Starting Out? Starting Over?

By Mary Grace Musuneggi

Start here.

Are you a recent college graduate? A newlywed? A new parent? Starting your first job?

Are you divorced, widowed, out there on your own? Would you like to start a business? Have you changed jobs or careers?

Then you probably wish that you had help, advice and professional assistance with the many financial decisions you will need to make. I know from personal experience how important it is to get help with life’s challenges and changes. I have been married, widowed, and divorced. I have been a single parent. I changed careers a number of times until I started my own firm. And I know that my success has always been tied to the level of support I received when I needed it most.

I learned early about the importance of getting professional help. Many years ago, purchasing my first home also meant purchasing its metallic orange, black and silver wallpapered bathroom. I knew right away I needed to get rid of that wallpaper. But money was tight, and I didn’t want to spend too much. So I decided to do it myself. After all, how hard could it be? I was an intelligent, well-educated person. I thought I was capable of doing anything.

After three days of stripping, measuring, cutting, and hanging, the bathroom had gone from ugly to frightening. It became blatantly apparent that I had no talent for this kind of work. Everything I could have done wrong, I managed to do wrong. In the end I called a professional, and she charged me twice as much to undo the damage I had done.

This experience taught me some valuable life lessons:

#1: The cheapest way is not always the best way.

#2: Being intelligent means being smart enough to know what you don’t know.

#3: Talent, expertise, knowledge, and experience are invaluable tools that are worth paying for.

Most people who avoid working with a professional financial advisor think they can’t afford to. There is a common assumption that financial professionals are looking for clients with $100,000 to invest or a million dollar retirement rollover. But that’s simply not true. After all, most people have financial needs and concerns long before they have any big investment. Where do they go? What do they do?

This is where our financial coaching program “Starting Out/Starting Over” comes in. We’ve designed “Starting Out/Starting Over” to be affordable for anyone. The fee structure works like a gym membership or movie subscription, and the program provides assistance with budgeting, financial literacy, debt management, and investing 101. “Starting Out/Starting Over” also connects you to an advisor who is available to help you make wise financial decisions.

To learn more about this unique program please contact us at 412-341-2888. It can make an excellent graduation or wedding gift, too!