By Greg Hutto, CFP®, CFA®
Teacher. Aspiring architect. Coach. Financial advisor. What do these roles have in common? Truthfully, not much, other than me. My career path hasn’t exactly been linear and focused. But when it comes down to it, I realized I could best serve people with my knowledge and skills and passion in the financial world. After seeing firsthand the financial struggles my family faced due to too much debt and a lack of financial planning, I decided I wanted to do everything in my power to help others avoid the angst and worry financial stress can cause.
First Career Steps
That was kind of a downer, so let me regale you with a story from my youth. I dreamed of being an architect for a long time, but I clearly didn’t spend enough time researching this career because I was shocked by the amount of design work required in my first architecture classes at Texas A&M (yep, proud Aggie here!). To put it bluntly, I’m not creative in that sense. Not at all.
Thankfully, I had a professor who quickly noticed he had a fish out of water in one of his classes. In a conversation that changed the trajectory of my career, he asked me about my background, what I liked, etc. Then he said something I’ll never forget, “Greg, you seem pretty pragmatic to me. I think you’d do well at the business school.” I took his advice, went to the Blocker Building, and found my niche.
But wait! It’s not so cut and dry. While I ended up getting a bachelor’s degree in business, I changed course yet again and earned a master’s degree in education from Tarleton State University. I spent years as a teacher and coach before pivoting (see a pattern here?) and entering the financial services industry in 1996.
That’s where I landed for good. I spent 14 years working for financial powerhouses, like UBS Paine Webber and Raymond James and earning the Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designations. These formative years gave me a clear vision for how I wanted to spend my days, prioritizing teamwork, transparency, and trust. I wanted to do more than just manage someone’s money; I wanted to equip them with the tools to manage their finances with confidence and help them pursue goals that mattered. Thus, Heritage Retirement Advisors was born.
Fast-Forward To Today
Now, almost 40 years after walking onto the Texas A&M campus as a misguided future architect, I am president and CEO of Heritage Retirement Advisors. I spend my days building lifelong relationships with my clients so that I can give them the best advice and strategies possible.
There’s a lot I like about my job, but the best part, by far, is when someone walks through my door with little knowledge about, trust in, or comfort with investing and retirement planning. That means I get the privilege of walking them through the process, educating, strategizing, and having many conversations so that they become confident investors. There’s nothing more fulfilling than investing deeply in someone and then having them trust you and the process in return.
Call me Type A, but I’m not happy with myself unless I’m doing something meaningful and helping someone else. I strive to learn better ways to do things so that my clients benefit—with a lot of laughs along the way.
Now It’s Your Turn!
Now that you’ve patiently endured my (career) origin story, it’s time for you to share your story! I’d love the chance to hear about your life, your dreams, your worries, and your financial situation to see how I can help. Give us a call at 817.503.0100 or email info@heritage-retirement.com to schedule a free introductory meeting.
About Greg
Greg Hutto, president and CEO of Heritage Retirement Advisors, comes from a family of educators, so it’s no wonder he holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Texas A&M University, and a master’s degree in education from Tarleton State University. He spent years as a teacher and coach before entering financial services in 1996. After 14 years in the industry working for such powerhouses as UBS Paine Webber and Raymond James, Greg founded Hutto Retirement Advisors LLC in 2010, now Heritage Retirement Advisors. He holds both the Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designations. Additionally, he is the founder of Heritage Tax Advisors LLC. Greg and his wife, Angie, have three children. He likes to cycle, play golf, travel with his family. To learn more about Greg, connect with him on LinkedIn.
