Cory Thompson, Ph.D.

My interest in financial planning has a specific origin point: the 2008 financial crisis. Living through that period of financial strain gave me a firsthand understanding of how profoundly instability affects families and how much preparation, or the lack of it, changes outcomes. That experience pushed me toward advanced study in the field and ultimately toward a career focused on helping people make better, more informed decisions before difficult moments arrive.

The academic path I took reflects that commitment, and it continues today. In addition to my role at FourWord Financial, I serve as faculty in Personal Financial Planning at the University of Alabama, teaching courses in retirement planning, insurance, and introductory financial planning. That ongoing connection to research and to the next generation of planning professionals keeps me close to the work in a way that I think makes me better at it.

At FourWord Financial, my focus is largely analytical: investment and product research, financial modeling, retirement plan analysis, and contributing to the economic and market outlooks the firm uses to inform client strategy. The job, as I see it, is to take complex data and turn it into something clear and actionable that the team can actually use. I am a member of the Financial Planning Association and the American Council on Consumer Interests.

Commerce, Oklahoma, a small community in the northeast corner of the state and the hometown of baseball legend Mickey Mantle, is where I grew up. These days, I live in Northport, Alabama, with my wife and our children, Brex and Doevy. Outside of work, I stay active outdoors with my family and enjoy working on projects around the house.

Education & Credentials

• B.S., Mathematics – University of Oklahoma (2016)
• MBA – West Virginia University (2018)
• MS – Texas Tech University (2022)
• Ph.D., Personal Financial Planning – Texas Tech University (2024)

*Cory is a Non-Registered Associated Person with Voya Financial Advisors and does not offer securities nor investment advisory services.