Breaking down the barriers to financial wellness

Financial wellness should be accessible to everyone: irrespective of their background, income, net worth, or unique circumstances. At Origin, we’ve made that our mission. We want to grant everyone a path toward a brighter financial future.In our quest to build a community of financial planners on Origin’s platform, we’ve come across a number of sobering statistics related to the diversity of voices in the industry.

• Less than 3.5% of Certified Financial Planners are Black or Latinx, compared to the 31% Black and Latinx households living in the United States
• 58% of People of Color have never seriously considered joining the financial services industry
• Only 23% of Certified Financial Planner professionals are women
• The average age of a financial planner is 55, and advisors under the age of 40 account for 11% of the total
• Only 7% of students of color and 8% of low-income students are required to take a personal finance class for graduation

‍

At Origin, our mission of achieving financial planning for every employee, everywhere can only be attained with a community of professionals as vibrant as the clients they serve. Today, after months of planning, we are thrilled to officially launch the Origin Diversity Program with two key programs, our Financial Education Initiative and Financial Scholars Fund.Our initiative will:

1. Make financial education accessible to high school students learning how to manage money for the first time 
2. Help aspiring financial planners from diverse backgrounds become CFP® certified by offering resources and mentorship

‍

1. Financial Education Initiative

We’re proud that through the Origin Diversity Program’s Financial Education Initiative, Origin financial planners will provide digital financial literacy courses to high school students from low-income and underserved communities. The courses will cover the practical steps of managing personal finances. We’re tackling the root of the problem, which enables us to support students along their financial literacy journey at an impressionable age.

‍

2. Financial Scholars Fund

Origin will solve an immediate need by paving the way for diverse populations to make a career in financial planning. Through the Origin Diversity Program’s Financial Scholars Fund, Origin has committed to cover the cost of the CFP® professional exam, training materials, and classes to support the advancement of underrepresented professionals in financial planning, awarding 10 grants valued at $50,000 in this inaugural year. Additionally, grantees will have access to Origin’s diverse financial planner network for mentorship and development.

‍

Note:The 2021 application is now closed. Awardees will be announced in Fall 2021.