Zorana Kreca

My focus, drive and passion have a lot to do with where I came from. I grew up in Serbia and graduated in finance from Faculty of Economics in Belgrade, during the 2008 recession. I persevered in my job search and accepted a position with a financial consulting team in Belgrade that had a clear vision as to reforming the country’s financial system. Sadly, our clients were not as enthusiastic about applying the progressive financial planning strategies we advocated. This was due to the prevailing paradigm at the time and the mindset of the general public remaining comfortably in the past. As a result, I packed my bags and headed to New York City where I believed my skillset would be better applied. My goal was to continue the path with the highest fiduciary standards in helping clients. It felt natural to enroll in the NYU Certified Financial Planner program. While obtaining the technical credentials, I joined the Financial Planning Association to apply my knowledge through serving communities in need of financial literacy education. By teaching the Pro Bono classes, I proved to be able to awaken and motivate various groups of people to take control of their financial lives. An important takeaway was: clients do not care about your expertise if you are not able to provide education, life coaching and tell a story that they can relate to and believe in. Having passed the CFP exam, along with the completion of an internship with a boutique financial planning firm, further raised my awareness. Being able to serve as a part of the next generation of financial advisors and leave a significant footprint in the profession - feels beyond rewarding. I take pride in my CFP designation. My primary interest is estate and wealth transfer planning. I feel that this is a piece of the puzzle where a skilled planner can make a big difference in a client's life by listening carefully and offering solutions to complex and deeply sensitive matters.