Angela is a financial advisor at Raymond James, a global financial services company with over $1.26 trillion in total client assets. She isn’t reinventing the wheel but the people she serves are unique and by listening to their stories and what matters most to them, she addresses something new each time. Her job is to help her clients plan for their life’s dreams.
Often, Angela meets people when their lives are in transition. A transition that makes someone reconsider their financial lives might include buying or selling a business, receiving an inheritance, changing jobs, experiencing a divorce or death, buying a second home, or establishing a legacy.
Angela has had a front-row seat to “the great resignation.” Because COVID caused people to work remotely for a significant period, many of her clients have gotten a taste of a more flexible lifestyle and question their desire to go back to their conventional pre-COVID professional roles. Some are stepping out altogether while others are negotiating new arrangements with their employers. As they consider these changes, they have worked closely with Angela to analyze their options and adjust their financial plan.
Angela’s life story has had quite an impact on the way in which she advises women. She received her MBA and worked as stock analyst at AG Edwards, but when she started a family, part-time flexible analyst options were not available, so she stepped away from her profession for many years. She remained engaged in investment strategy through her community work, sitting on various boards and investment/finance committees within those organizations, but on a personal basis, she and her former spouse fell into traditional roles within their marriage: he took care of the finances, and she took care of the family. It wasn’t until Angela experienced divorce and the division of assets that she realized she hadn’t been engaged in her own financial future.
Her advice to women is clear: Know your numbers: get organized and up to date with your financial situation. Seek out educational resources and trusted supports that will encourage your effort of being a good steward of your resources. Frame your financial goals. Stay involved to make financial wellness an ongoing opportunity.
Angela loves her work and the various people she gets to meet along the way. Her children are now young adults, one living in Chicago and one in St. Louis. Plus, her parents and siblings and their families all live in St. Louis, so she is very engaged in family life. While she used to be a runner, today she is an avid walker. Any activity outdoors fuels her spirit.
Angela’s recommendation: Get outside. Try a walking meeting while you take in the beautiful scenery.