My story...
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I didn’t grow up with money and I never made a lot of it; but I have been able to create wealth through sound financial principles that anyone can follow. Here is my story:
Early Years
My family wasn’t wealthy. I was one of five kids and my father taught high school. However, I was richly blessed with two loving parents, who taught me the value of hard work and education, but unfortunately, not much about personal finance.
Debt
Like many, I paid for 100% of my college education and graduated with tens-of-thousands in student loan debt. I landed an entry-level job out of college where I made a whopping $33,900 the first year. While I progressed to higher positions, I earned a modest salary; yet despite this, I was able to:
- Pay all my debts off years early; and
- Be on track to have millions in retirement
How I Did It
First of all, it wasn’t easy. I budgeted, saved, and invested. When my wife and I married, we paid for our own wedding and honeymoon. During the first few years of our marriage, we spent over $50,000 on In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments to become pregnant (all worth it, as we were blessed with three children). Notwithstanding, through budgeting, maximizing corporate benefits, selecting the right investments, and following a sound financial plan, we have a better life and future.
My Goal is to Help Others Do the Same
Through financial planning, I teach people how to make better choices with their money so they can have a better life. To provide the best possible help, I earned one of the most respected designations in the financial services industry: the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®). Nationwide, only 20% of financial advisers have their CFP® as the requirements for achieving it includes: having a Bachelors degree; at least three years of financial planning experience; and completing college courses on investing, retirement plans, taxes, insurance, and estate plans followed by a challenging comprehensive exam.
As a result of this education and experience, I am able to provide guidance on how people can maximize their employer benefits, invest their money best to pursue their goals, employ strategies to mitigate their taxes, and ensure they have adequate insurance and estate plans in place so they can ultimately plan better to live better.
I wish I started planning later.
— No one, ever