​“To have and to hold”, these words are commonly thought of as being part of wedding or commitment vows but for me these words resonate across the board in all things especially finance. When we think about it, we are constantly in the process of working towards accumulating something. Possessions, money, a partner, a home, vehicle, health, relationships, achieving our personal goals, etc. During this accumulation of gathering to “have”; how many of us stop and think the cost of “holding” onto what we have accumulated. Especially when thinking about our personal finances and legacies.

In today’s world we are constantly being bombarded with financial advice, solicited. Every other person on social media is a financial guru, and phrases like “generational wealth”, “how to become a millionaire in 2 years” and “invest in this cryptocurrency today” flood our timelines along with images of everyone “living their best life” while in many cases leaving us wondering what were doing wrong.

In today’s episode of The Grief and Death Talk Podcast I have the honor of speaking with a credible source of financial information Mr. Ricardo Thomas. Ricardo Thomas is a graduate of Loyola University where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance. He is a Registered Financial Consultant and Chartered Federal Employee Benefits Consultant. He also became a fully licensed investment broker at the age of nineteen. He is a practicing financial consultant and is the president of THOMAS-WADDELL & Associates, Inc., a financial consulting & asset management firm with clients across the country. He has also, worked as a Divorce Financial Analyst, served as an expert witness, and consulted on divorce cases where expert opinions were needed on divorce settlements. He is also a former contributing financial writer for both Perspectives Magazine and Women of Excellence Magazine.

In addition, he is a former adjunct instructor at Delgado Community College and taught financial-related classes as a part of the University of New Orleans’ Project Pass program. His work in personal finance has been featured in the Times-Picayune, N.O. City Business, New Orleans Tribune, Barnes & Nobles Bookstore, as well as other publications around the country. Mr. Thomas is a member of the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants. He is also involved in the community by serving as a board member for the past 19 years for Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana where he is currently vice chairman of the board. He is also a board member of the Urban League of Louisiana and is the current president of the Urban League Guild.

He is also a former president of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans Young Professionals. Additionally, he is the immediate past chair of the Executive Council for WWNO FM radio, the local NPR affiliate and lastly, as a member of the African American leadership council for Compassion and Choices, a national non-profit focused on end-of-life planning. Over the years he has made numerous presentations on radio, television, and newspaper pertaining to a variety of financial topics. He is also the recipient of many awards including “Who’s Who among U.S. Executives”, “Who’s Who in Finance and Industry”, the & New Orleans; City Business Power Generation Award and was named a recipient of the 5-star Wealth manager award for financial planning and was featured in New Orleans magazine.

Connect with Ricardo Online

Website http://www.thomaswaddell.net/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-twaconnect/

Twitter https://twitter.com/twaconnect

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thomaswaddellassociates/

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