About

​​Som is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional.  She has earned the right to use the CFP® mark of distinction after fulfilling the CFP Board's specific experience requirements, successfully completing the CFP® education requirement, and passing the rigorous 2-day CFP® certification exam requiring comprehensive knowledge of investments, taxes, insurance, employee benefits, retirement planning, and estate planning.  To maintain certification, CFP® practitioners are required to satisfy ongoing education and ethics requirements. 

Som is also a CFA® charterholder.  Chartered Financial Analyst® or CFA® (commonly referred to as the "CFA Marks") are symbols of professional credential granted by CFA Institute -- a not-for-profit professional association with a mission of leading the investment professional globally by promoting the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence for the ultimate benefit of society.  Som has earned the CFA charter after passing three sequential, six-hour examinations, having at least four years of qualified professional experience, joining CFA Institute as a member and committing to abide by, and annually reaffirm her adherence to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.

Som also passed the Series 65 exam, the Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).  The exam focuses on topic areas that are important for providing investment advice.  These areas include topics such as economics, retirement planning, portfolio management strategies, and fiduciary obligations.

Prior to opening Hanvanich Financial LLC, Som earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and International Business from Michigan State University.  She held an academic position at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA and Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH, where she taught strategy, business statistics, and research methods.  She also widely published in academic business journals, including the leading Strategic Management Journal.   

Realizing that her students need more than a college degree to achieve financial freedom, Som decided to help people more directly by establishing Hanvanich Financial LLC as an investment advisory firm.  She also further strengthened her financial and investment knowledge by attending and successfully completing the Master of Science in Finance program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. 

Som and her husband live in Dayton, Ohio.  She enjoys many pursuits, including amateur hiking, snow shoeing, reading, and watching hockey.

Hanvanich Financial LLC was founded by Som Hanvanich, Ph.D, CFP®, CFA.  The firm is a proud member of The Garrett Planning Network, Inc., an organization of professional, fee-only financial advisors.  Founded by nationally-recognized CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional Sheryl Garrett, network members are dedicated to providing independent, objective financial planning services and competent, professional advice to people from all walks of life on a fee-only, as-needed basis.