Interview #2: Jeff Branstad, CFA

Jeff Branstad is a Senior Investment Product Specialist at Thrivent Financial, where he serves as an expert on investment products, portfolio construction and asset allocation strategies as well as serving as a resource for economic, financial market and specific asset class commentary. He also supports other areas including product management, product development and product marketing. He received his undergraduate degree from Luther College in 2004 and later earned his MBA from Augsburg College in 2007. He received the CFA Charter in 2010.

Tell me a little bit about yourself, where did you go to school?
I received my undergraduate degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where I majored in Economics and Accounting. The business department did not have a specific “finance” degree, but I was able to take a handful of finance courses. I was always interested in the investment industry and my dad is a Financial Advisor, so I had been exposed to the industry to some degree. However, I wasn’t certain what I wanted to do when I left school except that I knew I didn’t want to be an accountant. Continue reading →