Cade Phillips

Senior Client Service Associate at AFS 401(k) Retirement Services, LLC 

Why I get up in the morning

Every morning when I get up I think about whose life I can possibly change that day. The best way I can create a positive change in someone’s life is to support our team of advisors as they help our client work towards their goals,  whether it be helping someone figure out how to best pay down their debts, building their emergency savings, or planning for their retirement to name a few. 

How I got here

Growing up in rural Virginia, I witnessed the day-to-day financial challenges many people face firsthand. When I received my car and began working at a local grocery store to pay for gas and insurance, I would see friends and neighbors come in and struggle to pay for everyday essentials. While seeing this was disheartening, it is what led me down the financial planning path.

My entire life I’ve always wanted to do something that would allow me to help others. Ultimately, I was fortunate enough to join the Certified Financial Planning track at Virginia Tech, and after three years and many challenging courses, I was able to achieve my B.S. in Finance from the Pamplin College of Business with a focus on Financial Planning. I joined the AFS 401(k) team in July 2018, and I look forward to putting my skills and knowledge into action to help fulfill the AFS mission – we believe everyone deserves to live their best life.

What I do really well

My greatest strength is my attitude while working with others. I love getting to know people and hearing their stories. Every person has a unique situation and I want to help each person. Hearing people talk about overcoming financial obstacles and what they are planning to do with their newfound financial happiness is what gets me excited about financial planning.

I also love to assist our advisors by piecing together financial plans. Working on these is like putting together a complex puzzle. It starts out as a scattered mess and it seems like there is no possible way to put it all together. However, as goals are created and changes are made the puzzle slowly starts coming together. The satisfaction I get from helping advisors put together this plan and seeing it being put into action is what I enjoy doing.

Who I am really

I was born and raised in Grayson County, Virginia in the small town of Elk Creek, which sits on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. I currently live in Falls Church and love to explore Tyson's Corner and Washington D.C. looking for new places to go out with friends. Music is also a huge part of my life, I always have earbuds in and a concert planned. Being so close to so many concert venues has been one of the highlights of the move. I dabble with my piano when I have time and want to learn to play the drums and bass. I’m also a big college sports fan when it comes to my alma mater, Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!!!). 

About AFS 401(k)

We are an independent financial advisory team located in Bethesda, MD. We believe everyone deserves to live their best life. We are on a mission to help working Americans take control of their finances and save for their long-term future. We work with many companies, non-profits, and trade associations in the Washington, DC, and mid-Atlantic area, to help them enhance their employee benefits offering, and work directly with employees to help them take meaningful steps towards building a healthier financial life.