Her Story
About Chanell
Chanell Carter, AIRC, is a seasoned financial services professional with over 26 years of experience spanning investments, insurance, and regulatory compliance. She currently serves as a Senior Compliance Analyst and Compliance Ad Reviewer at Principal Financial Group, where she specializes in reviewing insurance and investment-related marketing materials to ensure adherence to state and federal regulations, including FINRA requirements. Her primary focus includes life insurance, annuities, non-qualified plans, and mutual funds, supporting both internal stakeholders and marketing teams in maintaining regulatory integrity across financial communications.
Her career began in operations at AIM (now Invesco), where she developed a strong foundation in mutual funds by processing redemptions, transfers, and exchanges on retail accounts. She later expanded into retirement services and transitioned into sales support as an inside sales assistant, assisting wholesalers with investment product promotion. Driven by a desire to move into regulatory work, she earned her Series 24 license and entered the compliance field at NEXT Financial, later advancing to a leadership role at AIG as a Lead Compliance Analyst, where she broadened her expertise into insurance and earned her AIRC designation.
Throughout her career, Chanell has demonstrated strong leadership, analytical skill, and regulatory expertise, contributing to high-profile compliance initiatives, vendor evaluations, and policy development. She has held her current role at Principal Financial Group for approximately eight years after being recruited via LinkedIn, and has been working in compliance advertising review since 2010. She also holds multiple securities licenses and has been recognized for her contributions to team success and process improvement. A graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, she is also actively engaged in professional development and organizational initiatives, including employee resource group leadership and mentorship within the financial services industry.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Chanell
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my belief in Christ as my Savior. I feel like there's no way that I would have made it this far, no way that I would have consistent joy in my life, and feel motivated to keep going and strive to be the best version of myself without Him. My faith gives me the strength and motivation to continue achieving and growing in my career and personal life.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is to be authentic and to take advantage of any opportunity that is presented or put in front of you. I think staying true to yourself while being open to opportunities has been key to my professional growth and success throughout my 26-year career in financial services.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the financial services industry would be to stay focused on your goals. Whatever they are, don't limit yourself to what people say or whatever negativity you have in your mind. Stay rooted in Christ and strive for the best. These are the things I feel like they would need to get into the career and to have a career that lasts for as long as they would want it to last.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I'd say the biggest challenges right now would be the uncertainty of the stock market due to the uncertain economic environment that we are in. I have to be cognizant of what's going on. Thinking back to 2008, there were great layoffs because of things you can't control. When the market goes down, it affects your job. As far as the biggest opportunities, I'm probably biased, but I think the insurance industry has so many things that you can do within investments and insurance. There are so many opportunities for growth there at all different levels, so I would recommend people look into that industry.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important value to me is my belief in God, Jesus my Savior. I feel like when you have belief in the Lord and in your Christian values, everything else falls into place. That's the basis and the motivation to keep things going. My verse, my mantra, is 'I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.' That's my daily motivation to keep going, to do better, and to be an example for my daughter as a woman. I want her to achieve whatever it is that she wants to achieve and to be better and do better than I have.
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