Meet the Team: Jack Carter
At YeskeBuie, we believe every team member plays an important part of shaping the Client experience, through steady effort and genuine curiosity and heart.
Today, we’re excited to introduce Jack Carter, one of our Financial Planning Interns, whose curiosity, teamwork, and intentionality help strengthen the ways we support Clients and their families. From rethinking how younger audiences engage with financial literacy to soaking up the art of Client meetings, Jack brings a fresh student perspective and a deep respect for the responsibility of this work at YeskeBuie and in the profession.
YeskeBuie: Hi, Jack! We’re can’t wait to learn more about you through this Meet the Team spotlight, so let’s dive in. Could you tell us a little about yourself and what brought you to YeskeBuie?
Jack: Absolutely. I’m currently a junior at Virginia Tech studying Financial Planning and Wealth Management on the CFP® track. I’m super excited to start a career in financial planning, and I feel really lucky to have had strong mentors already.
I was first introduced to YeskeBuie through Cole DeLucas, who’s been an incredible mentor to me. Then one of my professors mentioned internships, and around that same time Yusuf gave a presentation at an FPA meeting at Virginia Tech. Hearing about the firm’s mission really resonated with me. I remember thinking, “They are the best, and I want to be great, as well.”
YeskeBuie: We love that our mission of empowering people to pursue their Live Big lives stood out to you and made that kind of impact. After spending some time with the firm, what types of projects have you worked on that directly support our Clients?
Jack: One big project has been the financial literacy project that Bradley and I have been working on. The firm has a lot of great resources for Clients to learn about their lives and their finances, and we’ve been able to reassess those materials, focusing on younger audiences.
Our goal was to make the content resonate more with college students or people around our age who are just beginning their financial journey. I’ve been talking with finance majors and even non–finance majors to get feedback on what lands, what feels confusing, and what could be more useful. The collaborative experience has been amazing, and helps make the final product better for both non-Clients and Clients at the same time.
YeskeBuie: We love to hear that you’re bringing these conversations into new spaces. From this project and the others you’ve worked on, can you talk more about what you’ve learned about Client care at YeskeBuie?
Jack: In financial planning, there’s a really high standard for Client care. Advisors need to be familiar with all the details of someone’s life to help them get where they want to go. That’s something I’m really excited to do in my career.
What I’ve noticed here at YeskeBuie is how the financial planners separate themselves from the idea that a meeting “should” go in a certain direction so the Client can steer it. The team is meeting Clients where they’re at, even if what the Client brings up isn’t the hard financial data everyone prepared for. It’s been cool to witness how being present for what matters most to the Client impacts our relationship with them and our service to them.
YeskeBuie: That’s a thoughtful observation, and an important skill to learn early on. Building off that, what’s something new you’ve brought to the team that you’re proud of?
Jack: I think the biggest thing is my perspective. I’ve been a beneficiary of solid financial planning myself, so I understand what it feels like to be on the receiving end of this kind of care.
That’s helped me bring a stronger understanding of how powerful it is to start the relationship early — before someone thinks they “need” financial planning. You can start planning anywhere along the way, and I think there’s a lot of value in reaching people towards the beginning of their financial lives.
YeskeBuie: It’s awesome that you’re holding onto the “Client side” of the experience while you’re learning the planning side. As you continue to grow in the profession, how has your perspective as a student shaped the way you approach your work here?
Jack: As students, we’re exposed to a lot of different firm structures and compensation models. We hear about all these ways an organization can work, so it’s really interesting to compare case studies with reality.
Now that I’ve experienced fee-only, it seems like the best way for financial planning to work. It really makes me feel like Clients truly do come first. Fee-only means planners aren’t getting a commission, so nobody has to make a choice between putting themselves or a Client first. Everyone is already set up for success because the structure supports what’s right.
YeskeBuie: That kind of clarity is huge, and it’s so important to us to live up to our fiduciary standards. What skills are you developing during your internship that you hope will make a difference for Clients in the future?
Jack: One major skill is learning how to find answers I don’t already know. Being able to say, “I’m not sure, but let me get back to you,” and then go find the right answer independently is a valuable skill, and I’ve had a lot of opportunities to practice it here.
I’m also building comfort with the firm’s CRM and seeing how much value a well-run system adds. And I’ve been observing Client meetings, which has been one of the coolest parts. No two advisors do it the same way, and watching different styles helps me think about how I want to show up someday.
Another big area has been meeting preparation, specifically helping with prepping financial reports and drafting emails for planners on the team. That’s felt like the culmination of everything I’ve learned. When preparing, I need to go through everything and highlight what the planner might want to have top of mind, and that has really stretched my thinking about what matters most for the Client walking into a meeting.
It’s interesting because the financial planning team might initially highlight different action items than our Clients. Seeing that contrast has been helpful in learning how to hold both Client and planner perspectives at the same time. It shows how preparation supports the Client experience in a way that’s thoughtful and intentional.
I’ve also learned a lot just from how meetings begin. We’ve talked about starting with, “What’s top of mind for you?” and it really shows how the firm’s style gives Clients space to lead with what matters most (financial or otherwise). I’ve been surprised (in a good way!) by how much time meetings spend on things that aren’t directly financial, but are still deeply connected to a Client’s life.
YeskeBuie: We do love that question and how it helps our team show up for the ways Clients need. Overall, how has this experience influenced how you want to serve people in your career?
Jack: It ties back to everything YeskeBuie stands for. Everything here is so intentional — the way work is done, the way meetings are run, how people approach relationships. It feels like the best arrangement for the Client, and honestly, this is what financial planning should look like.
Seeing that in action has set a standard I want for myself. I want to carry that same level of excellence and Client-first focus into my career.
YeskeBuie: Thank you for that insightful reflection on your time here and what you plan to take away from the experience. One last question: have any fun plans coming up that you’d like to share?
Jack: I recently visited my sister in Tampa, and we went to the St. Pete Country Music Festival. It was great — I was excited to see 49 Winchester and Red Clay Strays perform!
YeskeBuie: Jack, thank you so much for the energy and intention you’ve brought to the team. And thanks for taking the time to share your story. We can’t wait to see what’s next for you.