I thought it would be important to take a step back and explain my journey. So let me use this first post to rewind and share my story of how I got to where I am today.
I need to first start by thanking everyone who has supported me up to today as I could have never imagined where I would be without you. That goes for clients, friends, family, and mentors.
Everything Happens for a Reason
I never would have thought that at 26 years old I would be starting my own financial planning firm catering to a demographic that every “industry professional” told me was a waste of time. I’ll let you in on an industry secret, most advisors don’t want to meet with you until you have a certain amount of assets they can manage for you. I knew there had to be a better way for people just like me to get high quality advice so I started researching millennial financial advisors. This led me down a rabbit hole that opened up my eyes to a whole different side of financial planning. A focus on ongoing advice for a fee rather than selling products. A model that instantly clicked for me.
For those that don’t know me, I grew up in a small surf town called San Clemente in Southern California, many haven’t heard of it but it’s right near Newport Beach which is more familiar to most. I grew up as the youngest of four and honestly couldn’t have imagined a much better upbringing. The weather was always great, I was 10 minutes from a beach, and I got to experience a great childhood.
Little did I know I would decide to go to school in the desert with no beach in sight. I’m thankful that I did though because the friends and memories I made in college are a big reason why I am here today. I never quite new what a financial advisor did growing up or exactly what financial planning was, but I did always have immense curiosity around money, investing, and dare I say the finer things in life.
The funny thing is that getting your degree in finance doesn’t teach you a damn thing about financial planning. I’ve come to find out that the only way to learn it is by doing. it takes years of doing your own research and really getting in the trenches in terms of real-world experiences. I knew I wanted to do something where I could work with people at the individual level and act as a guide to help them through this game we call life. It’s what drove me to start working exclusively with people in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s. This has always been a neglected group because, like I mentioned earlier, you don’t yet have the assets to meet most advisor minimums. One thing you do have is incredible income potential and a whole bunch of time. That’s all you really need to do exceptional financial planning and put yourself in a great position.
Do The Right Thing
You see real financial planning is not day trading, it’s not hedge funds, or even a specific product. Real financial planning is an ongoing process where you are constantly adapting in an effort to accomplish what’s most important in your life. I’ve seen the good, bad, and ugly and I hate to say it, but most advisors are not doing what’s best for their clients and most advisors are not doing real financial planning. The industry is very old school and product centric which leads to a ton of distrust. I may be biased, but I believe working with a fee- only advisor eliminates conflicts of interests leading to a better overall experience.
The point of this blog will be to educate as many people as possible, and it will be fresh weekly. My goal is to make personal finance easy to understand. We only get one shot at this life folks, make it count.