2025: My Year of Financial Health
Navigating financial stability in today’s climate and economy can seem impossible. When so many of us are living paycheck to paycheck, the thought of investing seems like a luxury that only the wealthy can afford. If you’re like me, then you have likely lost sleep over the “what if’s”. I have spent many nights wondering what I can do to protect my child’s future, my own retirement, questioning if its “too late” to start, the list of racing thoughts goes on and on…
I have spent the last 6 months researching and laying the foundation to start my “financial wellness journey”. As an individual with nothing in place, I am starting from the ground up. The first step was meeting with several Financial Advisors to find the right “fit” for me. I have to be honest, I’ve always found finance professionals to be either super uptight and bland, or the “finance bro” type we all cringe at - overly salesy and pushy.
When I came across Kai Zen Wealth, the name instantly put me at ease, and I liked the idea that this was a husband and wife duo - something about that made me feel more comfortable. Shannon and Wes Pruitt were on top of everything from day one. They were polite and efficient, and we scheduled an exploratory, no pressure call. After our call, I actually felt relief. Wes did not make me feel like it was too late to get started and he did not focus on what I didn't do, rather, what I can do going forward. We set up a date for an in-person assessment to go over my personal income and budget, and to identify my most immediate needs.
The scariest part of this process was the budgeting sheet. This was the eye-opening moment where I was able to see very clearly where I was overspending. HAPPILY, overspending I should add - I might be a bit of a “shopaholic”. BUT, I have made a commitment to do a better job of balancing my finances. I completed the form ahead of my appointment and brought it with me to our scheduled appointment.
Don’t judge me for judging - BUT - when I met Wes and Shannon in person, I was pumped to see Wes had tattoos, Shannon looked like a fun mom, and their office was filled with family pictures of their son and adventurous family vacations. It all felt so much more relaxed and relatable than others. After talking to Wes, I loved his personal story and journey! He shared that he was raised by a single mom - so he truly understood my concerns as a single parent.
Our meeting lasted about an hour and Wes educated me on all the types of investments and how they worked, and we identified the items that I wanted to address, in order of importance. First, was term life insurance for myself, to protect my daughter. Second, a financial plan for my daughter Olivia’s future. I decided to go with a whole life insurance policy for her rather a 529 account. I like the idea of her having tax-free money to allocate however she needs, when the time comes. Third, whole life insurance for myself.
We scheduled our second meeting for two weeks later via zoom (super convenient). At this meeting, Wes went over every option available to me. He showed me high to low, what each amount would get me, and then showed me what was recommended based on my income. He gave me the choice of three different amounts to choose from. I was surprised to find that there WERE options I could make work, and to learn just how beneficial these efforts would be for my family financially.
I selected the contributions I felt most comfortable with and we scheduled an appointment for an in-home physical to get approved for the life insurance. As long as all goes well with that, I am set!
I will continue to share my experience, journey and any helpful information I discover along the way.
xo Jesse
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