Financial Services Professional & Financial Literacy Advocate

As the first to finish college in a working-class family, Lissa was on her own to figure out not just how to pay for college but all aspects of her finances. There never seemed to be enough money for the basics, and definitely not money to put away for savings. Classes included in the MBA program provided a lot of information, but as she was still struggling to pay for student loan obligations combined with a lack of background in budgeting and saving, they did not set her up for success. Lissa made plenty of mistakes, or less than optimal decisions when it came to personal finances, including not truly understanding her personal cash flow, lacking a sufficient emergency fund, and being late to start retirement savings. All that being said, Lissa is now in a much better place and has decided there is not much she would rather do than help others learn about their own personal finances in a supportive and non-judgmental environment. As a former teacher, her focus is on ensuring understanding and providing tools and solutions to truly help individuals move forward and have a positive impact on their financial futures, for themselves and their families. In addition to being an NFEC Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI), Lissa has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from California State University, Long Beach and is an Enrolled Agent (EA) admitted to practice before the IRS. She has also passed the rigorous national CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (TM) exam and is a fiduciary, fee-only Investment Advisor Representative.