Experience

J.J. Schenkelberg, CFA

Following 20 years in the investment industry, it is time to bring a lifelong dream of owning my own investment firm to fruition.  The experience I have gained over the years gives me the knowledge, confidence and capability to help others pursue their dreams and be their partner through financial planning.

My investment career began the summer of 1996 when I split a full time work week between two part time internships.  One for an individual broker and another with a regional brokerage shop.  After completing these internships, I had a deep desire to learn more about the investments I would talk to individual clients about.  After finishing college with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance, I took a job as a management trainee in a large regional bank with the intention of joining the investment team.

Educating myself about investments and financial markets has been a top priority for many years.  While working as an investment analyst focusing on financial, health care and consumer product stocks, I sought to pursue the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.  A Master’s of Business Administration degree from Creighton University soon followed.  

Throughout my 20 year career in the investment industry, I have conducted in-depth fundamental analysis of individual stocks, managed a portfolio of individual stocks, created and managed strategies for high net worth individuals focused on growth, income generation and tax efficiency.  This experience has given me the opportunity to focus on portfolio management from a bottom up perspective focusing on individual stocks, as well as from the top down focusing on asset allocation and portfolio structure based on sectors and international investments.  

Working with clients through the technology bubble and subsequent burst, followed by the real estate bubble and the financial crises has provided me with many valuable lessons.  The two most important include:

  1. Importance of a Plan – Taking the time to understand clients’ goals and risk profile is essential to helping clients stay invested through turbulent times.  
  2. Underlying Value of Investments – Market prices always return to prices that reflect the underlying value of investments.  

Fundamental investing is about not only recognizing market patterns and determining the value of investment markets but going beyond  price charts and understanding the underlying businesses driving market prices and economic conditions.    

Beyond my dedication to the investment industry I am blessed with an amazing husband and two children, and enjoy volunteer activities through our community church as leader of the Development Committee for St. Vincent de Paul, school fundraising and education at our children’s schools, and serving on boards at Marian High School, Kansas State University school of Finance and Omaha Metro Area Transit Pension Committee.   

High Ethical Standards

The CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, enforced through an active professional conduct program, require CFA charterholders to:

  • Place their clients’ interests ahead of their own
  • Maintain independence and objectivity
  • Act with integrity
  • Maintain and improve their professional competence
  • Disclose conflicts of interest and legal matters

 

(The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter is a globally respected, graduate-level investment credential established in 1962 and awarded by CFA Institute — the largest global association of investment professionals.

There are currently more than 90,000 CFA charterholders working in 134 countries. To earn the CFA charter, candidates must: 1) pass three sequential, six-hour examinations; 2) have at least four years of qualified professional investment experience; 3) join CFA Institute as members; and 4) commit to abide by, and annually reaffirm, their adherence to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.

Global Recognition

Passing the three CFA exams is a difficult feat that requires extensive study (successful candidates report spending an average of 300 hours of study per level). Earning the CFA charter demonstrates mastery of many of the advanced skills needed for investment analysis and decision making in today’s quickly evolving global financial industry. As a result, employers and clients are increasingly seeking CFA charterholders—often making the charter a prerequisite for employment.

Additionally, regulatory bodies in 22 countries and territories recognize the CFA charter as a proxy for meeting certain licensing requirements, and more than 125 colleges and universities around the world have incorporated a majority of the CFA Program curriculum into their own finance courses.

 

Comprehensive and Current Knowledge

The CFA Program curriculum provides a comprehensive framework of knowledge for investment decision making and is firmly grounded in the knowledge and skills used every day in the investment profession. The three levels of the CFA Program test a proficiency with a wide range of fundamental and advanced investment topics, including ethical and professional standards, fixed-income and equity analysis, alternative and derivative investments, economics, financial reporting standards, portfolio management, and wealth planning.

The CFA Program curriculum is updated every year by experts from around the world to ensure that candidates learn the most relevant and practical new tools, ideas, and investment and wealth management skills to reflect the dynamic and complex nature of the profession.

To learn more about the CFA charter, visit www.cfainstitute.org.)