In honor of Financial Planning Month, I’m pulling back the curtain on something most financial advisors keep private: exactly how I invest my own money.
There’s an old saying in the investment world: “Don’t take advice from someone who wouldn’t take it themselves.” That’s why I want to share something personal with you during Financial Planning Month—how I actually invest my own money and my family’s money, and why that transparency matters more than you might think.
The CFP Behind the Curtain: My Personal Investment Journey
I didn’t become a Certified Financial Planner® because I was naturally gifted with money. Quite the opposite, actually. One of the main reasons I pursued my CFP designation was to become smarter with my own investment decisions. Like many of you, I made mistakes along the way—mistakes that taught me invaluable lessons I now share with my clients.
The biggest regret I carry? Not investing more when my husband and I were younger. Those early years, when compound interest has the most time to work its magic, slipped by while we focused on immediate needs rather than long-term wealth building. But here’s the thing about regrets—they can become powerful teachers if we let them.
My kids have certainly benefited from my financial regret. They’ve been inundated with investment information and support from an early age, much like a dear friend of mine who I met over thirty years ago during our military days. I envied her financial wisdom back then—she seemed to intuitively understand concepts that took me years to grasp. The difference? Her parents had shared their own financial experiences, both successes and failures, creating a foundation of financial literacy that I was still building as an adult.
The Power of Financial Transparency
This brings me to something crucial that we don’t talk about enough: the importance of discussing money openly. Money conversations are often treated as taboo, wrapped in shame, embarrassment, or fear. But I’ve learned that transparency about financial decisions—including mistakes—can open doors to incredible growth and learning.
That’s why I’m sharing how I personally invest, not as a recommendation for you to copy exactly, but as an example of putting philosophy into practice.
My Investment Philosophy: The Foundation
At BayView Financial Planning, our strategies are built on a foundation of diversification, focusing on low-cost and tax-efficient investments. We align our expertise with your unique risk profile and goals, charting a course for enduring success.
This isn’t just marketing speak—it’s literally how I invest my own money. Every dollar my family invests follows the same philosophy I recommend to my clients. I don’t have a secret “advisor portfolio” that differs from what I suggest to the families I serve. We’re in this together, quite literally.
The core principles that guide both my personal investments and my client recommendations are:
Diversification as the Foundation: I don’t try to pick individual stocks or time the market. Instead, I build portfolios that spread risk across asset classes, geographic regions, and investment styles. This isn’t the flashy approach that makes for exciting cocktail party conversations, but it’s the approach that builds wealth consistently over time.
Cost Consciousness: Every percentage point in fees matters over the long term. I use low-cost index funds and ETFs in my personal portfolio, just as I recommend for clients. Those expense ratios that seem insignificant—0.05% versus 1.5%—can mean tens of thousands of dollars in your pocket over a lifetime of investing.
Tax Efficiency: As someone who’s lived through multiple tax situations as a military family, I understand firsthand how taxes can erode investment returns. I maximize tax-advantaged accounts first, use tax-loss harvesting strategies, and carefully consider the tax implications of investment decisions.
Alignment with Values: My investments reflect my personal values, just as I help clients align their portfolios with theirs. This doesn’t mean sacrificing returns—it means being intentional about where our money works.
The Same Model Portfolios: Client and Personal
Here’s something that might surprise you: I invest my family’s money in the exact same model portfolios that I use for my clients. There are no special “advisor only” strategies or secret investments that I keep for myself while recommending something different to the families I serve.
This alignment is intentional and important. When market volatility hits—and it always does—I experience the same ups and downs that my clients do. When I’m counseling someone through a market downturn, I’m not speaking from theoretical knowledge; I’m sharing the experience of watching my own portfolio fluctuate and choosing to stay the course.
This shared experience creates authenticity in my advice that I couldn’t replicate otherwise. When I tell a client that market volatility is normal and temporary, I’m not quoting textbook wisdom—I’m sharing what I’ve learned through my own investment journey.
Lessons Learned: The Mistakes That Made Me Wiser
Let me share some specific lessons from my personal investment journey that have shaped how I now approach both my own money and my clients’ financial plans:
Starting Late Isn’t Fatal, But Starting Early Is Powerful: While I regret not investing more aggressively in our twenties and early thirties, I’ve learned that the second-best time to plant a tree is now. My children’s investment accounts were opened when they were young, and they’ve seen firsthand how small, consistent investments can grow over time.
Emotional Investing Is Expensive: I’ve made the mistake of letting emotions drive investment decisions. These experiences taught me the value of having a written investment policy and sticking to it, regardless of what the market or media headlines suggest.
Complexity Doesn’t Equal Better Returns: Earlier in my investment journey, I thought sophisticated meant better. I learned that simple, well-diversified portfolios often outperform complex strategies with higher fees and more moving parts.
Time in the Market Beats Timing the Market: I wasted years trying to find the “perfect” time to invest larger sums. Now I understand that consistent, systematic investing—regardless of market conditions—is far more effective than trying to predict market movements.
Teaching the Next Generation: Breaking the Money Taboo
One of the most important things I’ve done as a parent is to break the money taboo in our household. My children know how much we pay for insurance, what our mortgage costs, and how we make investment decisions. They’ve been present for age-appropriate conversations about financial planning, market volatility, and long-term wealth building.
This transparency hasn’t created anxiety—it’s created confidence. They understand that money is a tool, that investing involves both risk and reward, and that financial decisions should align with personal values and goals.
My friend from thirty years ago had this advantage from childhood. Her parents shared their financial journey openly, including their mistakes and successes. She entered adulthood with financial wisdom that took me decades to acquire. I’m determined to give my children—and through my work, other families—that same advantage.
The Real-World Application
So what does this look like practically? My family’s investment approach mirrors what I recommend to clients in similar situations:
Emergency Fund First: Before any investing, we maintain a solid emergency fund. Having experienced military life’s unpredictability, I understand the peace of mind that comes from knowing unexpected expenses won’t derail long-term plans.
Tax-Advantaged Account Maximization: We maximize contributions to 401(k)s, IRAs, and other tax-advantaged accounts before investing in taxable accounts. This isn’t glamorous, but it’s effective.
Diversified Portfolio Implementation: Our asset allocation reflects our age, risk tolerance, and goals. It includes domestic and international stocks, bonds, and real estate investment trusts (REITs), all through low-cost index funds.
Regular Rebalancing: We rebalance our portfolio annually or when allocations drift significantly from targets. This forces us to sell high-performing assets and buy underperforming ones—the opposite of what emotions typically drive us to do.
Why This Transparency Matters to You
You might wonder why I’m sharing these personal details. It’s because I believe transparency creates trust, and trust is essential in financial planning relationships. When you work with an advisor, you should know that they believe in their own advice enough to follow it themselves.
But more importantly, I share this to encourage you to have open conversations about money in your own life. Talk with your spouse about financial goals and concerns. Share age-appropriate financial information with your children. Discuss investment strategies with trusted friends and family members.
These conversations can be uncomfortable at first, but they’re incredibly valuable. They can help you identify blind spots in your thinking, learn from others’ experiences, and make more informed financial decisions.
The Ongoing Journey
Financial planning isn’t a destination—it’s a journey. My investment approach continues to evolve as my life circumstances change, market conditions shift, and new opportunities arise. The same is true for my clients.
What remains constant is the commitment to evidence-based investing, cost consciousness, and alignment between personal values and financial decisions. Whether I’m managing my own family’s investments or working with clients, these principles guide every decision.
Moving Forward: Your Investment Journey
As we celebrate Financial Planning Month, I encourage you to reflect on your own investment journey. Are you investing in alignment with your values and goals? Are you letting emotions drive decisions, or do you have a systematic approach? Are you having open conversations about money with the people who matter most to you?
If you’re just starting your investment journey, remember that the best time to start is now. If you’ve been investing for years, consider whether your approach still serves your current situation and future goals.
Most importantly, don’t let the mistakes of the past prevent you from taking action today. Every investor has regrets—I certainly do. But those regrets become valuable lessons when we use them to make better decisions going forward.
The Invitation
My investment approach isn’t perfect, and it’s not right for everyone. But it’s honest, it’s transparent, and it’s based on the same evidence-based principles I recommend to every client I serve. By sharing it openly, I hope to encourage more honest conversations about money and investing.
Financial planning is deeply personal, but it doesn’t have to be private. The more we share our experiences—both successes and failures—the more we all learn and grow.
As we continue through Financial Planning Month, I challenge you to have one honest conversation about money. Whether it’s with your spouse, your children, a trusted friend, or a financial professional, make it a conversation that moves you closer to your financial goals.
After all, we’re all in this journey together—and transparency makes us all stronger.
If you’d like to discuss how these principles might apply to your own financial situation, I’d be honored to help. At BayView Financial Planning, I believe in the power of honest, transparent financial planning conversations. Because when we talk openly about money, we all have the opportunity to make smarter decisions and build more secure futures. Let’s connect!
BayView Financial Planning [BFP] is a Registered Investment Adviser in the state of Florida. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where BFP and its representatives are properly registered or exempt from registration. “Likes” should not be considered a positive reflection of the investment advisory services offered by BFP.
Stacy Miller, CFP® is an investment adviser representative of BayView Financial Planning. The firm is a registered investment adviser and only conducts business in jurisdictions where it is properly registered, or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Registration as an investment adviser is not an endorsement of the firm by securities regulators and does not mean the adviser has achieved a specific level of skill or ability.
The information presented on this post is believed to be factual and up-to-date, but we do not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. Comments should not be construed as an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the investments mentioned. A professional adviser should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies discussed. Investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that any specific investment or strategy will be suitable or profitable for a client’s portfolio. All investment strategies can result in profit or loss.