Case Studies
Lauren
Young & Ambitious
Primary Goal
As a certified financial planner, our main goal is to help Laurn know her options and getting a game plan together so that she becomes in control of her finances.
Her Situation
Lauren is a Software Development Manager. She's not only good at the technical side of things, she's also a great leader and able to inspire and push her team to great result. She loves the product she works on and her team. Everyone would agree -- she's a great manager.
But when it comes to her finances, she has no idea how to manage that well.
Lauren makes a comfortable 6-figure income. She is not married and doesn't own a home yet, so there's pretty good cashflow to do what she wants.
And she has. She enjoys her vacations, travelling extensively, and will splurge on some big purchases from time to time. She can afford to go to the best Vancouver dentist to get her teeth fixed. She doesn't have to worry about money.
That both bothers her and doesn't bother her. She does really enjoy those things, after all.
But she knows that, on the whole, she could be doing a lot better. There's a nagging feeling that she should get on top of her finances, get started investing, and do whatever other stuff it takes to be responsible and build up her future.
She just doesn't know what to do, or where to go for help.
And it's not for lack of trying.
The first time: she went to her bank and sat down with a financial advisor. After a short chat, there was some mumbo-jumbo talk about equity, dividends and bonds, and they helped her set up a monthly savings & investment plan. But she didn't really get as much advice as she was hoping for. And she began hearing things about how mutual funds have high fees, the scandal in the news about big banks, proprietory products, and predatory sales practices -- it wasn't great.
More recently, she met with an independent financial advisor, but that left her feeling even more uncomfortable. She felt rushed into things before she could really get clear on what was happening or decide if it was truly right for her. It just felt like the advisor wanted to sell her on things. No thanks.
She was sliding back into procrastination and complacency when a friend gave her a strong referral to see us at Mobius Planning.
The Approach
Rather than dive right into investment selection, we showed Lauren that managing her finances well and creating the best circumstances for success begins with comprehensive financial planning. Decisions can't be made in silos, but must considering its affect on the whole. So we reviewed all areas of her financial life and put together a plan that covers:
The Results
Rather than a sales pitch. Lauren got advice. Rather than piecemeal advice, Lauren got comprehensive advice. Rather than rules of thumb and generalizations, Lauren got advice 100% tailored for her exact situation.
Even though she made a 6-figure income, Lauren was often worried and stressed and feeling guilty she wasn't being responsible with her finances. Now she has total clarity and confidence. She has a plan.
She's got a strategy that she's comfortable with. She's put financial systems in place. She has not only professional expertise helping her implement it, but an ongoing coach that keeps her accountable and consistent.
She is in control, and her finances are in order.
She knows where she's at, where she wants to go, and what exactly it will take to get there.
Lauren has discovered what real financial advice and real financial planning is all about.
Not to mention, she's also getting much bigger tax refunds.
