Former Teacher Advises Educators on Pensions and Retirement

Gabbi Cerezo left the classroom to join Sustain Financial in 2024. She advises teachers and government employees on pensions, retirement and other public-sector benefits. She is a 2026 Rising Star in financial planning.

Cerezo traced her interest in finance to a product in her mother’s 403(b) that showed little growth. She recalled that the account “hadn’t grown in years,” and said learning how it was sold to her mother pushed her to provide clearer guidance to educators.

Cerezo taught middle school before moving into financial planning. When her school faced declining enrollment and job uncertainty, she began exploring financial-advisor careers. She worked at several firms and pursued a role at Sustain Financial, led by former high school math teacher Lori DeFoor. Cerezo contacted DeFoor repeatedly and offered to work for free; the firm hired her when a position opened in 2024.

At Sustain, Cerezo’s clients are mostly educators and public employees whose retirement plans include special rules and options. She uses classroom techniques and school-based analogies to explain how pensions and retirement accounts work, focusing on the main points clients need to know without heavy technical detail. She observed that teachers tend to be “so nice, and they always do their homework.” A client, Jennifer Ponshock, who contacted Cerezo through social media, described the adviser as “my teacher bestie across the hall.”

To reach more educators, Cerezo launched a TikTok account called Teachers Deserve Money this spring. She posts short videos about pensions, retirement planning and fraud avoidance. Her most-viewed clip, a warning about scams, has nearly 100,000 views.

Her 2026 Rising Star recognition lists her among industry honorees who focus on public-sector worker retirement education.