2019 Innovator: Ted Jenkin

2019 Innovator: Ted Jenkin
CEO, oXYGen Financial
FEB 04, 2019

When you grow organically to $1.2 billion in assets under management in nine years, you must be doing something right.

Ted Jenkin, CEO of oXYGen Financial Inc., co-founded his firm in 2009 after a long stint with a large corporation. He decided to appeal to the financially emerging and then-untapped Gen X and Y markets.

He attributes much of the firm’s success to his early embrace of social media. Most people search for an adviser online, so Mr. Jenkin aggressively experimented with new strategies via blogging, YouTube and podcasting.

“You cannot succeed on social media by being Switzerland. Those who succeed socially in life tend to have a viewpoint and a voice,” Mr. Jenkin said.

He cited several early-to-market innovations that attracted younger people to his firm (the average client age is 47):

• Inventing and trademarking the term “private CFO”

• Charging clients on a monthly basis • Providing account aggregation

• Changing the look of the office to feel homey and welcoming

The leap into entrepreneurship wasn’t hard for Mr. Jenkin. He learned what it was like to rely on his own wits at 18 when his father passed away and left the family with no money.

“It spurred me to get into this business,” he said. “And I made the choice not to fail. I never forget what it’s like to have nothing.”

Latest News

Warren and Wyden press FINRA on ACATS transfer fraud gap
Warren and Wyden press FINRA on ACATS transfer fraud gap

Senators say brokerages leave accounts exposed to fraudulent transfers without verification, intensifying pressure as FINRA weighs its own fraud-hold rule

Forbes advisor list update: Morgan Stanley drops it, owner says changes are coming
Forbes advisor list update: Morgan Stanley drops it, owner says changes are coming

Meanwhile, the founder of advisor list gives reasons for secret $6 million payment to editor.

U.S. Bank names chief private banking officer for wealth unit
U.S. Bank names chief private banking officer for wealth unit

Internal C-level promotion comes as US Bank builds out private banking, athlete-focused advice and alternatives infrastructure.

Why planning is the only strategy that holds in every market
Why planning is the only strategy that holds in every market

A structured financial plan doesn't just prepare clients for the future, it transforms how they respond to the present.

Gemini, Apex deal reflects prediction markets move towards mainstream retail investing
Gemini, Apex deal reflects prediction markets move towards mainstream retail investing

Regulated prediction markets for retail brokerage clients is the latest sign that prediction markets are entering the mainstream investing toolkit.

SPONSORED Direct indexing webinar targets tax-loss harvesting amid market swings

Northern Trust’s Ken Lassner shows advisors how to convert volatility into after-tax portfolio gains

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income