Texas Tech University

Personal Financial Planning Alumnus Passes CFP® Certification Exam and Uses Knowledge to Impact the Community

Mallory Collins

August 18, 2022

Andrew Lamis will work as a financial advisor with Edward Jones

Andrew Lamis will work as a financial advisor with Edward Jones

Andrew Lamis received his bachelor's degree in Personal Financial Planning (PFP) from Texas Tech University's School of Financial Planning. Lamis recently passed the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) exam. Using knowledge from his degree and passing the exam, Lamis can now work with clients to provide personal financial planning advice. 

The CFP Board provides this certification to individuals working in personal finance that want to expand their skill set and credibility within the field. The CFP® certification exam tests the ability to apply financial planning knowledge to real-life scenarios. The CFP® prepares financial planners to provide clients with the best financial advice for their situations. 

"The CFP® certification is a well-known designation within the industry that signifies a level of expertise of the financial planner," Lamis said. ""It shows that they've gone above and beyond to add credibility to their skill set, as well as set an ethical standard for themselves when working with clients.”

The CFP® certification covers areas including the financial planning process and principles, tax planning, income and retirement planning, and other essential topics. Lamis said he prepared for the exam with review materials and practice tests. He spent many hours studying for the CFP® certification exam and used knowledge from his Personal Financial Planning courses to pass. 

"As I was reviewing for the exam, I did see some materials that I hadn't seen in class, but overall I saw a lot of things I had seen before and I did feel prepared," Lamis said.  

The courses in the PFP program helped Lamis and other students become certified financial planners. Faculty and staff prepare students to enter the field through business-focused coursework and an emphasis on personal connections. Lamis said the professors and instructors had impacted his journey to becoming a CFP®. 

"The PFP program has professors who are familiar with the CFP exam and trained to teach curriculum geared toward passing this exam," Lamis said. "Their goal is to help you pass the exam and the program intends to teach the materials that help you get the certification and use that knowledge in your career as a personal financial planner."

In September, Lamis will start as a financial advisor with Edward Jones. In his role, he will assist clients in putting together comprehensive financial plans for retirement, life insurance, health insurance and more. Lamis was motivated to pursue a career in personal financial planning because he wanted to help others with their financial circumstances. 

"I enjoy financial planning, but I also want to help people," Lamis said. "I love this profession because it's a great way to combine those two. Ultimately, I wanted to help them achieve their goals, and I'm excited to get started."

Lamis will be using knowledge from the School of Financial Planning and skills gained from organizations he was involved in. He was a part of Red to Black, the Personal Financial Planning Association, and served as a PFP Ambassador, where he could make connections and learn from his peers and advisors. Lamis want to encourage current and incoming students to get involved.

"I think going outside the box and trying to grow yourself in more than one way is important to making yourself well-rounded and ultimately more successful as a student and in this profession," Lamis said. "It's not just meeting people, and it's not just the knowledge; it's taking advantage of all the learning and growing opportunities available to you and putting in the extra effort to build yourself up for success.”

Like many students, Lamis found ways to get involved and prepare himself for a career that will help impact his community. There are many opportunities to succeed in the college of human sciences through organizations, degree programs, community involvement or career connections. 

"When I first visited Texas Tech, I remember thinking how welcomed I felt not just by the PFP program but by the college in general," Lamis said. "With all the opportunities inside and outside of PFP, there's so much the school has to offer, and it's always a welcoming and pleasant atmosphere that every student has a chance to thrive in given the opportunity."