When Marguerita Cheng’s father arrived on American soil for the first time from Taiwan, he only had $17 in his pocket. A common story for many immigrants, to be sure, but what’s different about Mr. Cheng is what happened next. A frugal man, he taught his three daughters from an early age about budgeting, using financial calculators, and reading Value Line. So it’s no surprise that eldest daughter Marguerita grew up to study finance and become a Certified Financial Planner® professional. “I was destined to be a planner,” she admits. Today, she is an accomplished writer, marathon runner and award-winning CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth which she founded five years ago after 14 years with a large financial services company.
Blue Ocean Global Wealth, a member of Launch Workplaces Gaithersburg, is an investment advisory firm that strives to be a trusted partner and educational resource. They provide corporations and institutions with portfolio construction, investment due diligence, and risk management consulting, delivering comprehensive financial planning and wealth management solutions to families, entrepreneurs, and executives. Marguerita feels she is especially skilled in helping women manage their finances through transitions. “I like to give people clarity and help them navigate through issues so they feel confident and in control,” she states. The accomplished financial expert works with people through divorce, death, career changes, and caring for aging relatives. “I love my job because I make a difference in people’s lives every day,” she adds.
Margeurita is not only special for the work she is doing to help people, but she also takes an active role in the financial industry. She is a regular contributing writer for Kiplinger and Investopedia, diving into tough topics so her clients can have a better understanding of the market. Recently, for example, she studied and wrote about blockchain and cryptocurrency. “My clients were asking about it and I wanted to be more well-versed on this topic just to understand it,” she says. Interested yourself? You can find her smartly written articles here and here and decide if investing in cryptocurrency is a wise move. Her influence in the industry has been acknowledged by her clients and peers. In 2017, she was named the #3 Most Influential Financial Advisor in the Investopedia Top 100, a Woman to Watch by InvestmentNews, and a Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise (MBE®) by the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC).
Ms. Cheng is a CFP® professional, a Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM, a Retirement Income Certified Professional® and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. As a Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) Ambassador, Marguerita helps educate the public, policymakers, and media about the benefits of competent, ethical financial planning. She serves as a Women’s Initiative (WIN) Advocate and subject matter expert for CFP Board, contributing to the development of examination questions for the CFP® Certification Examination. Marguerita also volunteers for CFP Board Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (DEC) hearings and is a past president of the Financial Planning Association of the National Capital Area (FPA NCA).
While all that already sounds exhausting, Marguerita, also known more casually as Rita, finds time to read voraciously and run in her spare time. She is a member of the Next Big Idea Book Club, a subscription book club led by the world’s leading thinkers. She strongly recommends the books Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain and Give and Take by Adam Grant. She started running 3 miles and became a marathon runner solely to challenge herself. Today when she runs, it’s as a SoleMate for Girls on the Run. The next time she’ll be hitting the streets will be the Jingle All The Way 15k in Washington, DC.
The Launch Workplaces community is lucky to have Rita as a member and luckily she feels the same way about Launch. “I love being a member and being part of the community,” she says enthusiastically. “My guests are greeted warmly, my mail is taken care of, and there is good positive energy here.”
Want to get to know Marguerita Cheng? You can track her down via her website at www.blueoceanglobalweath.com.
