether that involves becoming a homeowner, paying for your children’s college education or taking an early retirement. They can also provide strategies for reaching these goals.
Adopt tax planning
strategies: Learn how new tax rules ushered in by the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” could impact your taxes. A CFP® professional and your tax advisor can help you understand the changes and strategize accordingly so you can maximize benefits and minimize missteps.
Review your insurance coverage: One unexpected event can have devastating financial consequences without the right insurance. Review your policies to
determine whether they meet your current needs and add coverage where necessary. This is also a good opportunity to comparison shop among providers to ensure you’re not spending more than you need to.
Seek expert guidance: Varied factors such as insurance, investments, taxes and credit work together to form your complete financial picture. Make working with a CFP® professional a New Year’s resolution.
They are specially trained to holistically evaluate all these components when offering financial advice. Visit LetsMakeAPlan.org to find a CFP professional near you.
This year, don’t be afraid to take a deep dive into your finances to determine whether your current financial plan is working. A few small tweaks may be all you need to course correct for a brighter financial future.
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(StatePoint) Looking for a high-paying job in a growing profession?
Here’s what to know about some of today’s top professions offering generous compensation and good job security:
Health care
The U.S. population is aging, and the demand for health-care professionals is growing. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports that nurse practitioners and physician assistants are among the top 20 fastest-growing professions nationwide, both earning median pay well over $100,000 per year. Trusted and valued by patients, peers and physicians, both career paths offer rich intangible rewards, along with long-term job security.
Top high-paying jobs that are in demand
Financial planning
A growing talent shortage in the financial planning profession means that this career path is likely one that will offer job security for years to come.
In fact, a recent study by McKinsey & Co. predicts that by 2034, U.S. wealth management firms could be about 100,000 financial advisors short of the number needed to fulfill customer demand.
In particular, consumers and firms are actively seeking advisors who meet specific requirements; 81% prefer an advisor who takes all areas of their financial life into account and 90% see an advisor’s certifications as important. This is why CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLAN-
NER® certification can give financial planners at
any stage of their career a leg up. During the certification process, CFP® professionals develop deep subject matter expertise in everything from tax and estate planning to retirement income analysis and debt management.
With a median annual compensation of $185,000, financial planning is a job
that pays well. And given the rigorous, comprehensive training CFP® professionals undergo, it’s no surprise they earn 13% more than other financial planners, and commonly receive generous benefits packages and other perks.
To learn more about the financial planning profession, along with the nu-
merous career advantages
CFP® certification affords, visit CFP.net.
Information technology
With technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing being introduced into workplace processes, organizations
will need freshly-minted information technology (IT) professionals with expertise in these areas to seamlessly implement these tools into their business models. At the same time, IT professionals are needed to protect companies from emerging cybersecurity threats. With a median salary of $169,510 and an unemployment rate at just 1.4%, according to U.S. News and World Report, IT managers are well-compensated and job-secure.
Whether you’re a young person investigating post-graduation opportunities or a mid-life career-changer, understanding industry trends can help you align your career goals with greater financial security.
Five financial moves to make right now
(StatePoint) Smart money decisions can give you a head start on the future you want!
Whether you’re newly graduated or well into your career, certified financial planner professionals say you should make these five financial moves right now:
Create a budget. Research finds that 83% of Gen Z-ers and millennials have experienced regret about their spending decisions. Crafting a budget means making mindful choices about how you
spend your money, which can eliminate financial stress. However, if the term “budget” fills you with dread, try calling it a “spending plan” instead. The important thing is to get started and find a process that works for you.
Build an emergency fund. According to the Federal Reserve Board, only 55% of Americans had three months’ worth of expenses in emergency savings in 2024. In the event of an unexpected expense, such as hospitalization or home repairs, a
rainy-day fund can save you from accumulating debt or dipping into retirement savings. A CFP® professional can help you adjust your budget to divert savings into an emergency fund to cover at least three to six months’ worth of fixed expenses.
Start saving for retirement now. It’s never too early to begin saving for a comfortable retirement. If your employer offers a retirement savings plan, sign up for it now and put as much in as you can, especially if your company
offers matching contribu-
tions. You don’t need an employer-sponsored plan to save for your golden years, though. Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs are also good vehicles for retirement savings.
Take a big-picture approach. From paying down debt and growing your investments to managing taxes and insurance, reviewing your overall financial picture can help you reach your personal goals. That’s where the help of a financial advisor who has your best interests
in mind comes into play. A CFP® professional can serve as a financial coach, integrating the many components of your financial plan and providing valuable advice at any stage of your life.
Don’t make a move. It may sound counterintuitive, but once you’ve charted a financial path, sometimes you should simply leave it alone. According to financial experts, historically speaking, world events and the volatility of the market are not reasons to rethink
your investment strategy or rewrite your game plan. However, tweaking your plan to accommodate changing personal circumstances is important.
To hire a CFP professional, visit www.LetsMakeAPlan.org.
These five financial moves will create the foundation for a strong financial future. A financial planner can help you start strong and reach your money goals.
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