ABOUT US

My passion and fascination for numbers and investments began at a very young age. I fondly remember sitting at the family Gateway computer alongside my dad in the basement of our rural South Dakota farmhouse. He would use the computer to monitor the commodities markets and investments he had in his portfolio. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what I was looking at, but it’s the first moment I remember being captivated by numbers. He would educate me on the numbers and symbols and how to interpret them. The depth of our conversations expanded as I aged and were a significant part of my formative years. It wasn’t long before I very brashly challenged him that I, an eleven-year-old child, could do a better job investing than he could! So, we each picked five stocks for our fantasy portfolio and monitored their performance for four weeks. I knew absolutely nothing about the companies that I picked, but to my surprise my stocks out-performed his! Admittedly, the only reason was because one company, StarTech, skyrocketed prior to the “Tech Bubble”. However, it was at this moment that I knew I was developing a passion for investments.

When the Great Recession hit in 2008, I was pursuing my degree in business as an undergraduate student. I witnessed numerous family members, family friends, and members of the community devastated by the market downturn. I couldn’t believe how these people could have financial advisors yet be in such financial ruin. Weren’t their advisors supposed to be prepared with contingency plans for situations like these? Why did clients feel abandoned and unable to survive this downturn? Why was there a void in planning, and why wasn’t there any accountability? I was blessed and fortunate to have an academic advisor, Jason Harris, who helped answer these questions. He explained to me that it simply came down to a lack of access to financial advisors who have gone above and beyond to become experts in the industry, while also truly abiding by the fiduciary standard. I expressed my hesitancy to become a financial advisor because I did not agree with the industry’s focus on sales. He suggested I pursue a law degree to gain that expertise and learn the requirements of a fiduciary. At the University of Nebraska College of Law, I expanded my knowledge and graduated with my Juris Doctor with an emphasis in Wealth Management Law and Business and Estate Planning Law. Shortly after I furthered my expertise by becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™.

Before launching Harmoney Wealth, I worked for two different investment companies that allowed me to hone my craft. But ultimately, I felt they strayed too far from the fiduciary standard and my definition of client advocacy. Sales was the priority; not the client. This led me to start my own firm centered around client advocacy. We are a proud member of the XY Planning Network, a network of “Fee-Only” financial professionals. “Fee-Only” means we, as advisors, are only paid for advice and planning. We will never receive a commission from selling products like many other firms do. A financial advisor’s true value comes in his or her dispensing of advice, and guiding you through your life’s journey with an individual, customized financial plan. I stand by Harmoney Wealth’s commitment to true client advocacy not only outlined by the CFP Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, but also by the morals and values instilled in me as a child raised on that rural South Dakota farm.