Jacob Prater

What sparked your interest in financial planning? What fuels you every day in your work?

My interest in financial planning started when I was in college. Coming up on graduation with student loan debt, reality began to set in, and I realized I needed to learn how to manage money for myself. I dove headfirst into the personal finance world, and as I learned more and more, anxiety and fear were replaced with peace and hope for the future. I started hitting my own financial goals and dreaming of what the future can hold. I quickly developed a passion for personal finance and knew that I wanted to help others achieve their goals and use money as a tool to build a life they love.

What do you feel is a strength that you have?

A strength of mine is the ability to simplify complex topics so they are easy to understand. I love thinking of visual illustrations or metaphors to different topics to drive home a point. There is no better feeling than seeing someone have an “aha” moment and knowing I was able to play a part in that.

When you retire you’re going to…?

When I retire, I plan to do plenty of traveling with my wife and to spoil my future grandkids. I plan on playing lots of golf and making it to every Clemson football game I can!

Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?

I grew up in Westminster, South Carolina before moving to Western North Carolina to attend Montreat College. My wife and I now live in Black Mountain, North Carolina.