Leaning Into Your Neurodivergent Strengths

The January 2025 Neurodivergent Planners Knowledge Circle will be held on January 29th, 2025 at 12 pm ET.

Guest speaker Aaron Coates will be presenting, "Leaning Into Your Neurodivergent Strengths."

In this Knowledge Circle Aaron will share his Neurodivergent self-discovery journey and how it has helped him in his financial planning career and even to visualize the concept of FPA NexGen that has impacted thousands of financial professionals since its founding.

After starting his career at a wirehouse in 1995, Aaron found a proper home a year later at an independent RIA in his hometown of Elkhart, Indiana. Compass Wealth Advisors was a solo firm of Paul Reasoner, an experienced and capable CFP certificant. As Compass grew, so did Aaron, into a highly technical planner handling the most complex client situations. As Compass added advisors, Aaron was promoted to partner and CIO.

Following his CFP Certification in 2000, Paul encouraged Aaron to attend FPA Retreat 2003. Impassioned by meaningful connections with professional icons, yet discouraged by the lack of young attendees, Aaron approached Ben Coombs (who would become a mentor) about Ben’s plan to train pioneers to mentor younger planners. At 2004’s Retreat, Aaron persuaded Michael Kitces and two other planners to form a related group of younger planners that would become FPA NexGen, which Aaron led for the first few years. In 2006, attempting to recreate the feel and affordability of Retreat’s earliest years, Aaron chaired NexGen’s first conference. The significant growth and impact of NexGen are thanks to the long list of talented and tenacious leaders that followed and the unwavering support and investment of FPA.

Aaron has received numerous professional awards and recognitions, has written articles, co-authored a book on retirement income planning, and presented to national and local chapters of planners all over the country on various topics. Aaron is grateful to have discovered his professional calling, humbled to have contributed to passing on the legacy of those pioneers, and thankful for the deep friendships that have resulted.