Financial Services Professional & Financial Literacy Advocate

Sharon Byrd is an NFEC Certified Financial Education Instructor℠.

Sharon D. Byrd is president and chief executive officer of Byrd Consultants LLC, a business dedicated to retirement planning and educating the public on the policies and procedures of the Social Security Administration (SSA). As the chief executive of Byrd Consultants, Byrd works with corporations, government agencies, wealth managers and educational institutions to explain options individuals face throughout their lives. The consultancy provides expert advice and counsel through workshop presentations and seminars, classroom training, and extensive research on complex personal cases. Prior to establishing Byrd Consultants LLC in 2017, Sharon Byrd enjoyed a 30-year career with the Social Security Administration, where she became a trusted and reliable source on all agency matters. As the Public Information Officer, she was highly sought as a speaker and presenter for area businesses. Byrd’s extensive knowledge in retirement planning led her to develop a series of classes for baby boomers at community colleges on retirement, survivors’ benefits, disability and Medicare. To address unique issues faced by women, she developed the course “What Every Woman Should Know” about Social Security. A detailed-oriented professional with a penchant for collaboration, Byrd, through a partnership with the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, convened more than 10 social services agencies to educate their staffs on policies and procedures on disability. She also established partnerships between the Social Security Administration and the ALS Foundation, and the Area Agency on Aging. As a Social Security Subject Matter Expert (SME), Byrd developed pre-retirement seminars for large employers, including Boeing, Emerson, Anheuser-Busch, Enterprise Holdings and BJC Healthcare. As a claims representative with SSA, Byrd met face-to-face with many bereaved clients as they applied for survivor’s benefits following the loss of a loved one. And she was highly sought by clients and colleagues for her vast knowledge of disability and Medicare. Byrd earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and has taken post-secondary courses in gerontology.