Our Story

Shane E. Larson, CFP®, ChFC®

Partner and Financial Planner  | (407) 391-1400  | shanelarson@financialguide.com

My story begins when I was a sophomore in high school. I always looked up to my grandfather and role model, Jerry Farella. I wanted to grow up to be just like him. The lessons he taught me in my youth are still with me today and I live by them. He helped me choose my path in education. Math was my strongest subject, and, quite frankly, was the only subject I could tolerate. So, my grandfather suggested that I become an accountant. I have always been a saver (which I learned from him) and loved to count money. My sophomore year in high school, I started taking business classes which I continued for the next three years. I enjoyed it. After high school, I entered the college of business and double majored in accounting and finance. I fell in love with the finance classes. I saw the real life application in risk management, so I switched my path of studies to double major in finance and risk management. 

A very sad day came on July 14, 2005, when my grandfather passed away. Looking back, it was a very important day because after he passed, my grandma needed help getting all of their finances in order and handling their estate. My grandma, aunt, and mother were having a difficult time and their advisors were of little help. One day at work, my mother was talking to a coworker about the situation and her coworker told my mother that her husband was in the business and suggested that my mother give him a call. My mother made the call to Ben Dyal and he came to help my family. Ben was acquainted with my family for a very long time since his family has been in central Florida for 100 years and mine has been here for over 60 years. He had known me since I was a little boy, so you might say, this is where my story actually begins.

The next summer, I had just one more class to complete for graduation, but the class was not offered during the summer. So, I came home and made a phone call to Ben. I wanted to see if he could offer me an internship for the summer. Instead, Ben offered me a job. I took him up on the offer and worked for him that summer. In the fall, I went back to school and graduated in December 2006, with a bachelor’s degree in finance and risk management. I began interviewing during my career days at college and back home. One of the companies I interviewed with was the company Ben was working for at the time. I decided to go to work with Metlife because of Ben and the way he worked as a financial planner.

Now it is clear to me how the saddest days of my life also brought me a blessing. Being in this business is not always easy and I would not have made it without my late mentor, Ben. In my time working with Ben, he had taught me so much and  guided me on my path. One of Ben’s requirements for my work with him was to educate myself in financial planning and to become a CFP. Fifteen years later, I am a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Certificant. It was a very long and tough path of late nights, working, and studying for the ChFC and CFP. The days I felt like quitting, I am thankful that Ben was by my side talking me out of it and showing me the positive side. I love what I do and love being able to help people with their finances to achieve their goals and dreams. My goal is to continue to educate and help others with what matters most to them. At the top of every year’s business plan, I put the phrase my grandfather used to say to me, “You can do anything you put your mind to”.

M. Todd Elders, ChFC®, CLU®

Financial Planner  |  (386) 673-9373  |   melders@financialguide.com

I come from a small town in Missouri where strong values were instilled in me at a young age. Learning to save and plan was something I learned everyday as I watched my father drive two hours each way to work in order to provide for his wife and three kids. These values would prove to be the backbone of how I conduct my current practice.

After high school, I moved to Florida and went to college at the University of South Florida and was fortunate to become a brother of the Sigma Chi fraternity. My intent was to major in pre-med. My “aha” moment was during my second year. I had to take a finance class and it was at that time I knew Finance was the path I wanted to follow. After graduating with my Finance degree, I moved to the Orlando area and took a position with a major financial institution.

I worked many hours building my practice while at the same time advancing my knowledge with additional industry designations pertinent to my industry. Those include ChFC® (Chartered Financial Consultant), CLU® (Chartered Life Underwriter), Series 6, 7, and 63 Registrations, and my Life, Health, and Annuity licenses; all within my first seven years in the business.

Now after many years in the Finance industry, I am proud to say through the seminars I teach, both public and corporate, that I have been blessed to work with some of the finest institutions in the state of the Florida. Going forward, I continue to provide financial education, financial planning, and guidance to all clients.