Ted’s adventure into his financial planning career started with some curiosity, a passion for helping others, and a little bit of luck.
Throughout his school years, Ted knew he loved numbers and math. While attending UC Irvine, he began helping campus clubs with their finances. One day he noticed a college counselor using the personal finance software Quicken and asked him more about it. To his surprise, he took a great deal of interest in the computer program and how it could aid in finance management.
Acknowledging the enjoyment he took from his work with the campus clubs and using Quicken, Ted began wondering if there was a career that involved helping families and businesses manage their finances and investments. Yet at the time, he was considering a law degree and was about to start an intern position at a law firm. He didn’t know it then, but right before his first day Ted received a call that would change his life: the position was being given to someone else.
As luck would have it, a friend of Ted’s was a teller at a local bank and helped him quickly pivot to a job there. Once again, Ted found himself helping people with their finances, but this time he was getting paid for doing it. His career had begun!
That was 1994. Fast forward to today: he still loves finance software and still loves assisting others. Helping successful business owners and managing multigenerational capital are among his top passions.
Ted is a partner with WealthSpring and oversees the financial planning team. He started at American Express Financial Advisors (currently Ameriprise Financial, Inc.) in 1999. Ted formed Douglas, Athans & Associates Wealth Management Group in 2009 along with Jay Douglas. Jay and Ted teamed with John (now retired) and Leslie to form WealthSpring in 2016.
As a longtime member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) he has served as a San Gabriel Valley Chapter board member. Ted and his family are very active in the Chino Hills community which they have called home since 2003. He holds local workshops providing pro bono financial education and his family participates in different charities through volunteering and fundraising. The Chino Hills Community Foundation, Rancho Del Chino Rotary Club, Financial Peace University, IHC Mexico Home Build Mission Trip, and the IHC Benevolence Fund are among the non-profits and charities of which the Athans family has helped.
Ted is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, an Accredited Investment Fiduciary® and he has a BA from University of California Irvine.