About Us

Meet the Founder

Mike Farrow CFP®, Founder

About Me

I’m Mike Farrow, and I’m the founder of FlightPath Financial Planning. I started my own firm because I wanted to have more control over implementing ideas and practices that are truly best for my clients. I grew up reading books written by some of the greatest financial minds of all time. From those books I developed an ethos deeply rooted in doing what’s best for the investor. This translates to doing what’s best for the client. I always put my clients interests first and assist them in setting themselves up for a strong financial future.

I am extremely fortunate to have a wife who supports me in all of my wide-ranging endeavors, from international travel, hiking, and sailing to beach volleyball, flying and my obsession with cooking. Amanda and I got married in 2020 in Big Sur, California in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. Given the state of the world at the time, it was just us, the officiant, photographer, and those towering redwoods. And although we are saddened we couldn’t have family and friends join us, it was truly a stress-free wedding and in retrospect I wouldn’t change it for anything. We have a wonderful dog, Toby; I like to think it’s short for Toby-Wan Kenobi (we’re convinced he knows the “give me chicken” Jedi Mind Trick). We adopted Toby from a local shelter that partners with the Soi Dog Foundation in Phuket, Thailand. He is the best dog we could have ever hoped for.

I was born here in San Diego, CA and after spending some of the first eight years of my life living abroad, I called America’s Finest City my full-time home. When I graduated high school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next. I ultimately earned enough credits to graduate with a degree from SDSU’s business school. I later enrolled in Pepperdine Graziadio Business School to take the required courses to sit for and pass the CFP® exam - which is what led me to where I am today.

I first found my interest in personal finance at a pretty young age. My father, who was an airline pilot and flew 747’s most of his career, passed on his interest in investing as well as aviation. I can trace back my CFP® beginnings to real-world lessons on compound interest. Once per month I would get together with Dad and deposit my allowance into the (now defunct) “Bank of Dad”, where I received a rather favorable and unheard-of “risk-free rate of return”, likely equivalent to an annual 20%. While it’s no wonder why that bank is closed for good, the lessons learned were lasting and became an integral part of my life’s work.

What’s the connection to aviation?

My aviation path started as a young kid flying remote control gliders on the windward hillsides overlooking Lake Hodges here in San Diego. I learned about aerodynamics and principles of flight during those periods of my life. After high school, I took a more active approach to flying real airplanes. I initially considered a career in aviation and joined a local flight school where I obtained my Private, Instrument and Commercial Pilot’s License. Although I ultimately decided to switch paths and took an extended break from flying, I got back into it and haven’t looked back.

The connection between financial planning and aviation is a personal one, and in a lot of ways it has defined who I am. The two have a lot of similarities, and I take both seriously. Both require a tremendous amount of responsibility for both lives and livelihood, and both require sound decision-making backed by data and experience. Every time I fly, I go through a checklist of readiness: Am I ok to fly? Is my airplane airworthy? Does the weather allow for a safe trip? A good pilot is constantly thinking about what could go wrong, and what to do if it does. And although planning for the worst and hoping for the best can make it seem like I’m a “glass is half empty” kind of guy, pilots and financial planners know that it’s a crucial trait to have if you want to end your flight, or your life’s work, with a nice smooth landing.

To me, aviation is not about practicality. It's about the journey. No financial planner would ever advise a client that aviation as a hobby makes good financial sense. It’s exceptionally expensive. We all have different interests and passions, some more expensive than others. That’s precisely what financial planning is about – creating a plan so you can enjoy those interests while not putting other important things at risk, like college savings for kids or a down payment on a home. My wife and I understand the financial commitment aviation requires, and we budget the rest of our life accordingly.

Why work with me?

I believe financial planning is an investment in your future. Like all investments, it can take a bit of time and commitment before you start seeing results. The commitment I have made to both myself and my clients is one of a true fiduciary. This means I will always do what’s in the best interest of you, the client. A house is only as good as the foundation it is built on. Similarly, I built my financial planning firm from the ground up, using our industry’s best technology, tools and practices. Building it myself has allowed me to keep my costs to my clients quite low. I charge reasonable, flat rates and fully transparent fees based on financial complexity, and not on how much money my clients have. I provide advice only – which means that I do not sell products or make a commission from any of my recommendations. I have built this firm around what is best for my clients, and I will continue to make those decisions that put my clients and their finances above all else. That is my promise.

Email - info@flightpathfinancialplanning.com
Phone - 858.386.0917