Alice's Journey

This is a story about a person who has traveled the “other path.” Only after we have taken a path can we look back and say, “I chose wisely” or “I chose unwisely.” When facing the decision of which path to take, we can never be sure of the exact outcome. Taking the “other path” has proven the right decision for me. I am happy to share my story with you about how I became a financial planner.

In the early 1980s I was a stay-at-home mom with two children and a husband, who had a good career as a geologist. My life was good. I was the family “business manager.” My husband Chuck brought home the “cash.”  I kept the cash flow positive. We worked together as a team. I could have stayed on this path indefinitely. I loved it!

Then one day Chuck decided he no longer wanted to be a geologist. He decided he wanted a new career at age 40. I began to read about people who dropped everything and pursued their true dreams. I realized that just having a job (or even a career) was not the key to happiness. Matching our true gifts and talents with what we enjoy brings fulfillment and joy. With this newfound philosophy, I pressed on to support my husband in his career change.

We sold our lovely home in the suburbs of Atlanta and moved to a small town in Mississippi to help run a family business. Our cash flow immediately went negative but we did have equity built up in our home. Since we moved into an old family home, we had to decide what to do with the equity we received from the sale of our house in Atlanta. We knew very little about investing. We really didn’t know what to do with the money except to buy a certificate of deposit. My father George Wofford, who had experience in investing, came to the rescue. He introduced us to different types of investments, including mutual funds. I decided that I would like to learn more about investing and managing our money. I poured over Business Week, Forbes, and Money magazines. At one point I even took the GMAT to get into business school. After taking the exam, I realized I didn’t want my MBA. What I wanted was to be able to teach other people what I had learned about money management. I wanted to be a financial coach. I had a college degree in education. Teaching had been my first career before our children were born. I wanted to help myself with my own financial decisions and then offer my services to other people. With my experience in budgeting and investing I could share with others what I had learned over the years.

After working in the family business for a year, Chuck realized that he actually was being called to be a pastor. We had to move away from Mississippi for Chuck to work on a Master of Divinity degree. Once Chuck finished his degree we moved back to Mississippi. During the time at seminary I supported our family by taking a job in a university hospital media center. I had not worked outside of the home for sixteen years. During that time I continued to pursue ways to increase my knowledge about financial management. I had a very wise supervisor who encouraged me to increase my computer skills and then apply those skills by setting up a home office.

In 1989 we moved back to Mississippi. Chuck began his new career. We no longer had small children at home. I decided I really did like having a job outside of the home. I wanted to continue my dream of being a financial coach. I discovered that there was more to money management than budgeting and investing. I discovered that to be truly on top of any financial decision a person must first define goals. When goals are set, there is a much clearer path. I discovered that all aspects of finances build on each other. If a person invests his money, taxes will have an impact on the gains. If a person does not have his risks covered by insurance, then he could lose all of his investments with one fire or accident. If a person does not have a will, then his worldly belongings could be swept away to the wrong person or estate taxes. If a person has no plan for retirement, then expectations could become only lost dreams. I decided I wanted to become a financial planner. I wanted to help people look at all aspects of their finances and set goals accordingly.

I applied for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Course from the College for Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado. When the package arrived with my study books, I saw a small notice saying that once the seal was broken, only part of the course fee could be refunded – and then the refund would decline each month. I was terrified! But I broke the seal. I didn’t look back. In another two and one-half years I had passed all of the course work for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER designation. Now the biggest challenge came. I had to work for three years as a financial planner and sign a Code of Ethics before I was awarded the designation from the CFP Board of Standards.

I went to banks, insurance agencies, and other financial institutions looking for a job. I was either over-qualified or under-qualified. During my last CFP^®exam I told my problem to a fellow student. He said, “Why don’t you just hang out your own shingle?” That is what I did!

I completed my CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER designation requirement in October, 1994. During those three years of setting up my financial planning practice I had many discouraging moments. There were times when I wanted to quit. A group of people, called the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, became my mentors. NAPFA is an organization for fee-only financial planners. When I made my decision to become a financial planner, I knew that I didn’t want to sell a product. I made a choice to become “fee-only.” As often as possible I attend regional and national NAPFA conferences to meet with my support group of NAPFA members and earn my continuing education credits. With NAPFA’s encouragement and the support and love of family and friends my career is as exciting and challenging as I hoped it would be.

Life doesn’t end or begin with a career. In February, 1999 my childhood home caught fire with my mother inside. God was good to us. Both of my parents survived. Another challenge was presented in how to help them. My father came to live with us, while my mother was in the hospital. While Chuck and I juggled our careers, we realized that God had led us down our chosen paths so that we could be available to help our families in time of need. Our careers provided flexibility. New technology, laptops and cellular phones allowed us to be mobile.

My father passed away in August, 2000. His encouragement of my career made a difference as I walked along my path. My mother lived nearby in a retirement community until her death in March 2007. I was able to be her caregiver for those years after my father died. Our lives touched our family members’ lives in a special way during that time of crisis. I’m glad that our paths made that special time together available.

The path is not always easy. The path is often hard. But we have the ability to choose a life of freedom  - freedom from priorities that are shallow, from material possessions that tie us down, and from distractions that are time-consuming. Freedom, peace, joy - all attainable. What more do we need? Along my path Christ has been my guide.  

CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and are certification marks owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. These marks are awarded to individuals who successfully complete the CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.

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