What started as a job with national finance company VALIC eventually led Yanez to start his own business, Full Circle Financial Planning, which opened an office in East Lansing at 201 1/2 E. Grand River Ave., on Feb. 1.

When Yanez started his own financial planning company in August 2009, he took with him a list of clients from his old position, meeting with them at their home or business until opening up the new office.

“I didn’t want to work for somebody my whole life,” he said. “But I also wanted to help people.”

The office is located near some of Yanez’s current clients, which include some MSU employees and students.

Students are prime targets for financial planning and advice, he said.

“Unfortunately, this stuff isn’t taught in school,” he said.

He said students are looking to make money either by working or investing, so financial planning is a logical step.

Yanez meets with clients free of charge for the initial appointment, and if they decide to use his services he will advise them on finances and invest their money with various companies, including banks such as Fidelity Investments.

“You have a lot of employees who don’t really know what needs to be done,” he said.

On a daily basis Yanez does not hold set hours but meets with clients when available.
Yanez said often, his clients refer him to their children or friends, adding to the list of customers he speaks with.

Art history sophomore Sylvia Canchola said she tries to spend her money wisely, but said financial planning still remains important in today’s economy.

“If you’re careless with your money, it’s not going to be good,” she said. “I like to save my money, I only spend it when I have to.”

Economics professor Charles Ballard said in an email that difficult economic circumstances during these past several years have led a lot of people to exercise greater care with their finances.

“Financial planning and budgeting is useful at every stage in life,” he said in the email. “Much of it involves being systematic and careful and thinking about things. It is easy to slip into making spending decisions on the spur of the moment.”

Ballard said if students save money now, it can pay off later in life.

“It’s especially important to be careful with money early in life, because a dollar saved today is worth a lot more than a dollar saved 20 years from now,” he said.

Yanez said his decision to start his own business was risky but has paid off so far.

“I wanted to be an example for going off and starting your own thing,” he said. “There’s so much reward.”