Earl T. Young Jr. joined Ashford Advisors in 2023 as a Financial Representative. Earl entered the financial services industry in 2015, after retiring from a thirty-three-year career as a federal employee with the social security administration. Having seen many technology transformations as a Field District Manager, he was instrumental in electronic application development and troubleshooting claims for retirement benefits, as well as survivor and disability processing. As a Financial Representative, Earl strives to continue a legacy of educating, serving, and assisting his community with wealth building, income protection and retirement planning.
Earl is a graduate of Kentucky State University, 1982, where he majored in Business Management and minored in Marketing and Economics. While in college, he became an officer in his fraternity’s local chapter while also serving as a Senate Courier for two years in the Kentucky General Assembly. During Earl's second tour as a Senate Courier, he was commissioned as a “Kentucky Colonel,” one of the state's highest honors.
Earl is a visionary at heart, as reflected in some of his favorite quotes:
“I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.” — William Ernest Henley, Invictus
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination." — Albert Einstein.
"Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. If there is no struggle, there is no progress." — Frederick Douglass.
“Son, you’re driving your ducks to a poor pond…” — Earl T Young, Sr.
Earl and his wife, Queen D. (Merriweather) Young reside in Memphis Tennessee. They have a blended family of 3 boys and 2 girls; Kristi; Earl, III; Kourtney; Jordan; and Chaz. Together they have 11 grandchildren. He attributes his greatest influence and inspirations in every imaginable way to his parents, Earl T. Young, Sr. and Mary Louise Young-Bey, however most importantly for consistently showing him how unconditional love feels.
Earl enjoys playing golf and since childhood he has loved taking part in all outdoor activities: hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, swimming, horseback riding, biking, baseball, etc. His favorite vacation spots are Myrtle Beach in the spring, Lake Barkley and the Land Between the Lakes in Ky., New Orleans, LA and visiting his childhood home in Columbus, IN. On a fun note, Earl enjoys all forms of music, but Jazz and classic rhythm and blues are his favorites along with karaoke nights.
Education, Training, Work History
- Graduated Kentucky State University, Major: Business Management; Minors: Marketing and Economics (1982)
- FINRA Series 6 Certification (2015)
- Retired Federal Employee – Social Security Administration (1979 - 2012)
- Mindset Consulting – Self Employed (2012 – 2015)
- New York Life Insurance Company (2015 to 2019)
- Futurity First Insurance Group (2019 – 2020)
- Tata Consultancy Services/Transamerica Life Insurance (2020 – 2023)
Community Involvement
- Initiated into the Psi Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc at Kentucky State University in April 1979
- Member of Epsilon Phi, Chapter Memphis TN. Since 1994
- AARP Member DeSoto County MS 2010 – 2018
Earl T. Young, Jr., Financial Representative of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. Ashford Mid-South LLC is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Guardian.