Five Questions and Answers About My Business

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1. Why did you want to start this kind of business?

I’ve always been fascinated by investment strategies, financial market behavior, and how individuals can optimize their income and investments to be tax-efficient. What drew me to become a financial planner is my desire to help people, my aptitude for numbers, and my passion for empowering individuals to make better financial decisions. Each day, I’m grateful for the opportunity to make a meaningful impact and help lift a significant burden off a client’s shoulders—it’s deeply gratifying work.

One thing I’ve observed in client meetings is that people often have much more to discuss about money than just large caps, small caps, or investment returns. Clients crave confidence in understanding how the various pieces of their financial puzzle fit together—why their money is being invested in a particular way, how they’ll be secure in retirement, and whether their loved ones will be taken care of in worst-case scenarios. These conversations excite me. I’m grateful that I can help clients gain a clearer understanding of their situation, know themselves on a deeper level, and provide solutions and strategies that serve them both financially and holistically.

2. How did you get your start?

In my previous career, I was a dental insurance underwriter. When I decided to transition to personal finance, I went back to school and earned my Master’s degree in Finance at Penn State. After graduating, I worked as a financial advisor at a local firm, where I learned the ins and outs of serving clients and managing a business.

I obtained the Series 65 license, a requirement for professionals offering financial or investment advice. To deepen my expertise, I embarked on a two-year journey to earn the CFP® (Certified Financial Planner) designation, elevating the quality of my advice and services. The CFP Board holds financial planners to the highest standards, including the fiduciary duty, which requires CFP professionals to always act in their clients’ best interests.

When I opened my business, I started from the ground up. Operating out of my home office, I met clients over Zoom or at their homes. I wrote articles about financial planning, collaborated with reporters to build my reputation, and volunteered at local schools—either directly or through Junior Achievement, the global non-profit organization. I attended countless local networking and social events to connect with people in my community. Gradually, people began to notice me, and I was able to share what I do.

Building my client base was a one-client-at-a-time effort, and I’m grateful for the referrals I’ve received. It’s especially rewarding when clients, after completing a financial plan, ask for my business cards to share with their family and friends. One of my clients told me the reason she pushed their friends to call me was because she wanted them to have the peace she had after working with me. Those moments are exactly what I strive for in my work.

3. What does your business provide?

I often joke that I provide peace, confidence, and good sound sleep.

I specialize in helping people in their 50s prepare for retirement, a critical time to set themselves up for a successful future. This 10- to 15-year window before retirement is vital for planning and ensuring they can enjoy their golden years with confidence. For those about to retire, I help them manage their lifetime savings and create a plan to safely enjoy the resources they’ve worked so hard to accumulate. Many people invest in employer-sponsored accounts like a 401(k), and when they stop working, clients face a series of complex decisions and strategies. My goal is to simplify that process, making the transition to retirement smoother and less stressful.

When I work with individuals or couples, I offer two types of financial plans: comprehensive and project-based. Comprehensive plans take a deep dive into multiple aspects of a client’s finances, such as how clients are managing the inflow and outflow of their money, assessing their readiness for retirement, evaluating and recommending investment strategies, applying certain smart tax strategies to manage clients’ tax brackets in retirement, and so much more.

Project-based plans, on the other hand, focus on a single area, making them ideal for younger families or individuals who need targeted guidance.

I structure my fees to accommodate a wide range of clients. For project-based plans, I charge an hourly fee, allowing accessibility for those who may need help with just one aspect of their finances. For comprehensive plans, I charge a flat one-time fee. Importantly, there is no minimum amount of investment assets required to become a client, so even those who prefer to manage their investments can still benefit from working with me on the broader aspects of their financial lives.

4. Biggest challenge you are facing right now?

There’s so much I want to learn and accomplish, but life has a way of presenting endless demands on our time and attention. To serve my clients well, I have to be intentional about what I say yes to and what I say no to. It’s an ongoing challenge to resist the pull of trendy topics, flashy tech stacks, or enticing conferences, but staying focused on what truly matters is my priority—and I plan to keep working on that.

5. What is your favorite thing to do/place/attribute of Cumberland Co?

I love being in nature, and I love fruits, plants, and flowers. Cumberland County is home to some of the coolest hiking trails. A few years ago, I was introduced to a native fruit called pawpaw, and ever since, I’ve been hooked. I scour the West Shore Farmer’s market every fall for pawpaws. Also, my brother-in-law took my husband and me on a local trail where we could hike and collect fresh pawpaws right off the trees. For someone who loves both fruits and nature, it doesn’t get much better than that.