About Us

The Financially Smart system was developed over a period of years as a result of helping many clients with their personal finance concerns and issues.  We often heard that our client's financial struggles existed simply because they didn’t realize there was another way. 

They didn’t know there was anyone to help them with making personal finance decisions even though we were doing their taxes and would ask them each year how things were going.   So, we started educating clients about financially smart behavior when we met at tax time.  Hearing this, they began expressing their financial worries.  Now that we knew the issues of concern, we were able to give them the specific assistance they needed to make the right choices for themselves.

We realized our clients weren't the only ones experiencing these personal finance struggles.  So we created the Financially Smart system.  Using the same methods that helped our tax clients, we can now help others struggling with personal finance issues and concerns.

Thus, Financially Smart was officially launched as it’s own identity in 2006.

We are Certified Public Accountants by training but our focus is on personal finance.  There are many others who claim to be personal finance experts but you’ll often find them to be using this claim to win your trust so you’ll turn over your assets to them or buy their financial products.  

We don’t manage assets or sell financial products – we just want to help you become Financially Smart!

What qualifies us to do this?

If you’ve looked around bookstores and the Internet for personal finance help, you’ve found many self-proclaimed “experts”.  You can buy their books, read their articles, subscribe to their newsletters but you are still left with the same problem. 

Your situation is not like anyone else and you need ongoing, custom support tailored to your situation.   We have been providing this style of support for years on a case-by-case basis through our work as CPAs for our clients.   There is no formal training for a service like ours because it comes from our practical experience helping clients.

However, we do have extensive training in financial matters.  As Certified Public Accountants, we have years of finance education and training, have passed rigorous tests and are required to take continuing education each year.  In addition, our profession trains us and requires us to be objective.  We analyze past performance, make current assessments, develop solutions and make recommendations to improve future results. This training and our profession’s code of ethics is the reason we are our client’s trusted advisors. 

CAUTION: Be careful of the so-called experts.

There are many financial professionals who have designations or credentials following their name.  Some, even use the term “Certified”.  Be aware of one important difference.  All of these other designations were created by industries or private organizations to bolster their representative’s appearance as an authority. These organizations invented the certification they provide and are not regulated by a government body. 

The Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is the only certified financial professional regulated and administered by the government to uphold the public trust.   While some of these other designations require extensive study and exams, and some designees are quite competent, they are not regulated by the government but only by their own industry.  These organizations can and do change the requirements for maintaining their designation (when it serves their agenda), creating a great conflict of interest for the designee between putting the client’s best interests ahead of maintaining a designation. If the designee fails to keep current with dues or the organization closes, suddenly their designation disappears. 

One final thought about qualifications.  Have you ever met a so-called expert and after wondered how they ever got that distinction?  The best test for determining one’s true qualifications is with your own personal experience.  We believe you will be satisfied that we are well qualified to help you right in our first meeting. 

What will this cost?

Hopefully nothing!  Of course there are fees for our services but the benefits (financial return) to you must clearly out weigh the fees or we will not accept you as a client. 

Here is an important concept to keep in mind (and an example of concepts we will discuss when working together).  

COST – is what you pay for something that you will consume (use up) and there is no remaining value, like groceries or fuel. 

INVESTMENT – is what you pay to acquire something that you expect to become more valuable in the future, like an education or a home, collectibles and financial investments. 

If you view our fees as a cost, we cannot help you.  If you view our fees as an investment you are making in yourself that will serve you for your lifetime, please don’t hesitate to contact us, we’re saving an appointment time just for you.

Let’s be honest

One of the key components of becoming Financially Smart is honesty – that means most importantly being honest with and about yourself.  You will only achieve your goals when you can honestly assess where you are today and what changes are needed in order to get to where you want to go.

We will be honest with you and will support you through the process but you must do the work or you will fail.  If you’re not honest with yourself, you’ll blame your failure on us.

If you are honest with yourself, then you’ll become Financially Smart for the rest of your life!
  
Here is some more honesty - we can only accept a limited number of clients. 

If you’re looking for a quick fix or a fast answer and don’t want to be bothered with having and using a plan, we are not for you.

If you’ve been looking for a resource that can help you reach your goals, answering questions along the way, and you desire the confidence and peace of mind that goes with being Financially Smart, please contact us today so we can get started helping you.

What happens next?

Just contact us to get started.  Use the Get Financially Smart Inquiry form for immediate processing and quickest response.

If you prefer, you can give us a call and we’ll take the same information over the telephone and then enter it into our system.   Once processed, your inquiry will be assigned to one of our Financially Smart ACE’s who will call you to discuss your inquiry and get started.

Thank you for spending this time visiting our site.  We hope we have explained what we do and how we can help in a clear and meaningful way. 

If you have any questions or comments, please complete our contact form and we will be glad to answer all your questions.  

If you’re not ready to go ahead please bookmark our site so you can visit us again.  Re-read the sections when you return; clients have told us that they missed some things the first time through.  There are personal finance tips, news and some useful resources as well as a listing of our seminars and other events that we constantly update.

Finally, we truly wish you the best in life.  If you can accomplish your goals on your own congratulations – go for it!  If you need a little help, we’re standing by.