“I was always interested and curious about money and understood as a young woman the importance of financial literacy as the foundation of a life where you feel secure and safe enough to do what you want or dream about. When I decided to become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNING™️ practitioner, it opened my mind even more; I realized how much I loved everything about it. I only regret that I didn’t change career even sooner.” 

– Florence Smith, MBA, CFP®

As a financial advisor, Florence strives to help her clients achieve financial freedom and feel more confident about their future. 

First and foremost, Florence is passionate about developing long-term relationships, guiding clients through the many changes that life inevitably holds for us all.  Florence thrives to understand her clients’ goals, aspirations, concerns and what is truly important to them. It is crucial to take all the factors into account and incorporate those into a well-crafted financial plan, including the right mix of investments, cash flow and budgeting, insurance and taxes, estate planning, and other financial areas that address clients’ unique situations. Each situation requires diverse solutions.  With the help of a broad range of experts and dedicated professionals at Raymond James, Florence is continuously seeking sound investment and financial planning strategies to help clients live their life and retirement to the fullest. Because clients’ lives evolve, Florence updates their plan annually or whenever clients experience a major life change.

Florence is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, recognized as a standard of excellence for competent and ethical personal financial planning. She follows a fiduciary standard, which means you can feel reassured that she has made a personal commitment to the people she serves, to put their interests first, always. CFP®s meet the strictest of ethical requirements through continuing education requirements.

In January 2020, Florence joined Raymond James in Chapel Hill, NC in as a financial advisor.  What Florence loves about Raymond James is that it is a large independent financial advisory firm that allows advisors to do business in a way that puts clients’ interest first.  

Before joining Raymond James, Florence worked at Amphora Wealth Management in Chapel Hill as a junior financial planner where she was introduced to wealth financial planning. There she learned the power of a carefully crafted financial plan put into action by a trusted advisor who has a deep understanding of the clients’ values, dreams and concerns. 

Florence holds MBA degrees from Université Jean Moulin (Lyon III) in her native France, and from Portland State University in Oregon. She is also a CFP® professional and holds her Series 7, 66, Health, Life, Medicare and Long-term Care insurance licenses.

Community Leadership: Florence is an enthusiastic community volunteer. She’s treasurer for the Hillsborough Toastmasters’ club, and active in her church. She’s also a member of Alliance Française and several other organizations celebrating French culture.

On a Personal Note: Florence arrived in the U.S. in 1995 as an international exchange student. A month later, she met her husband at Portland State University. The couple moved to Mississippi, and then Durham where her husband is a physician at Duke. They have two teenage sons, Felix and Victor. Florence is especially fond of dancing and experiencing different cultures and languages. “I love to appreciate even the smallest things”, she says, like a sunny day - or a smile on someone’s face. Anything.”