Alumnus provides financial guidance to athletes while staying committed to South Florida community.
Carlos Lowell’s confidence and enthusiasm as he speaks makes financial planning, an intimidating task to most, sound exciting and even easy. It’s just about taking smaller steps to reach a goal, he says, whether that’s owning a summer and winter house, going on a big trip, or simply being able to take care of a loved one.
Or even, as is the case for many of the professional athletes that Lowell works with, planning for retirement at 28.
“It’s challenging,” Lowell says. “But it’s a fun challenge.”
As a certified financial planner, Lowell first understood the particular financial challenges that athletes face – the exponential growth or sudden loss of income overnight, the five to ten year window to plan for retirement – when his brother became a professional baseball player. Since then, and for more than 20 years, he has guided athletes in the National Football League and Major League Baseball from active careers to a successful entry into retirement. He also works with entrepreneurs who, like athletes, can receive a large sum of money at once and need to plan their financial strategy over time.
Lowell graduated from the University of Miami with a B.S. in mechanical engineering and economics in 1994 (the jump to finance the result of a summer internship and the fact that he’s ‘not afraid of numbers’). He worked in the insurance industry in Europe and the U.S. before earning his M.B.A. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He then held various high-level positions at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley before joining UBS as SVP of Wealth Management and head of the Lowell Group.
His success is in large part due to his tailored approach (and, perhaps, his kindness). “It’s important to put yourself in the shoes of your clients,” he says. “Talk to them. Understand their fears and concerns and make sure you’re planning for that in the right way. Communication is key.” He enjoys the close relationships and friendships he builds with his clients, celebrating their victories, but also being present when times are tough.
And while his work has taken him all over the world, Lowell’s past and present ties to South Florida run deep. He grew up in Coral Gables, the eldest of four in a family of baseball fanatics. His father, who played throughout college, was the kids’ perennial coach in Little League. They often attended UM baseball games, watching attentively or jumping in the stands.
“Getting involved is my small way of helping keep the people and places that make [the community] vital and vibrant,” he says. “And shaping it into one I will continue to be proud of for years to come.” He’s served as a Vice President on the Alumni Board of Directors and currently serves on the President’s Council of the University of Miami Alumni Association. He is actively involved with Baptist Health South Florida, currently chairing their foundation’s Miami Cancer Institute Council and acting as treasurer on the operating Board of Directors for Baptist Hospital.
His advice to alumni and students? Stay involved, or get involved if you’re not. “This University is an important part of the South Florida community. Not only will you give back to a great institution, but odds are good you’ll find yourself happier for having done so.” And, of course, start putting money aside for that trip you’ve been wanting to take.
