Frequently Asked Questions

I believe you deserve to know what something costs before you ever sit down with me — so here it is. Ongoing planning starts at $400 a month for Ally or $650 a month for Advocate, billed monthly, plus a one-time onboarding fee of $1,500 when we begin working together. If you’d also like help managing your investments, that’s optional and priced separately at 0.5% annually, with no account minimum. No commissions, no hidden surprises — just clear numbers you can plan around.

Think of Ally as steady, ongoing partnership — a great fit if your financial life is fairly straightforward and you want a trusted second set of eyes keeping you on track. Advocate is for when things get more complicated: a big transition, several professionals to coordinate with, higher-stakes decisions. You don’t need to figure out which one is right before we talk — that’s exactly what our complimentary call is for.

Yes. BayView Financial Planning is a Florida state-registered investment advisor regulated by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. You can review our Form ADV and other registration information through the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.

We’ll talk for about 45 minutes so I can get to know your situation and you can get a feel for how I work. If it feels right on both sides, we’ll sign an agreement, and I’ll walk you through gathering and organizing your financial information, together, at your pace. From there we build your plan, and I stay by your side through implementation and beyond, with meetings twice a year to keep you on course.

There’s no long-term contract holding you here. Either of us can end our work together with 30 days’ written notice, no penalty, no hard feelings. And if you sign on and change your mind shortly after we get started, you have a few extra days built in to walk away at no cost, no questions asked. I want you here because this is working for you, not because you’re stuck.

Each one reflects a different piece of how I show up for you. The CFP® (Certified Financial Planner®) means I’ve met rigorous training and ethics standards across the full scope of financial planning. The MQFP® (Military Qualified Financial Planner) means I’ve proven specialized knowledge of military and veteran personal finance. And the CeFT® (Certified Financial Transitionist) means I’m trained to help you navigate the financial and emotional sides of major life changes, not just the spreadsheets. Together, they’re my promise that whatever you’re facing, I’ve prepared for it.

It means I’m paid only by you, never by commissions or product sales, so my advice is never shaped by what pays me best. As a fiduciary, I’m legally required to put your interests before my own. That’s not a marketing line for me — it’s how I built this firm.

Yes. BayView Financial Planning is a Florida state-registered investment advisor regulated by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. You can review our Form ADV and other registration information through the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.

No. I don’t sell insurance, annuities, or investment products, and I don’t earn a commission for recommending anything. I’m paid only by you, which means my advice is not shaped by what pays me best. It’s shaped by what’s best for you.

Client investment accounts are held at Altruist, rather than directly by BayView Financial Planning. Altriust is a registered broker-dealer and SIPC member. SIPC protection may apply in certain circumstances if a SIPC-member brokerage firm fails, but it does not protect against market losses. Altruist safeguards your information with around-the-clock monitoring and AES 256 encryption, and has earned a SOC 2 Type 1 report, meaning an independent auditor has verified their systems for security and data integrity. Learn more at altruist.com/for-clients.

I’m dedicated to helping you reach your financial goals with an unwavering commitment to my fiduciary duty. My approach is built on diversification, low-cost investments, and tax efficiency — never guesswork, never products that benefit me more than you. I align my strategy with your unique risk profile and goals, so you can move forward with confidence.

No — there’s no account minimum to work with me.

More than okay — it’s actually where a lot of my clients start. You don’t need a finance background, a spreadsheet, or even a clear idea of your goals yet. Bring your questions, your worries, whatever you’ve got, and we’ll sort it out together. My job is to meet you where you are, not to make you feel behind.

Not at all. There’s no account minimum, and I mean that. Some of my clients come to me building their financial foundation for the first time, not managing one that’s already built. If you’re early in your career or just getting organized, that’s exactly who I love working with.

No. I don’t sell insurance, annuities, or investment products, and I don’t earn a commission for recommending anything. I’m paid only by you, which means my advice is not shaped by what pays me best. It’s shaped by what’s best for you.

My services include retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning, and optional investment management priced separately from planning. I also help with major life transitions like widowhood, career changes, and sudden money, because I care about the human side of these moments as much as the technical side.

We’ll talk about your goals, your values, and where things stand financially today, and I’ll outline a personalized strategy to help you get where you want to go.

Absolutely. I specialize in supporting women through transition with compassionate, expert guidance, so you can make confident financial decisions even in the hardest seasons.

There’s no “right” timeline, and please don’t let anyone rush you. Some widows reach out within weeks; others wait months, and both are okay. What I’ll gently say is this: you don’t have to have it all figured out to reach out. As a Certified Financial Transitionist, I’m trained specifically to help you navigate the practical and emotional sides of this at whatever pace feels right for you, even if that first conversation is just to ask what questions you should be asking.

As a military spouse myself, I’ve lived the moves, the deployments, and the career pauses, so this isn’t theoretical for me. I help service members, veterans, and their families navigate PCS moves, the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), military retirement pay and the Blended Retirement System, VA disability benefits, deployment planning, and the transition to civilian financial life. It’s more than technical knowledge for me. It’s personal.

I build retirement plans around your career, your savings, and the life you actually want — not a generic formula — so you feel prepared for whatever comes next.

Yes. If you’re early in your career with a good income but a financial life that’s getting more complicated by the year, I can help you build a strong foundation now, before habits get harder to change. You don’t need a big portfolio to deserve good advice.

I’m an independent, fee-only fiduciary — not tied to any bank, insurance company, or product line. As a female CFP® professional and a military spouse myself, I understand firsthand the financial challenges women and military-connected families face, because I’ve lived through many of them.

I’m based in Tampa, Florida and work with clients virtually. Depending on where you live, state registration requirements may apply, so we’ll confirm that we’re able to work together before beginning an advisory relationship.

It’s easy — head to my Contact page to book a time on my calendar, or reach out by phone or email. I look forward to meeting you.

I hope so! I love to educate and empower women, because when we raise each other up, we all win. I’d love to share one of my presentations with your group — read some recent endorsements and check my availability on my Speaking Engagements page.

Yes! As a military spouse and Military Qualified Financial Planner (MQFP®), speaking to military and veteran communities is close to my heart — it’s the community I belong to. I love bringing practical, easy-to-understand financial guidance to service members, veterans, and military families, tailored to the realities of PCS moves, deployments, and transition. Read some recent endorsements and check my availability on my Speaking Engagements page.