Michael Burrello
Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant
Financial Coaching & Counseling Professional Dedicated to Helping You Work Toward Your Financial Goals
Personal Notes
I was born to first-generation American parents who deeply valued hard work and understood the importance of money. From an early age, my parents instilled in me the habit of saving. At just 12 years old, I was delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, and working at a local beverage store. My mother took half of every paycheck and taught me that if I wanted something, I had to pay for it myself.
Upon graduating high school, my mother gave me the money she had saved for me so I could afford a college education. I’ve supported myself since I was 18, and I chose to major in Finance for one simple reason: everyone needs to understand money.
I am incredibly grateful for the lessons my upbringing taught me. Hard work and a focus on saving helped me succeed. Over the course of my career, I’ve worked with people who had savings and investments. While investment guidance is important, I believe the more significant need is financial education: helping people manage their finances, get out of debt, develop a budget, and understand the long-term impact of their financial decisions.
Everyone has goals and dreams, but too many people are stuck in a cycle of working long hours just to get by. This doesn’t need to be the end game. By understanding your goals, educating you with proper financial knowledge, and transforming your habits with the right guidance, you can move toward a healthier financial future.
I am excited and passionate to combined the knowledge I have acquired over my many years in the financial industry with the knowledge of being a Certified Financial Literacy Professional to motivate, educate and guide you to financial wellness.
Bio
I have over 40 years of experience in the financial industry. My career began working with individuals and brokers, and from there, I expanded to larger accounts including insurance companies, banks, mutual funds, and hedge funds. I spent 7 years trading equities before returning to Fixed Income, where I ultimately became Managing Director at a KeyBanc Capital Markets. There, I ran a highly profitable trading business.
From May 2001 to July 2015, I held the designation of Certified Financial Planner. In 2011, I relocated to Chicago to manage a division at BMO Capital Markets, overseeing over $200 million in risk and a trading department. Our division was sold to Piper Jaffray (now Piper Sandler) in 2015, I moved to Charlotte in 2018.
Throughout my career, I’ve advised countless individuals on everything from managing their finances to making investment decisions. After retiring in 2024, I began reflecting on my next steps. In my conversations with people of all ages, backgrounds, and education levels, I discovered a deep need for financial literacy. Motivated by my desire to help others and backed by my extensive financial knowledge, I transitioned into a Financial Wellness Educator role.
Michael Burrello is an NFEC Certified Personal Finance Wellness Consultant℠ (CPFWC℠), Certified Financial Education Instructor℠ (CFEI®), and Certified Financial Literacy Professional℠ (CFLP℠).