Community Highlights: Meet Jason Irving of Irving Planning & Investments, Ltd.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Irving

Hi Jason, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I got my degree in Psychology and Political Science at the University of Colorado Denver in 2003. I enlisted in the U.S. Army as a Mental Health Specialist and left for Basic Training about a month after graduation. I served for four years, including 2 years at a clinic in Schweinfurt, Germany. After leaving the military, I moved to Tokyo and taught English for about a year.

When I returned from Japan, an old friend of mine suggested that I look at applying for a position with Charles Schwab. My father was a investment advisor, but up until that point I had never considered that as a field of interest.

I decided to give it a shot and applied as an entry level call center representative with Schwab Bank. I really enjoyed the company, the people and the environment and that was the beginning of my career. After a year or so of getting my feet wet, I moved over to the mortgage side and worked as a Loan Officer while studying for my Series 7 and 63 licenses. Once I obtained them I went to work in the Margins department, working with pattern day-traders.

After a couple of years there, I got my Series 66 and landed a position in Schwab’s Private Client department. I loved the personal connections I made with clients while honing my skills as an advisor, and began studying to become a financial planner. I was with Schwab until 2020, when Covid hit.

After Schwab sent everyone to work from home, my dad asked if I would like to come work with him. I figured it was time for a change, and I joined Irving Planning & Investments. I finished up my Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designation, and over the next couple of years I got to know all of the clients and learned how to run the business. My father decided to retire at the beginning of 2024, and my wife Allison and I bought the business, and that’s where we are today.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s had it’s ups and downs. I think I had to overcome the fact that I had no previous experience or study in the financial world, but I’m very glad that Schwab took a chance on me. Studying wasn’t always the easiest for me, and I had to take a couple of examinations more than once.

Also, since I enlisted in the army after graduating college, and then taught English for a bit afterward, I felt like I was behind a lot of my peers as I began my career in my late 20’s. A lot of people I knew had been in the workforce for a while, and had homes and were beginning families. I was getting my first one-bedroom apartment. I think that is more normal today, but it was a bit different almost 20 years ago now.

I also started in the finance industry in 2008, the beginning of the great recession, which was interesting. I wasn’t personally affected too much at that point, as I basically owned nothing, therefore I had nothing to lose!

We’ve been impressed with Irving Planning & Investments, Ltd. , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a small, family run Registered Investment Advisor, built on over 5 decades of combined financial experience. The firm was established by my folks in the early 1990’s, and I came over from a 12 year career at Charles Schwab in 2020. My wife, Allison, also previously worked as a manager of a team of brokers at Schwab, and we bought the firm at the beginning of 2024.

We specialize in Comprehensive Financial Planning, investment and portfolio management, tax and estate strategies, social security advice and planning, education planning strategies, debt management and financial education.

I think that our legacy as a family business makes us unique, as our family’s reputation is represented in the way we serve our clients. Most of our clients have been with us for many years, and we now work with many of their children and grandchildren as well. I’m also able to connect with military service members in a personal way, being a veteran myself.

We also pride ourselves on our transparency, including our fees. We strive to reduce unnecessary costs, and you’d be hard pressed to find rates more competitive than ours.

Ultimately, we believe that the foundation of good business starts with trust.

What matters most to you?
The heart of what we do stems from our faith, our love of family and the desire to serve others in meaningful and lasting ways.

We love spending time with our kids, friends and family, watching the Broncos and taking trips to the mountains. I also love creating music in my spare time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.irvingplanning.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554647799010&sk=about
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-irving-chfc%C2%AE-66058271/