Meet Derrick Murray of Northwestern Mutual in Midtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Derrick Murray.

Derrick, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a native Atlantan. Very proud to say that I am a Grady baby. Growing up my life was dominated by sports. Sports taught me to have drive and how to focus. At South Atlanta High School, I lettered in football, basketball, and track. I was fortunate to play college football at Furman University. There I earned a Bachelors degree in Economics.

Upon graduation, I decided to move back to Atlanta for career opportunities. I honestly do not believe there is a better city in the US for an African American looking for opportunity and prosperity. Economics gave me exposure to finance on all levels. Deep within me is the drive to help people. To be more specific people who have been underdeveloped and underserved. To be even more specific people who look like me.

In fall of 2013, I decided to start my own financial planning firm. I decided to franchise through Northwestern Mutual for their marketing, tools, and resources. This put me in the position to be able to provide world-class planning for my clients from day one. With starting my practice my vision was to become a leader and an advocate for my community. Creating a successful firm that takes on planning holistically with strategic solutions in insurance and investments. Seven years later, I have achieved this vision and currently strive for more.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The foundation of my life was build from adversity. Grit is one of the characteristics that I really pride myself on. Playing defensive back I had to develop a next play mentality. This has served me very well in the business world. As a financial advisor adversity comes everyday. My business is truly a business of making relationships and connections. Long term relationships. Which means business does not always come quickly. Patience and perseverance are two of the hallmarks of my business.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Northwestern Mutual story. Tell us more about the business.
As an advisor, I specialize in helping my clients leverage specific tools and investments to grow money with minimal tax exposure. My mission is to help my clients create generational wealth. Our financial planning process involves four steps:

Identify your goals. First, we’ll make sure we understand what’s important to you and your loved ones, where you are today and where you want to be in the future.

Develop your personalized plan. We’ll then analyze your financial situation and develop recommendations that can help you and your family achieve financial security.

Implement your strategies. Together, we’ll bring your financial plan to life with proven financial products and quality solutions.

Review your plan. Even small changes in your life can impact your financial plan. We’ll help you adjust your plan as needed to stay on track.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1155 Peachtree st NE
  Atlanta GA 30309
  Suite 1250
• Website: derrick.murray.nm.com
• Phone: 404-952-0457
• Email: derrick.murray@nm.com

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