It might seem natural to link the fields of financial planning and gerontology. After all, financial advisors work with people to plan for aging and retirement. Gerontology looks at the many aspects of aging across the lifespan. But professionals trained in both disciplines are few and far between.
Financial gerontologist Daniel Hutcherson MAG ’18 is one of those virtuosos. “Attending the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology profoundly changed the arc of my career,” Hutcherson says. “It informs everything I do today — not just as a financial advisor, but also in my continuing academic studies and volunteer work.”
Bringing health and well-being to the forefront of financial planning
Hutcherson has worked in the financial services industry since 1996. In 2014, he co-founded his own investment advisory firm, Sortino Advisory Partners, which joined with Savant Wealth Management in 2024.
The day-to-day work of a financial advisor is to help clients set goals and track their progress toward those goals. “It’s a sacred space to be in with families,” Hutcherson says. “They share what’s important to them and what keeps them up at night.”
Savant integrates health and well-being considerations into its broader planning philosophy. Hutcherson is now helping lead this effort, which includes initiatives aimed at supporting clients in planning for aging-related needs.
Entering grad school as a 40-year-old financial advisor
Hutcherson’s nontraditional path to the USC Leonard Davis School was driven by a deep fiduciary duty to help protect his clients.
“I saw the financial challenges of aging,” Hutcherson says. “Growing up with three grandparents who lived with dementia, I also recognized how cognitive decline can open the door for exploitation. It made me want to understand what more I could do.”
USC Leonard Davis School graduate Cynthia Hutchins MAG ’13 also influenced Hutcherson’s decision to pursue a master’s in gerontology. “Cyndi was one of the first practitioner thought leaders in financial gerontology,” Hutcherson says. “She leveraged her USC education to introduce concepts of aging and the life course approach to Wall Street. Her influence inspired me to attend USC and speak out about the challenges of financial vulnerability and abuse in later life.”
Finding the interface between financial planning and gerontology
Hutcherson began as an online student at USC Leonard Davis School in 2016. His favorite course was a hybrid on-campus and study abroad program on emotions, cognition and aging, taught by Professor Mara Mather.
“We learned about brain biology and how emotions and preferences change as people age,” Hutcherson says. “I linked these concepts to problems I’d seen with financial decision-making and vulnerability. It was my first light-bulb moment in the program.”
Students spent several weeks on campus at USC and at Reichman University in Israel. The coursework was intense, but there was also time for fun. “When I came to USC, I never expected to take a self-defense class with the Israeli Defense Forces,” Hutcherson says. “As a former U.S. Marine, that was an amazing experience.”
Other instructors served as role models for Hutcherson, in addition to being excellent teachers. Kevin Xu Chair in Gerontology George Shannon was an accomplished actor and Alison Balbag PhD ’16 holds doctorates in both music and gerontology. They showed him it’s possible to excel in seemingly disparate fields.
Embracing academic pursuits
Since earning his MAG, Hutcherson has continued his academic growth. USC Leonard Davis School professors supported him with letters of recommendation.
In 2023, Hutcherson completed a Master of Science in Translational Health Sciences from the University of Oxford. He’s currently pursuing a Doctor of Public Health degree at Johns Hopkins University.
“My current research focuses on the financial indicators of gender-based violence. It also ties to my work as a financial advisor,” Hutcherson says. “Through our health and well-being initiative, we’re exploring ways to help identify potential financial abuse and support women through major life transitions, such as divorce.”
Giving back and moving forward
Hutcherson’s collective experiences have given him a unique perspective on aging. He proudly wears his gerontology hat in other roles:
- As a member of the American Society on Aging, he serves on the Economic Security Advisory Council with USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology Senior Associate Dean Maria Henke and USC Family Caregiver Support Center Director and Research Associate Professor Donna Benton.
- As a Board of Governors member for Chicago Scots, he helps support and evaluate strategic planning and care delivery at Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care.
- As a member of the Gerontological Society of America, he recently collaborated on a policy commentary for the National Institutes of Health Artificial Intelligence Strategy. When writing, Hutcherson relied on lessons from a policy class taught by Professor Emeritus Jon Pynoos at USC Leonard Davis. “The course opened my eyes to how crucial practitioner voices are to informing policy decisions,” Hutcherson says.
Hutcherson is not ready to retire from financial advising anytime soon. But eventually, he would like to find himself back on campus — this time as an instructor.
“I’m grateful to USC Leonard Davis School Instructional Associate Professor Caroline Cicero, who is a tireless champion for age inclusivity in higher education,” he says. “Her advocacy work built a foundation for my own sense of possibility later in life.”
To learn more about the Master of Arts in Gerontology degree at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, call us at (213) 740-5156.
