<p class="MsoNormal">Michael J. Anderson, JD, MS, CFP®, is a Dallas-based financial planner and a member of NexGen (Financial Planning); he has 7 years of financial planning and wealth management experience.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><st1:city><st1:place>Anderson</st1:place></st1:city> got his start in investing during the tech boom and learned the hard way about follow-the-herd-investing. He believes Young Professionals should have a good plan developed by a professional advisor, and that following it is the key to a successful financial future.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Anderson&rsquo;s greatest concerns for YPs include spiraling government obligations, the influence of an agenda-oriented financial media, lack of strong retirement plan options for workers, Medicare and Medicaid obligations that are unrealistic, unhealthy amounts of personal debt, lack of disciplined savings and cash management, the greed of a few, and the ever widening wage disparity.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><st1:city><st1:place>Anderson</st1:place></st1:city> has been a speaker at local and national forums and authored numerous articles on financial planning.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Courtesy of the U.S. Army, <st1:city><st1:place>Anderson</st1:place></st1:city> received his undergraduate education from <st1:place><st1:placename><st1:placename u1:st="on">Seattle</st1:placename></st1:placename> <st1:placetype><st1:placetype u1:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:placetype></st1:place>, a small Jesuit school near downtown <st1:city><st1:place><st1:city u1:st="on"><st1:place u1:st="on">Seattle</st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city>. Following graduation, <st1:city><st1:place>Anderson</st1:place></st1:city> was commissioned a 2^nd Lieutenant in the Army and was shipped off to <st1:place><st1:city><st1:city u1:st="on">Fort Bliss</st1:city></st1:city>, <st1:state><st1:state u1:st="on">TX</st1:state></st1:state></st1:place>, followed by three and a half years as a Paratrooper in the 82^nd Airborne Division at <st1:place><st1:city><st1:place u1:st="on"><st1:city u1:st="on">Fort Bragg</st1:city></st1:place>, <st1:state><st1:state u1:st="on">NC</st1:state></st1:state></st1:city></st1:place>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p> <p><st1:city><st1:place>Anderson</st1:place></st1:city> left the active army to pursue his advanced education at <st1:place><st1:placename><st1:place u1:st="on"><st1:placename u1:st="on">Texas</st1:placename></st1:place> <st1:placename><st1:placename u1:st="on">Tech</st1:placename></st1:placename> <st1:placetype><st1:placetype u1:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:placetype></st1:placename></st1:place>, earning both his Law Degree and a Master&rsquo;s Degree in Personal Financial Planning.</p>