Back in my 20s and 30s when I was a broke theater artist I definitely had no one to talk to about money.
I already got plenty of non-financial advice from my parents and sisters so I wasn’t about to ask them, my friends were all just as broke as I was, and the idea of reading a personal finance book would have never occurred to me.
I was skeptical of any kind of financial professional because a) they might try to sell me something and b) don’t they want to talk to people who actually HAVE money?
I was able to turn things around and retire at age 52, but I made a lot of unnecessary mistakes along the way – mistakes I could have avoided if I had had someone (like future me!) to talk to about money.
This was part of my motivation for going into coaching – to be the person I needed back then. Someone who had the experience to help me avoid common pitfalls, but who, unlike family and friends, could have looked at my situation objectively and without judgment and suggested courses of action that I never would have thought of, but which would have helped me reach a sound financial footing much earlier on.
The Survey Says …
That 39% number comes from a periodic survey done by the National Financial Educators Council where they ask, “When you have a financial question, who do you personally turn to for trusted financial guidance?”. The results of their survey from September 2022 were:
- 37.8% Parents, Family, Friends or Coworkers
- 22.8% Financial Professionals
- 39.3% I Don’t Have Anyone Trusted to Turn To
If we consider that advice from family, friends and coworkers may or may not be that reliable, that means that almost 80% of people don’t really have an educated, objective, trusted person to talk to about their money.
The ability to make good financial decisions can be key to everything else you want to do. And when you have someone who can walk you through all the ins and outs, you are better able to consider all the options and make choices that align with your own personal short- and long-term goals.
As your financial coach I will use my knowledge, education, and experience to go through things step by step so you can make the best decisions possible. I can also help you look at those decisions as part of an overall plan for your money. No matter where you are financially (i.e. you don’t need to already have money), I can help! Schedule one of my free, 30-minute initial consultation video calls and let’s get started.
