Are you going to outlive your money or is your money going to outlive you?
 

How healthy are you? You may be relieved to hear that I am referring to your financial health, not your physical health. To be physically healthy, you need a diet and exercise plan and consistently strive to meet your goals. Financial health works much in the same manner.

A financial plan is similar to a diet and exercise program. You need to monitor your progress and ensure you stick to the financial plan. Your goals are long term, so if you get off track at times, such as by not saving for a month, you can make up for it by returning to the plan.

Just like exercising is easier with a partner, managing money may also be easier if you have someone to help monitor your financial progress and to encourage you along the way. That’s my job. I am here to work with you to design a financial plan, follow it, and strive to help you meet your objectives.

As you know, it is often a long time before you see the effects of healthy living. This is also true financially. Many of your financial objectives are probably long term, such as paying for your children’s college educations or funding a leisurely retirement. You will be able to see the potential benefits of following your financial plan if you hang in there for the long term.

Chris Cooper, President and owner of Cooper Financial Services, has over 30 years of experience as a financial advisor, speaker, adult educator, and workshop facilitator. Her goal is to help people at any stage of life make better financial decisions to ensure a more secure future.

Chris is more than a name with credentials. Ask any of her 250 clients. She has been helping people with their insurance, investment and financial planning needs for over 17 years. Chris is an educator; she personally facilitates workshops and speaks at many events on current financial topics. She also supports her community by serving on the Board of Sunrise of Pasco County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center, and she accepts donations for Sunrise at her office.

Chris holds a Bachelors Degree and a Master of Science in Personal Finance & Management from the Univ. of Rhode Island and Penn State Univ., respectively. Her PhD credits were taken at the University of Maryland in Consumer Economics and Adult Education, where she also co-authored a book on customer service. Before moving to FL, Chris worked in government and industry management consulting positions in the Washington, D.C. area, and owned a yacht sales and charter business in Annapolis, MD.

Since establishing her financial services practice in Tampa Bay in 1994, Chris has received numerous local and national recognition awards in her industry. Most recently she was named Tampa Bay Woman of the Year in Financial Services and Cooper Financial was named as Pasco County Service Business of the Year. She also earned “Member of the Year” and “Ambassador of the Year” awards from the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce.