How We Got Here.
The first time I raised my hand and swore an oath was at age 17. Since then, I’ve worked in either local, state, or federal government positions. Whether it was sitting in roll call before my shift as a patrol cop, or sitting in the back of a follow car working a protection assignment, the same conversations about money came up over and over again. We would talk about investments, retirement benefits, rental real estate, and strategies to make the most of our financial benefits.
I quickly saw a pattern emerge. Smart people struggling with financial planning decisions despite having good benefits and career stability.
There was no shortage of both bad advice and inaccurate information at the water cooler. Information from our employers wasn’t always easily accessible or simple to understand. Combining these factors with Type A, detail-oriented people resulted in frequent "analysis paralysis".
Over the years I increased my financial education while pursuing the Certified Fraud Examiner credential and earning my Master’s Degree in Investigations with a concentration in white collar crime. I poured over employee benefit plan documents, financial education materials, IRS publications, and the convoluted federal laws that explain our financial options. I joined financial advisor mentorship groups and learned how fee-only fiduciary planners were helping their clients. After a few years of battling imposter syndrome, I decided it was time get serious about helping people with their finances. In October 2022, I passed the Series 65 Uniform Investment Adviser Law exam and in March 2023, I founded Layered Financial, LLC.
The goal is simple: to work alongside early and mid-career professionals to ensure their finances are aligned with the ideal life they envision.
Why "Layered" Financial?
I think of achieving financial success the same way I think about conducting an investigation or protecting a government official. When investigating, there are layers to uncover and different leads to explore. When protecting, we create overlapping layers of security and contingency plans to ensure we're prepared for the unknown and anticipate events before they occur.
Your financial life is no different.
The financial plan we create together will provide you with actionable steps to create various paths to financial success while building layers of protection. This is not me telling you to stop getting your daily coffee, it's much more than that. What I aim to deliver is peace of mind, more free time by not having to learn this all on your own, and confidence through information.
