Susan is passionate about using her financial knowledge to help others achieve their goals. She began her financial services career when she joined Vanguard in 2004. At Vanguard, she provided data analysis and portfolio management for high-net-worth clients. Her 11 years at Vanguard taught her that every client has a unique situation and there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution.
“Every client is unique and I delight in helping people figure out how to make money work for them. Part of that involves taking the time to get to know clients and understand their goals.”
She believes that her job is to answer questions like ‘When can I retire?’ and ‘Can I afford to leave a legacy’ not just convey facts and figures.
Another way Susan enjoys helping clients is retirement income planning. Many clients save for retirement, but are unsure about the best way to spend down their portfolio. “Distributing wealth in retirement is more difficult than accumulating wealth when working. I guide clients around the pitfalls of spending too much too early and not preparing for emergencies.”
During her time at Vanguard she earned the Certified Financial Planner designation, which gives her the understanding of all aspects involved in the planning process including investing, estate planning, risk management, and tax planning. The CFP® Code of Ethics and Practice Standards forms the basis of the company’s philosophy. She also has a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from Northwest Missouri State University and an M.B.A. from Northern Arizona University which gives her the depth of knowledge critical in the planning process.
Susan lives in the Phoenix area with her husband, son, and daughter. Her interests include running, hiking, volunteering, and vacationing with her family.
SUSAN’S WORST MONEY DECISION: Not doing enough research on mortgage rates when purchasing a home. A small percentage can add up to a large amount of additional interest over time.
SUSAN’S BETTER MONEY DECISION: Starting a Roth IRA right out of college and seeing firsthand the power of compounding!
REGISTRATION
Investment advisory services offered through Better Money Decisions, LLC, an investment advisor registered through the SEC.