Local financial advisor Julia Carlson, whose Financial Freedom column appears twice monthly in the Lincoln County Leader, has just published a new book, “Money Loves You: Transform Your Relationship With Money and Grow Your Wealth.”
An entrepreneur at heart, Carlson launched into the financial planning field at the age of 19 and started her own business at age 23. She has more than 27 years of experience helping families and business owners with their wealth management and financial planning needs. She is the founder of Newport-based Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group, LLC, which serves more than 1,600 families across the United States. She was also named by Barron’s this year as one of America’s top financial advisors.
When asked what prompted her to write a book, Carlson said, “For me, personal finance is very personal. I have seen people get stuck on advice that’s too rigid, such as ‘This is the right way to do it, and if you do it any other way you’re wrong.’ I set out to approach personal finance from a perspective of love and grace to empower the reader, so they can determine what’s the right decision for them after they’ve educated themselves and understand their money story.
“We all have a relationship with money,” she added. “I wanted to activate people to think about that relationship in a new way, to give money another chance. ‘Money Loves You’ is about challenging conventional wisdom and bringing a fresh approach to finances.”
Carlson said that working in a rural community, “many of my clients are hardworking, blue-collar Americans and small business owners such as fishermen, mill workers, loggers, plumbers, homebuilders and other trade workers. I’m serving people who are really good at what they do, but often they have had little education around money.” She has helped people from all different backgrounds in the common pursuit of wanting to build a solid financial future.
Carlson said a key principle of her book is to give people hope “that someone is willing to come alongside them, even though they don’t have millions of dollars, and help them figure out the questions they are facing in their finances.”
These are questions such as: How much money do I need for retirement? How do I set up a retirement plan for my business? How do I pay myself first? And how do I help my employees save for retirement? “So it’s that willingness to meet them where they’re at and help them create a tailored strategy that’s right for them,” she said.
Carlson said her book is written to meet readers wherever they are and whatever their level of financial literacy, with strategies that are universal and available to everyone. “I’ve been using the strategies shared in the book since I first started out, and it’s working for me still as a successful entrepreneur. Also, it is love-based. If you’ve made money mistakes — and who hasn’t at one time or another — there’s no judgment. It’s about how you can pick up the pieces and move forward.”
Carlson also points out that people don’t need to be financially independent to have financial freedom. “Financial freedom can happen in an instant. It’s yours the moment you decide to create a plan and take inspired action toward your financial goals and aspirations.”