This Aggie’s Vision Turned Into One of Texas A&M University’s Fastest-Growing Programs

Bill Carter ’69 reflects on how decades of goal setting helped start Texas A&M's Financial Planning Program and how far the program has come today.

By Hilary Nguyen ’26

Photography by Jason Kindig

March 23, 2026

As I sat down with Bill Carter ’69, founder and CEO of Carter Financial Management, my eyes curiously explored his home office in Bryan. A photo with former university president Gen. James Earl Rudder ’32 reminds of his days as student body president. His framed Corps of Cadets saber proudly rests on the wall. And financial planning books line wall-to-wall shelves. But the office addition I found most interesting were neatly stacked legal pads with a history of their own.

“I wrote my first official set of goals in 1971,” Carter said, sharing that this has become an annual occurrence. “I use one legal pad per year, dedicating each page to a different area of focus and listing the goals within it, then reviewing and refining them throughout the year.” Over the last 50 years, this disciplined approach has helped guide Carter’s highly successful financial planning career — a profession centered on helping others do exactly what he’s practiced for decades: define what matters and create a plan to achieve it financially.

Despite the many goals Carter has checked off his legal pads, one of personal significance has topped his lists since the mid-1980s: to create the biggest and best financial planning program in the country at Texas A&M University.

Bill’s Top Financial Planning Tips

Spend less than you make, and invest the difference. If you do this consistently in your life, it can help build long-term wealth. Carter advises that every time you get a raise, you should use half to maintain your standard of living and take the other half to pay taxes and invest. Repeat this with each raise, and your savings have the potential to grow steadily.
Start planning today. Carter is an avid goal setter, and he encourages everyone to do the same. Whether your goal is retiring by a certain age or creating a scholarship, setting goals and making a plan can help you stay in control of your finances. Don’t push it aside. Start now, even if it’s reviewing your savings.
Conduct an annual review. Revisit your goals regularly to ensure you’re on track and to identify any mistakes or gaps in your plan. Treat it like a checkup for your finances. Staying proactive can help prevent surprises.
Don’t make financial decisions out of fear. Carter warns that most poor financial decisions come from fear. Avoid reacting emotionally to uncertainty. Instead, make choices based on a thoughtful plan.
Meet with a financial planner. Carter believes that even if you’re skeptical, visiting with a professional is invaluable. Ask around for referrals or have a conversation with potential planners. The key is simply to start. The sooner you engage, the sooner you can gain clarity and confidence.

Planning for a Program

When Carter arrived at Texas A&M in the late ’60s as an agricultural economics major, financial planning did not exist as a defined profession, much less an academic discipline. After serving in the U.S. Army and searching for the right career fit, he found his calling in helping others set and achieve financial goals. He founded Carter Financial Management in 1976, making a name for himself as an industry trailblazer in the years that followed.

The gap between the profession and academia shaped his conviction to advance the industry. He believed that if financial planning was to be taken seriously as a profession, it needed to be grounded in academia.

As a leader within the International Association for Financial Planning in the mid-1980s, Carter began advocating for university-based programs. Naturally, when he finished his term with the association, he returned to Aggieland with a vision: Texas A&M should build one of its own, and it should set the bar nationally.

It took years for his idea to gain traction, but momentum began to build when Carter met with Dr. Mark Hussey ’79 ’83, former vice chancellor and dean for Agriculture and Life Sciences, and professors emeriti Drs. Gene Nelson and John Nicholas. He also invested personally in the program’s early development, creating the foundation on which it would grow. But building a program requires more than funding. It requires the right leader, and from the start, Carter was confident that leader was Dr. Nathan Harness, the director of today’s program.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Financial Planning Program first launched in 2013 as a certificate, open to students across disciplines and even working professionals preparing to sit for the Certified Financial Planner^TM (CFP) exam. In 2014, students could minor in the program, and enrollment steadily climbed. A decade later, the program became an official major, and in spring 2024, Texas A&M awarded its first bachelor’s degree in financial planning.

Right on the Money

Today, enrollment has risen so quickly that the program has had to cap admissions due to faculty capacity. This fall, it is expected to approach over 400 students, making it one of the fastest-growing programs at Texas A&M and one of the largest financial planning programs in the country.

Harness credits much of the program’s growth to the passion and support of faculty and donors alike. “Bill Carter brings decades of industry leadership and a deep commitment to expanding financial education,” Harness said. “He has given so much and continues to do so years later, with the foresight to see Texas A&M as the place for a great financial planning program.” Thanks to financial support from donors like Carter and his wife, Fran, students travel across the country for conferences and competitions, connecting with future employers and gaining firsthand exposure to the profession.

Corporate sponsors have taken notice as well, investing in the program’s continued expansion. One of the most significant developments is the creation of a financial planning clinic, made possible through a gift from the Charles Schwab Foundation. Working with the campus organization Ags REACH, the clinic will provide pro bono financial guidance to members of the Texas A&M and Bryan-College Station communities starting in fall 2026, addressing needs that range from budgeting and credit card debt to navigating more complex financial decisions.

"The program is doing good right now, but we can't let good become the enemy of great. We've got to stay focused on being outstanding and producing the best Aggie financial planners."
Bill Carter '69

The clinic will operate with an immersive model: A CFP professional will be paired with a student in the program, and together they will meet with clients. This approach allows the program to serve the university and local community while training the next generation. “That’s the difference between knowledge and wisdom,” Harness said. “You apply the knowledge with experience, and you create wisdom.”

Harness believes the clinic will take the program to the next level, preparing students not only to understand financial strategy but also to navigate difficult conversations with integrity and respect. For him, what ultimately sets the program apart is not just its curriculum or enrollment numbers. It’s the culture. The connection between the university’s core values and the practice of financial planning may not seem obvious at first, but for Harness, the link is undeniable. “It has everything to do with the field,” he said. “Aggies have the moxie for what’s needed in this profession.”

Field-Ready Financial Planners

One of the goals Carter and Harness set for the program is graduating students who are competent, humble and ready to thrive in the field. That philosophy has helped make Texas A&M’s financial planning students highly sought-after graduates in the industry.

Julian Cantu '25 is one of many students who has been shaped by Carter's passion for financial planning.

Take Julian Cantu ’25, for example. He completed an internship at Carter Financial Management and returned after graduation as a client service associate. For Cantu, the program’s strengths come as much from its people as its curriculum. “When I got my offer letter from Carter Financial Management, the first person I told, even before my own parents, was one of my professors in the program,” he recalled. “Everyone is so passionate about the profession that it's infectious."

One of the graduation requirements is completing a capstone, where students apply all the knowledge they’ve learned over the years to create a complete financial plan. Cantu considers this another program strength. “Even though the major is relatively new, it feels well-established,” he said. “It really feels like we’re living out Mr. Carter’s goal for the program.”

Cantu is now studying for the CFP exam and working closely with Carter. “From both my time as an intern and now as a full-timer, the most valuable lesson I’ve learned from him is the personality side of the profession,” Cantu said. “Not only does he have the knowledge, but he’s also a great people person.”

The Long-Term Horizon

In the future, Carter will step down as CEO and redirect his energy toward the next chapter of his professional and personal pursuits. He and Fran plan to spend more time in Bryan, where he remains deeply committed to the Financial Planning Program. When asked what continues to inspire his involvement, he didn’t hesitate. “The program is doing good right now,” he said with a smile, “but we can’t let good become the enemy of great. We’ve got to stay focused on being outstanding and producing the best Aggie financial planners.”

If his devotion to Texas A&M and the Financial Planning Program were ever in question, the Carters have ensured their commitment will endure. Through a generous estate gift, they will fund scholarships, underwrite transformative learning experiences like competitions and networking events, and establish the Carter Fellows student ambassadors, supporting these Aggies’ participation in conferences, industry site visits and national competitions.

One of the couple’s goals for the near future is to launch a premier speaker series that would bring the most respected voices in financial planning to Aggieland. For Carter, this goal extends beyond seminars with students. He wants those leaders to walk the Texas A&M campus, see the caliber of its students and faculty, and return to their own circles talking about what they witnessed. “I want them to be impressed,” he said simply. “I want them to go out and tell the world about us.”

More than anything, though, his Aggie pride shows up in quieter elements, often stitched across his chest. Known in the industry for wearing a Texas A&M Financial Planning-branded polo, Carter has become something of an unofficial ambassador. “Whenever we’re at national conferences, I’ve had people walk up to me and say, ‘Hey Carter, I saw one of your Aggies walking down the hall today,’” he chuckled and continued, “Of course, I know what they mean, and it brings me great joy.”

For Carter, the real work is ongoing. There are more doors to open and more future leaders to shape. As he sees it, it’s not quite time to retire his legal pads because — while great progress has been made — his goal for financial planning greatness at Texas A&M is not quite finished.

Carter’s impact extends well beyond West Campus. He’s served as chairman of the Texas A&M Foundation’s Board of Trustees as well as president of The Association of Former Students, in addition to holding roles on numerous university and Dallas-area boards. In 2000, he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from The Association of Former Students. He was also inducted into the Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor in 2009, and in 2011, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences recognized him with its Outstanding Alumni Award, each a testament to his lifetime of service to his university and his profession.

More Aggie Programs You'll Love

Aggies Meet Friends for Life in This Heartwarming Program

Aggies across campus are helping students with disabilities in the Aggie ACHIEVE program find support and community.

Game On: Inside the Competitive World of Aggie Sport Clubs

Olympic-caliber Aggie athletes gain a competitive advantage through the university’s Sport Clubs Program.

Straight From the Horse’s Mouth: This Texas A&M Program Is Proving How Much Humans Have To Gain From Equine-Assisted Therapy

Through Courtney Cares, countless people are experiencing the healing power of horses.

Tagged with:

This Aggie’s Vision Turned Into One of Texas A&M University’s Fastest-Growing Programs