Ever since I was growing up in Mequon, Wisconsin, I have been fascinated with money and how people earn it, invest it, and spend it. Nothing got my attention like the stock market contest my econ teacher ran. 

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When I went to college, I wanted to learn as much about money and business as I could, so I majored in accounting and marketing. I had to take a writing class; creative writing was supposed to be an “easy A, ” so I signed up. Unlike the other business majors in the class, I loved it. My avocation was born.

In 1997, I started a tax practice. At the same time, I was drawn to writing about personal finance and fascinated by how people handle their money. As my practice developed, I was increasingly turned off by the financial services industry, yet increasingly aware of the need that clients had for good personal financial advice. From my perspective as a CPA, much of the industry seemed to be geared toward working with the super-wealthy, selling products of questionable value, or promoting schemes that benefited the sales person more than the customer. 

Then I found out about fee-only financial advising, particularly ACP (the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners.) Fee-only advisors are upfront about what clients are paying, so there are no hidden agendas. I felt an instant recognition of being among like-minded people. I’ve since joined ACP as well as NAPFA (the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, another fee-only group) and have developed my own fee-only financial advisory practice. I love it. 

Degrees and Designations

BA in Accounting and Marketing from the University of Wisconsin, Madison 
Masters in Liberal Arts from DePaul University in Chicago. 
Certified Financial Planner ™
Certified Public Accountant

Other Experience

 
I worked at Peterson & Company supporting high-profile litigation, as a manager, then district manager at Starbucks during their start-up phase, and supporting derivatives trading at O'Connor & Associates. 

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For Fun

I love tennis, music, and reading! 

 

And...nerdy as this sounds, I enjoy getting the word out about fee-only financial planning to a broader audience.  Check out my articles on Money.com or subscribe to the Youtube channel I started with John Scherer, Friends Talk Financial Planning.

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