ST. JOSEPH — Shanin Thomas, senior financial specialist at the Marie Yeager Cancer Center, recently became authorized as a certified financial planner in accordance with CFP Board of Standards certification and renewal requirements.

Thomas has led the patient financial navigation program offered to patients at the MYCC since 2011. This program helps with navigating the cancer experience from the time of diagnosis, through treatment and recovery, to the ultimate return to usual roles and life style.

“As both a clinical social worker and financial planner, I understand the stresses a cancer diagnosis can cause in someone’s life,” Thomas said. “As a CFP, my goal is to screen for financial distress among patients and offer individualized financial planning services to reduce the negative impact of these changes.”

The CFP marks identify those individuals who have met the rigorous experience and ethical requirements of the CFP board, have successfully completed financial planning coursework, and have passed the CFP certification examination covering the following areas: professional conduct and regulation, general financial planning principles, education planning, risk management and insurance planning, investment planning, tax planning, retirement savings and income planning and estate planning.

CFP professionals also agree to meet ongoing continuing education requirements and to uphold CFP board’s code of ethics and professional responsibility, rules of conduct and financial planning practice standards.

Thomas earned a financial planning certification from Kaplan University and a master’s degree in social work from Arizona State University. A member of the MYCC team since 2011, he is also licensed as a clinical social worker with the state of Michigan.