By Erin Smith
For one Bladen County resident, helping clients to achieve their financial goals is one thing he enjoys. After working in Fayetteville and Raleigh, returning home to Bladen County has been refreshing, said Jeremy White.
“My whole life is about helping other people,” said White.
White, who works with Woodmen of the World, said he really didn’t see himself returning to Bladen County when he graduated from high school. But, White said he soon learned returning home was an excellent choice.
After graduating from East Bladen High School in 1999, White attended UNC at Pembroke where he intended to play baseball. He said he only played baseball for one semester, but he did graduate with a double major in accounting and finance.
“I thought I wanted to be a CPA and then decided finance was more interesting,” said White.
He began his career in banking in 2003 and moved to mortgages in 2004. White explained he began his career in finance with Wells Fargo Home Mortgages then in 2008 he was offered a job working the BB&T in Raleigh. White said after a year working in the Raleigh area he returned to Wells Fargo in December 2009.
White said he met his wife, Mary Catherine White, in 2010 and they were married in 2011. In 2012, White said they discussed whether to move to his wife’s hometown of South Boston, Virginia; stay in Raleigh or return to Bladen County. After carefully deliberating, the couple chose to return to Bladen County and White transferred to the Wells Fargo location in Elizabethtown.
White said while working at the Elizabethtown branch of Wells Fargo, he was not only assisting customers with their financial needs but also began selling insurance products for the bank.
He said one big reason for returning to Bladen County is its people. According to White, now working with Woodmen of the World, he has the opportunity to not only help his customers to achieve their goals financially, he also has the opportunity to educate them about the various products so they make informed choices.
“The best thing about moving home is connecting with people I didn’t know,” said White.
He added that about 60 to 70 percent of his business is through referrals. White said he has been strongly supported by the residents of the county.
White said with Woodmen of the World, they offer clients products for insurance, finance, investing and savings to name a few things.
He said his biggest challenge in Bladen County has been slowing down. “I had been fast paced in sales. People here don’t like to be pushed,” said White.
He and his wife have one daughter, Anna Catherine.
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