Education is the equalizer between surviving and thriving

I didn’t find the financial services industry — the financial services industry found me.

I came to this profession as a second career. Before that, my life revolved around basketball. After college, I played professionally in the United States and Europe. That was my first career, my passion career and the path I expected to stay on. When injuries brought that chapter to an abrupt end, I entered a period of transition that forced me to take a hard look — not just at what I would do next, but also at how prepared I truly was for life beyond the court.

What I had at that point were discipline, resilience and a level of financial success. What I lacked was what most people call financial literacy. I now describe it differently.

Financial education was not part of my environment or my schooling when I was growing up. No one taught me how money actually works, how decisions compound over time, how risk shows up in real life or how financial choices today shape options tomorrow. Like many people, I earned money before I understood money.

That gap became unmistakable when my first career ended.

In the shadows of transition from my first career to what would become my second, I learned a truth that still guides my work today: Education is the equalizer between surviving and thriving. Not information. Not terminology. Education. The kind that translates understanding into action.

Financial literacy vs. financial education

What most people refer to as financial literacy is often presented as knowledge: concepts, definitions and high-level explanations. While literacy is valuable, literacy alone is incomplete. Information without application rarely changes outcomes.

That’s why I focus on financial education.

Financial education is practical and foundational. It teaches the fundamentals and shows people how to apply them. It takes abstract ideas — such as interest, time and risk — and turns them into usable decisions people can make in their everyday lives. It answers the real questions: What comes first? What matters most? How do I apply this to my situation?

Financial literacy introduces the language of money. Financial education teaches people how to use it.

When I began educating myself, I wasn’t planning a career change. I was trying to understand how the money I had earned could either work for me or work against me. Over time, that education, combined with a desire to help others avoid the same blind spots, became my second career and my purpose.

Meeting people where they are

As financial professionals, we know educated individuals make better decisions and are more likely to achieve long-term security. Still, too many efforts assume everyone starts from the same place.

They don’t.

Even people who work hard and earn well may lack foundational financial education. Backgrounds differ. Exposure differs. Experience differs. Effective education must reflect that reality.

If I were coaching a group of players who had never touched a basketball, I wouldn’t start with complex plays. I’d start with the fundamentals — how to hold the ball, how to dribble, how to move with intention. Only then does advanced skill make sense.

Financial education works the same way.

For those with little exposure to finance, education must begin with basics: earning, spending intentionally, saving consistently and understanding how money grows. Talking about advanced strategies before those fundamentals are established creates confusion, not confidence.

Education as a community commitment

As NAIFA’s 2026 president, I’ve spent time engaging with members of Congress on the importance of community-based financial education delivered by financial professionals who live and work in the communities they serve.

The goal is simple and deliberate.

We are not entering communities to sell products or introduce unnecessary complexity. We are there to teach fundamentals and offer practical tools people can use immediately, along with education that respects lived experiences and builds confidence through understanding and application.

These efforts align closely with the mission of the House Financial Literacy and Wealth Creation Caucus, which NAIFA strongly supports. At the state level, NAIFA chapters continue advocating for personal finance education as a high school graduation requirement. Today, 30 states have taken that step, recognizing that financial fundamentals are as essential as math, science and language skills for young people stepping into adulthood.

Why financial professionals matter

Financial professionals are uniquely positioned to lead in this space. We are members of our communities. We understand local challenges, economic realities and practical constraints. More important, we know that good advice starts with education, not products.

Empowering people to make informed financial decisions for themselves is central to our responsibility. When individuals understand the fundamentals, they are better prepared to plan, manage risk, prepare for retirement and build generational wealth.

Once people know how to dribble, we can help them decide when to drive the lane, take the shot or make the extra pass.

From the backcourt to the boardroom, I’ve learned that financial education is more than a skill set. It is a catalyst. Done well, it doesn’t just change individual outcomes. It changes lives and nourishes communities for generations to come.  

Christopher Gandy, founder and CEO of The Legacy Wealth Group, has been elected President of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors for the 2026 term. Contact him at [email protected].