Danielle Harrison, CFP®, CFT-I™

/in , , , , , , /by

About Danielle Harrison, CFP®, CFT-I™

I am a Columbia, MO fee-only financial advisor serving clients locally and across the country. My firm, Harrison Financial Planning, provides comprehensive financial planning and investment management. I use both my technical competency as a Certified Financial Planner™, as well as my training as a Certified Financial Therapist-I™ to help guide my clients through any financial decisions they must make.

Background

My fascination with finance began before I even stepped foot in kindergarten when I discovered the eighth wonder of the world– compound interest. In 5th grade when asked to draw what I wanted to be when I grew up, I didn’t draw the customary teacher, doctor, or singer, but rather a stockbroker. And in middle school, instead of reading the typical teenage magazines, my father purchased me subscriptions to Money Magazine and Kiplinger.

Prior to beginning my financial planning career I worked as a mortgage lender while attending graduate school and spent seven years as a commercial lender.

As a financial planner, I am able to combine my love of finances and passion for helping individuals into a fulfilling career.

In my downtime, I spend time with my husband, Jonathan, Group Practice Manager at the local Veterans’ Hospital, my two young sons, William and Alexander, and our dog, Carson.

Education

University of Missouri: Masters of Business Administration (MBA)

Westminster College: Bachelors of Arts in Economics and Business Administration with concentrations in Finance, Management, and Entrepreneurship

Certifications

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional

Certified Financial Therapist-I™ Professional

Community Involvement

Mobility Worldwide-Columbia, MO (Past Board President & Current Board Member)

Alzheimer’s Association-Greater Missouri (Past Board Member)

Heart of Missouri Girls on the Run (Past Board Treasurer)

Rotaract of Columbia (Past Board President)

Fredrick Standfield, CFP®, CPA

/in , , , , , , , /by

About Fredrick Standfield, CFP®, CPA

Research indicates money is one of the top issues that couples argue about and over 60% of adults identify as a significant source of stress.

At Lifewater, I share financial know-how and create personalized plans to help people avoid financial mistakes and stress so they can achieve financial freedom and live with security and peace of mind.

Since 2000, I have worked with families and individuals regarding personal finances and investment matters. I am a licensed CPA in the states of Georgia and Alabama and FINRA Series 65 licensed. My experience includes over 15 years in corporate financial planning, budgeting, analysis and management, and 3 years with the public accounting firm Deloitte.

Proudest Accomplishments:
– Marrying my lovely wife, Laurie, 23 years ago
– Being a fun and loving father to my sons
– Giving to global missions and ministries that are impacting the world with
love and resources for people who need them most
– Launching my second financial planning firm, LIFEWATER Wealth
Management

Interests:
– All things Family
– College Football – Superfan
– All things Personal Finance
– Movies & Local Foodie
– Travel
– Jazz Music

Skills:
– Listening
– Creating Simplicity & Clarity
– Finance & Analysis
– Strategy & Planning
– Producing Results
– Problem Solving

Read Fredrick’s blog here: https://getlifewater.com/blog

Arielle Bittoni, CFP®, CFA

/in , , , , , , , /by

About Arielle Bittoni, CFP®, CFA

I’ve spent my entire career in the financial industry and absolutely love it. I worked at large investment firms where it was a constant adrenaline rush with little down time, which taught me that my success as a wife, mother, and professional was heavily dependent on having the ‘right’ people around me. So when I became a financial advisor, I was proud to be that ‘right’ person.

To my disappointment I realized the industry has greatly under-served women, and even I was guilty of making compromises along my journey to adjust to a relentless and demanding culture. It was time to start doing things differently. I began to dig deeper, and discovered a passion to serve women and families looking for a better financial experience. I was not going to conform to a competitive culture focused on material success, and would instead commit myself to building deep relationships with clients where I appreciate their challenges and share their values.

My purpose as an advisor today is to create a collaborative environment where women can comfortably engage in discussions about their financial futures, so they can feel secure, smart, and confident about their decisions with their money.

Read Arielle’s blog here: https://www.goodbalancefp.com/blog

Sarah Ponder, CFP®, MBA

/in , , , , , , /by

About Sarah Ponder, CFP®, MBA

Professional:
Hi, I’m Sarah! I’m a CFP® experienced in working with individuals and institutional investors, including non-profit organizations, foundations, and retirement plans. I currently do comprehensive financial planning for real estate agents and real estate professionals.

I founded two companies dedicated to helping people with their finances: Fiduciary Financial Education LLC and Real Estate Wealth Planning. Prior to starting these companies, I was a Regional Director at Dimensional Fund Advisors, a low-cost investment asset manager, where I helped manage investments in a straightforward way that lets clients sleep at night.

Before I worked in financial services, I spent nine years in the education sector, first as a sixth grade math and science teacher, and then as Director of Partner Services for EverFi, an education technology company focused on financial literacy and life skills. Throughout my career, I traveled throughout most of the United States in order to teach thousands of children and adults in-person and virtually.

I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin – twice! First, with a BA in Sociology and ten years later with an MBA.

Personal:
My family lives in beautiful Sunset Valley, Texas, which is a tiny 1-square-mile municipality full of walking trails surrounded by the City of Austin.

I am proudly married to Ross Ponder, a high-producing REALTOR® at Compass. Ross and I have three children, Lucy, Hank, and Ruth. And of course, our family wouldn’t be complete without our two rescued German Shepherds, Bear and Molly.

When I went through my own financial life planning process, it was really clear to me that my most cherished values are spending time with my family and friends. I love to gather people in our (usually messy!) home, cook something I found on Pinterest, and laugh at the inevitable antics that our toddlers get themselves into.

Outside of our home, I love Austin’s incredible restaurant scene and exploring the outdoors that we are blessed to live near. Our family attends St. David’s Episcopal Church in downtown Austin where I serve on the foundation board of directors.

My Why:
Growing up, my family was raised on a public school teacher’s salary, so money was always tight. Poor decisions by extended family members essentially wiped out much of my college fund, forcing me to become very frugal and financially literate as a teenager.

Throughout my career in education, I taught math, financial literacy and business skills to middle school and high school students, which solidified my belief in the power of a good education as the great equalizer. I believe all people deserve access to fair, unbiased information about their finances, which is why I am both a fee-only fiduciary financial planner and also provide educational content through my other company, Fiduciary Financial Education LLC.

Read Sarah’s blog here: https://realestatewealthplanning.com/blog/

Andrew Tudor, CFP®, RICP

/in , , , , , /by

About Andrew Tudor, CFP®, RICP

Alchemist Wealth was created to help Black individuals and families transform their relationship with money. Started by two brothers who spent their entire adult lives in the financial industry, who witnessed first hand the lack of adequate opportunities and knowledge to build wealth. They decided to attack the racial wealth gap in a unique way.

Sons of two public servants, each brother has key ingredients for what it takes to transform clients and communities for the long run. Andrew, the younger brother, leads with vision, confidence, and empathy. Fred, the older and wiser brother, leads with principles, accuracy, and stability. The combination creates dynamic, forward-thinking strategies, delivered with efficiency and precision.

Money is a tool in the hands of its steward. The values, goals, and mindset of the person should determine how the tool is used. The Alchemist Wealth process uses unique experiences to uncover your values, hopes, and fears to design a specialized plan for each client and provides the support, guidance, and accountability to achieve it.

We are all chasing freedom, and financial freedom is at the heart of this desire. Alchemist Wealth’s mission is to create an army of Black financially free families whose money is aligned with their values and who live life on their terms.

Susan Soesbe, CFP®, EA

/in , , , /by

About Susan Soesbe, CFP®, EA

Susan got her professional start in the Sacramento area when she obtained her MBA from UC Davis in Finance and Accounting, joining first Deloitte & Touche then Hewlett Packard. After many years in corporate finance, and wanting a more personal and hands-on professional environment, she joined a financial planning firm in Davis at its inception in 2006. As an ideal resource for clients, she decisively helped to grow this small company into a local powerhouse.

Susan combines a focus on client service and effective communication with advanced analytical skills to help clients move closer to their goals. As a financial planner and IRS enrolled agent, she incorporates tax planning into comprehensive financial planning and investment management.

Susan’s passion for helping others achieve financial freedom is fueled by family experience. She spent many hours assisting her widowed grandmother with financial issues and investments, which left Susan with a clear sense of the need for planning and an awareness of the personal satisfaction she feels when helping others. She finds it especially gratifying to work with women experiencing a life transition, helping them make the informed decisions necessary to better their lives now and in the future.

In her free time, Susan enjoys camping, hiking, and bicycling. Some of her favorite local camping excursions have included trips to the Serene Lakes region and the beautiful peace of the Gerle Creek area.

Read Susan’s blog here: https://soesbefinancial.com/news-articles/

Carolyn Cook, CFP®, CRPC

/in , , , , , , , /by

About Carolyn Cook, CFP®, CRPC

MY MISSION
The first time I remember standing up for injustice was on the playground during 2nd grade recess. A couple of bullies were picking on a scared girl. I marched up and gave these bullies a piece of my mind and the girl and I become best friends. After entering the Financial Services industry in 2007, I quickly realized there were many “bullies” that used their knowledge to intimidate clients into pricey products and services.

What About Us Financial was founded in 2019 to stand up against the status quo in Financial Services. We are the 99% that deserve our own beautifully successful life. Money is power. It brings us security and confidence. Saving and investing is not only for the rich. We can all prosper and thrive through thoughtful budgeting, savings and investing. This is my mission in life – to empower the underserved so they may obtain financial freedom and success.

MY EXPERIENCE
I’m a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM Professional (CFP®), a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®), and hold a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in Management Innovation & Change. I have the letters to demonstrate knowledge, but it is more important to convey my heart to demonstrate compassion. I am a Fiduciary, which is the highest standard of client care. I must always act in the client’s best interest, even when it’s in opposition to mine. (This is big stuff! Do some Googling to see the efforts to hold all advisors to this standard. They have failed, so it’s still a scary world.)

MY OFFICE
My office is located inside my home in Bellbrook, Ohio. I see no reason to tax environmental (and personal) resources to open a fancy office space. We can meet at your favorite coffee shop, restaurant, office or kitchen table. And there is always video conferencing through Zoom, FaceTime or Skype.

Tracy Sherwood, CFP®

/in , , , , , , , /by

About Tracy Sherwood, CFP®

Prior to founding Sherwood Financial Management, I spent my career at a local wealth management firm for 24+ years working with clients as they near retirement. As a fee-only advisor, I cultivate long-term relationships advising individuals, spouses, partners, and extended families on personal financial planning, wealth accumulation strategies, retirement planning, and most notable retirement coaching. By continuously educating, providing perspective, and maintaining investment discipline, I help clients navigate the financial markets in varying market conditions, which to-date includes both the booming dot com era and the Great Recession.

Throughout the years, I gained an appreciation for my advisory strengths, and realize that the time, care, and consideration I give to my clients is more than they expect from an advisor in the financial industry. I am thankful for the knowledge, experience, and confidence that I have gained over the years which provided the opportunity to offer you my advisory approach and services at my firm.

I live in Clarence with my husband and our two boys. I currently volunteer with the local Clarence High School Business Academy mentoring Sophomore, Junior, and Senior high school students. I also serve as a volunteer for Savvy Ladies which is a non-profit organization that provides personal finance education and resources for women to inspire them to plan for the future. I am currently a member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) for fee-only advisors, and the Financial Planning Association (FPA). I serve on the local FPA of WNY chapter’s program committee to help deliver stimulating and relevant content to our membership.

Germaine Weldon, CFP®, CPA/PFS

/in , , , , , , , /by

About Germaine Weldon, CFP®, CPA/PFS

Germaine brings to the Inspired Financial mix her considerable experience as a financial planner, investment advisor and wealth manager — along with a keen sense of humor, honed by her life’s rich experience. Germaine has ridden out not just one hurricane, but two. In 1969 she lost her childhood Pass Christian home to Hurricane Camille then Hurricane Katrina destroyed their Ocean Springs home in 2005!

Hurricane forces are nothing compared to Germaine’s. Having “flunked Retirement 101” (her words) she leaped at the opportunity to co-found Inspired Financial Planners with Tricia Kollath, CFP(r) in 2019. Their combined talents pair well with their shared passion for helping people navigate a complex financial world.
Germaine has a master’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi. She is a CPA with a Personal Financial Specialist™ credential (MS certificate 5504 and NC certificate 43722), as well as a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner. In addition to her extensive advisory experience, she has authored numerous financial articles for local and regional newspapers, and online media outlets.

Outside of her career, Germaine is an enthusiastic advocate for the arts. She is a life member of the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, having served various roles including its board since the early 1990s. She and her husband John (a physician) stay young by dancing to the tunes provided by their son, a professional musician. These days, Germaine and John divide their time between western North Carolina and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where Germaine enjoys kayaking … when the waters are calm.

John McGowan, CFP®, MBA

/in , , , , , /by

About John McGowan, CFP®, MBA

We’re a different type of wealth management group.

I founded Mandala Financial Advisors on the principal that progressive people deserve advisors who will guide them to financial success without compromising what they value – a sustainable and just world.

Our clients come to us at all stages of life, each with a unique blend of circumstances and objectives. Yet they all share two traits: They value personal wellness and they are lifelong learners. Many are academics, nonprofit professionals, and business owners/entrepreneurs. Mostly women. They tend to be community-centric, compassionate, and follow the adage, “think globally, act locally.”

Our mission is to:
• Maximize the likelihood of your achieving your current and future financial goals.
• Replace your stress over money with financial confidence and wellness.
• Empower you to create positive social & environmental change.

We use a holistic planning process that integrates all facets of your financial life into a personalized financial plan, a map to achieving your goals. We have found the ongoing coaching we provide is a key ingredient to ultimate success. We use a rigorous process for selecting best-in-class ESG (Environmental Social Governance) investment products to match your financial and sustainability objectives. We are a fee-only advisor which means our income is only from fees you pay us for services rendered, not from commissions investment companies pay some advisors for selling products.

I have over 25 years of experience providing sophisticated and caring financial guidance to clients. I am a CFP® practitioner. My educational credentials include an MBA from University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and a B.S. in Mathematics from Loyola University of Chicago. I’m passionate about community service, with a keen interest in the environment, human rights, and the arts. Years of experience in leadership roles on nonprofit boards taught me capitalism without conscience is flawed.

I’m openly gay which taught me early on to embrace the things that make each person unique. I’m an outdoor and fitness enthusiast who likes to spend time hiking, skiing, and exploring. I’m a student of secular Buddhism, always growing and learning to be a better me.

I encourage you to visit our website (https://mandala.financial) to learn more about Mandala Financial Advisors. We make it easy to schedule a complimentary, no-pressure, introduction meeting.