My Story

As a young girl my grandfather gave me a few shares of stock.  Every day I would look up the value and listen for news of my company.  I also opened a small savings account and was able to save any money I made from odd jobs like babysitting, pet watching, etc.  I loved it. Those early lessons of the power of saving and investing lead me to study finance and accounting in college. 

I joined Fidelity Investments upon graduation, first working on the mutual fund incoming phone information line, and later getting promoted to the discount brokerage line. November 1987 was an eye-opening month that taught me that most people need a guiding hand when it comes to their investments, especially when it comes time to determine if and when they should sell.  Clients were on hold for 2.5 hours waiting to get through to us, while the “live” quote system of the stock exchanges couldn’t keep up with the huge volume of shares being sold. We had no idea what anything was valued at that time.  We were not permitted to give advice or guidance to the clients, so I entered their orders to sell and watched people sell and unnecessarily lose money.

I eventually decided to leave the mutual fund company, as my interests were drawn more to the power of the financial planning process. I love solving puzzles. I also like to bring order to chaos, so the financial planning process gives me great joy.  The moment I see the whole plan after reviewing all the parts is always a “Eureka, I found it!” moment for me. Once the plan is figured out, presenting it is fun because I get to share this “Eureka” moment as I explain why each recommendation makes sense. We connect as I watch their light go on, understanding the plan being presented.

For over 30 years it has given me great pleasure to see parents pay for their kid’s college with investments we started when the kids were babies. Or watch a couple finally reach financial freedom and travel, coming in to share their stories from all the wonderful places they’ve been and things they’ve seen and done, to being there when a loved one passes to help put the pieces together. These are just some examples of the ways we’ve been able to harness the power of my clients’ financial resources using the financial planning process.

I hold a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting and finance from Texas A&M University as well as the Certified Financial Planning ™ designation.