Marguerita Cheng is not your typical financial planner. As CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth, her approach is centered around her client’s unique needs rather than a minimum amount of money. "I love the holistic focus. It's not just stock picking and trading. It's about planning and wealth management," she says.
Blue Ocean Global Wealth is a financial planning firm that focuses on helping clients achieve their financial goals through comprehensive, customized financial planning strategies.
With over two decades of experience in the financial industry, Marguerita believes that being wealthy is not just about financial wealth but also emotional, physical, spiritual, and social wealth. She says that everyone deserves to be financially resilient, regardless of their age, socioeconomics, or background. "Financial planning leads to financial wellness so people become more resilient. Everybody deserves to be financially resilient." says Cheng.
Prior to founding Blue Ocean Global Wealth, Marguerita was a financial advisor at Ameriprise Financial and an analyst and editor at Towa Securities in Tokyo, Japan. An in-demand financial writer and speaker, Rita has contributed her expertise to numerous media outlets including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Reuters, Kiplinger, Huffington Post, U.S. News & World Report, Time and more.
Cheng's passion for financial planning is rooted in her desire to help people manage, grow, protect, and use their wealth in ways that resonate with their passions and priorities. "Money means different things to different people. It's important to respect, honor, and understand where they're coming from," says Cheng.
Her passion for financial planning comes from her belief that it has the power to transform lives, which is why she doesn’t require clients to have a minimum amount of money to work with her. She helps people who are just starting out, have gone through a major life change like divorce or loss of a loved one, or just need a reset to know where they are.
Marguerita has volunteered with CFP Board since 2007 (when CFP Board relocated from Denver to Washington, D.C.). She serves as a Women’s Initiative Advocate (WIN). She is a founding member of CFP Board’s Diversity Advisory Group (DAG), has served on the Planning Committee of the Center for Financial Planning’s Diversity Summit each year since its inception, and has served as a CFP Board Ambassador since 2012.
She believes that the future of the finance industry lies in the hands of leaders who are empathetic and can connect with clients on a personal level. "The new leaders are empathetic. When you invest the time, clients can feel that you care,” says Cheng.
She believes that creating a safe, inclusive space for clients is the key to building trust, understanding, and strong relationships. "If you're lecturing, shaming, or bringing in your own biases, you haven't created a space for meaningful conversations."
Her inclusive approach to financial planning has earned her the loyalty and respect of her clients. "If someone needs to be technical, I can be technical with them,” says Cheng, “But if people are overwhelmed or intimidated, I can communicate in a way where they don't feel like I’m talking down to them."
Cheng has been named a Woman to Watch by InvestmentNews, the #4 Most Influential Financial Advisor in the Investopedia Top 100 in 2022, and a Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise (MBE®) by the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC). She is also a recipient of the prestigious Japanese Monbukagakusho Scholarship.
When asked what she’s looking forward to experiencing in Kiplinger Advisor Collective, Cheng shared, "I’m excited to connect with new people and learn from each other. This is a great opportunity to collaborate and help elevate one another's businesses.”