Michael T. Powers, CPA, PFS, CFP®
Founder, Financial Planner
Mike Powers – My Story
Interested in personal finance and saving from a young age, I had never considered advising others as a career until taking finance courses late in college. I was immediately hooked. After graduation, I began my career with a large national public accounting firm and noticed my colleagues would often ask me for financial advice.
Determined to truly make a difference in people’s lives, I transitioned from public accounting to become a financial planner and have never looked back. Over the last decade, I’ve been fortunate enough to help hundreds of families save for college, invest wisely, plan for retirement, retire with confidence and make sound financial decisions.
Prior to founding Manuka Financial, I left a successful career as Vice President of a prestigious financial planning firm where I helped manage over $900 million for families because I wanted to dedicate my life to my two passions: my family and my clients. Having two young children and seeing how quickly they grow up, I didn’t want to miss out on precious moments with them because I was always at the office. And I didn’t want to serve so many clients that I couldn’t be proactive with each and every one of them. Thus, the idea of Manuka Financial was born to serve as a trusted advisor to a select group of individuals and families while still having time to spend with my own young family.
Qualifications, Memberships & Awards
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Personal Financial Specialist (PFS)
- CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®)
- Over a decade of experience as a financial planner, plus an additional five years in public accounting for national and regional firms
- Life and Health Insurance Consultant license in Virginia
- 2017 Standing Ovation Award in Personal Financial Planning from the AICPA
- Former Big Brother of the Year for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Virginia
- Board Member, the Community Tax Law Project charitable organization
- National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) registered advisor
- Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- Member, XY Planning Network
- Routinely volunteered with Richmond’s NBC 12 “Ask a CPA” Tax Hotline
- Featured in:
- CNBC – “4 tips for saving for retirement, according to a financial planner who helps people retire early”
- CNBC – “If you’re considering retiring early, this CFP has 4 important tips for you”
- Investment News
- The Values Based Mindset Experience podcast
- Choose FI podcast
- Sound Dollar – “What Should Your Retirement Age Be?”
- Sound Dollar – “5 Steps to Early Retirement”
“One of the most important lessons in life I have learned is the concept of “enough.” Once appreciated, it’s easier to prioritize your life around what is most important to you.”