I was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I didn’t clearly know what I wanted, but I knew I wanted to live on the West Coast, be married, and have children. Wandering is okay, and so is having a good idea of the destination.
My name is Scott Rezai Erwin. I am a dynamic, direct person who is always growing and working to be a positive force in the lives of my loved ones and community. I want everyone to be prosperous, continue to grow, and achieve their core aspirations. I want to serve, be an ally, and be a trusted fiduciary to all who want and need assistance to plan and act on their life goals with confidence.
I endeavor to advance the financial wellbeing of all. I am especially committed to serving BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and nontraditional households in the Portland Metro. From the initial steps of financial literacy for young adults to creating and reevaluating financial plans for retirement and the next generation - I will help you prepare a better future for yourself, your loved ones, and your community.
EARLY LIFE
I’m a Korean American who was raised during the Post-Vietnam Era in the Midwest. My family had enough to cover our expenses with some extra for fun. Occasionally, my parents had financial windfalls from gambling or my father’s work commissions, but usually those gains were negated by impulse spending. Overall though, we were okay. My parents never had a financial plan, used excess funds to eliminate debt only to incur it again the next year, and they didn’t develop any savings for my brother and me.
CAREER
In 2009, I started my career with the State of Oregon as an unemployment insurance claims adjudicator. I heard thousands of people’s stories about the harsh conditions they worked in, and the daily challenges they faced to keep their families fed and housed in the aftermath of the Great Recession. I then worked for BOLI performing wage rate enforcement on public construction projects. I have civil service in my blood, but after 10 years of government employment I needed a new career path.
EDUCATION
I started working as soon as I turned 16. I was distracted by my short-term interests and debts from my long-term goals. In college, I earned an English degree, but my true interests were world cultures and the history of early modern United States. Civil rights and constitutional law interests led me to law school where I learned about the real costs and difficult fights for freedom that were fought in courtrooms after Brown v. Broad and the 1964 Civil Rights Act. $100,000 in student loans later, I needed serious work.
COVID STORY
A few months after I left work with Oregon, the COVID shutdown happened. I became a stay-at-home father. My wife and I hired a financial planner to help us rebalance our budget and develop a 5-year plan. When we were discussing my plans for a second career, the planner noted I was having too much fun and suggested I become a financial planner. I soon after started my online coursework to launch my new career.
AWAKENING
Somewhere in the overlapping circles of my education, work experience, and living through COVID I learned that there is a fundamental gap that divides us as humans through income. It is a gap that has existed through all of human existence. While it has exponentially widened over the past generation, the knowledge, systems, and availability of technology to overcome it are more accessible and affordable than ever before.
FULL CIRCLE
As I begin my second career as a financial planner, I will merge my life, education, and work experiences to motivate and elevate others who know they can have a better existence that aligns with their core aspirations. We all have varying degrees of challenges. I am ready to help when debt, drug addiction, divorce, and death are a part of your life. We each have our story. I want to listen and help you live the fulfilling life you foresee.