Carrie Aburto found her calling in helping people achieve their financial goals

When Carrie Aburto graduated college, nothing would’ve indicated she was headed for a successful career as a financial professional. “I didn’t want to do sales, I didn’t want to be a business owner, and I didn’t want to be an entrepreneur,” she said.

The owner of Core Wealth Management stumbled into being a financial advisor at the recommendation of her then girlfriend — now wife — to attend a presentation on financial planning. “Once I went and learned that being a financial advisor means working with numbers, which appeals to me with my business degree, and also working with people, I was pretty much hooked,” she said.

“My clients reap the benefits of having someone with so many varied experiences packaged into this atypical, motivated advisor.”

– Carrie Aburto, Advisor & Owner, Core Wealth Management

For Carrie, it was the daily nuts-and-bolts work of being a financial planner that opened her eyes to a fulfilling career choice. “The carrot, for me, was working with clients in a way that I thought they should be worked with, which meant that I had to be my own boss, and that’s pretty much how I fell into things,” she said.

Carrie’s unplanned path to a career as an advisor was anything but typical. For her, this is par for the course. “I don’t consider myself a typical advisor. In fact, if I wasn't my own boss, I would be a great diversity hire because I'm a young, Hispanic woman in the LGBTQ community. Not the typical financial advisor boxes,” she said with a laugh. “But I love that, and my clients reap the benefits of having someone with so many varied experiences packaged into this atypical, motivated advisor.”

Transitioning to LPL

About 10 years ago, Carrie met an LPL Financial advisor in the latter stages of his career who needed help with his clients. “I worked with him for eight years. Then two years ago, I bought his business, and that was that,” she said. It was a seamless process and easy transition for someone who didn’t really want to be a business owner in the first place.

The transition was a welcome relief for Carrie, who’d left a restrictive broker-dealer relationship. “They had proprietary products, and were very involved in your practice. That was okay when I started as an advisor, but as I grew and wanted more independence, I saw that LPL was a much better fit,” she said.

In terms of building a reputation, Carrie focuses on and promotes her core values, which she permeates every aspect of her practice. “Honesty, integrity, education, those are table stakes, of course. But, my differentiator is my natural curiosity. I like to dig deeper into my clients’ lives and push them a little further than they’re used to,” she said.

Digging Deep. Solving Problems.

It’s her drive to understand her clients and their needs that has helped her – and them – succeed. “My favorite part of this job is qualitative. I like taking the time to dig deep and ask questions that no one has asked them,” she says. “I’ll ask them about their parents’ money habits. The things in life that bring them joy.” It’s a personal approach to wealth management that endears her to her clients and helps ensure that her strategies are precise and aligned with their goals.

LPL, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Carrie’s passionate about equity and inclusion and has been involved in LPL’s Diversity and Inclusion group for more than a year. “I’m in the Hispanic and Latino group and the Pride Advisors Council,” she said.

She feels the work is important not only from a networking perspective, but in supporting LPL’s efforts to create a more inclusive workplace. “The joy of being an independent advisor is that you can do whatever you want, but sometimes it feels like you're on an island. Being a part of those groups allows you to reach out to someone across the country to whom you feel an affinity, and share best practices,” she said.

Advice for Advisors

With that in mind, what words of wisdom does the accidental advisor have for would-be financial professionals who are considering a career in wealth management?  “Keep an open mind. If I’d kept to the limits that I had set for myself initially — not wanting to be a business owner, not wanting to go into sales — I never would’ve been where I am today. Don't set those limits on yourself in the beginning. You'll figure it out,” she said.


The views and opinions expressed by the LPL Financial Advisor may not be representative of the views of other Financial Advisors and are not indicative of future performance or success. Neither LPL Financial nor the LPL Financial Advisor can be held responsible for any direct or incidental loss incurred by applying any of the information offered.

Core Wealth Management and LPL Financial are separate entities.