Today we’d like to introduce you to Katrina Soelter.
Hi Katrina, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My path into finance wasn’t exactly what you’d expect—I actually started out as an elementary school teacher after college, where I studied philosophy and German. But even then, I was really curious about how money connects to the way we live and the decisions we make every day. That curiosity initially started for me during a personal finance class I took in college. I thought everyone should take that class and could not stop talking about it.
When I left teaching, my mom reminded me of my undergrad course on personal finance and how passionate I had been. She encouraged me to explore it was an option, especially because she felt that executive women were underserved in their personal finances. It turned out to be the perfect profession for me – connecting the human experience with the technical expertise required in financial planning is what I am meant to do.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have switched companies twice in the last 12 years, and each time, it has been the absolute best choice for me. Also, though, each of those decisions were extremely intense to make and challenging to execute. As a financial planner with your own clients, you have to walk out of the door the day you give notice. Additionally, depending on your contract and the circumstances of your company, you may or may not be able to take some or any of your client information. So, each transition takes a lot of planning and time, and then the follow up with your clients is a several months long process to move over their accounts. The most frustrating part to me is that it is such a hard experience for the clients, because you cannot tell them in advance that you are leaving since you have a duty to the company you are working for while you are still employed. It is an extremely challenging phone call to receive as a client – your advisor, who you trust to look out for you financially, is no longer at their company and has no access to your information and accounts.
I am so thankful that my transition to Equalis means that I will never have to make those phone calls again! I now “own” my client information and have full rights to all of it, which was non-negotiable for me in this latest transition. Thankfully, Leighann Miko, who is the founder of Equalis, has been a good friend of mine for almost a decade and agrees whole-heartedly with me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Equalis Financial?
I support high earning women and high achieving couples who are ready to bring intention to their financial lives. Our firm specializes in taking a deep dive into each person’s vision, values, and wishes, then creating a financial plan that reflects who they are. The resulting clarity can be transformative. When your financial life reflects your values, is built with intention, and marries your vision with your purpose, it becomes a compass. It shapes your decisions and leads to deeper fulfillment and joy.
Every advisor at Equalis is a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner and we are fee-only, so that we work strictly for our clients. Our hope is that you leave every meeting feeling encouraged, energized, clear on your purpose, and with a deeper understanding of how your money can work for you – not the other way around.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love that we live in one of the most diverse cities in the world. We see in the corporate world that companies are most successful when multiple viewpoints are included in the board and C-suite. I believe that holds true across humanity. The more different types of people that we each know, the deeper our empathy can grow, and the better we all are for it. And, the amazing food from every corner of the world all at our fingertips is a huge plus!
Pricing:
- https://www.equalisfinancial.com/financial-planning/#serv-op
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.equalisfinancial.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katrina_equalis/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-soelter
