I had a terrible experience, paid an incredibly high price for a lot of disorganization, confusion including plain old math errors -- like the numbers literally weren't calculated correctly -- resulting in apologies, blaming their mistakes on lack of focus due to the death of their pet. read more

I reached out to Creative Money in 2016 for my first financial planning session as an adult. At the time I was in a new job as a contractor and really needed help with planning. Mindy was great, walked me through a plan and i was headed off to the races. I'm not sure I really understood it, but I rolled with it as best as I could. Fast forward a handful of years later and I wanted to revisit my plan. A lot changed from job to income and I needed something new after selling some real estate. The 2nd experience wasn't quite the same for a number of perspectives. What hit me the hardest was hearing what was said about my situation behind the scenes after my first consultation with Mindy. The planner (Sam) actally said outloud they didn't believe I could make something happen with the previous plan. Guess what, I did do something. Now I'm in need of another plan after an unexpected windfall, but don't trust the experience won't be the same. The other part I don't get is why it was suggested to open a brokerage account (which I did based on the plan) when playing the stock market is not something I do or comfortable with. Anything having to do with stocks and the market scares me and I'm very uncomfortable on any financial site outside of a bank. Nothing makes sense and vocabulary is vague. I expressed my discomfort in this area and needed a lot of hand holding to execute moving funds and opening a brokerage account. I still don't understand this one, but I did it based on a recommendation. Now I am sittiing with a brokerage account and it's doing nothing because the thought of it just paralyzes me. While the set it and forget it method is great concept in theory, it's only as good as the plan and the clients ability realistically execute. Although the 2nd plan was a great idea to retire at 62, it had zero reality of lifes unexpected changes. Good Luck! read more

I moved from a managed Financial Advisor program to self-directed with the help of the Creative Money team. I've been fortunate to have my financials in order but wanted to boost my confidence to roll out a "set and forget" plan that worked for me and my family short and long term. I've been pleasantly surprised with the high level of professionalism, business acumen, diligence and warmth from the team. I have been especially attracted to the process this team has in place to keep you honest to achieve your goals but yet making it easy and going the extra mile to provide transparency and honest feedback on things that an investor need to keep in mind. I personally worked with Brett who has taken the time to walk through extensive details and several scenarios of what the future might look. I'll certainly recommend working with this team! read more

My husband and I were looking for a financial advisor that would do a deep dive into our finances and spending and determine if we were ready for retirement. We did a lot of research before calling Creative Money. We had an initial consultation with Mindy and then set up an appointment with Katie for a retirement consultation. The process was extremely easy. We submitted all our documentation online to a shared drop box and then Katie reached out whenever she had a question. When Katie had her evaluation ready, we had a zoom call that lasted about 2 hours. We were thrilled with Katie and the results! We received a HUGE plan outlining everything and included a master spreadsheet along with a narrative of what we should focus on going forward. It was very specific and included a number of "what if" comparative scenarios like should we keep our rental property or sell and invest the funds in the market. We had a number of follow up questions that were answered quickly and in great detail. I cannot recommend Katie and Creative Money enough. Fantastic service! read more

I wish I had had the foresight and means to do this years ago. I've been working with Katie for a couple of months now and she has been a fantastic and responsive partner. I really appreciated their no-nonsense approach to my millennial flights of fancy, and for the first time in my life I have a budget, a down payment savings and investment plan, all my previous retirement accounts consolidated and, most importantly, a sense of security and independence in managing my own finances. As a single woman in no rush to change that, this has been a huge boost to my confidence and overall feeling of wellbeing! Plus, I love telling all my friends I have a financial advisor. :) read more

I was convinced to use Creative Money because of their Yelp reviews, and I couldn't be happier. Honestly. Our strategy session with Sam was an absolute delight - even if we were just talking about boring numbers all the time! It was like the husband and I were having this fun, engaging, and in-depth class on our finances, life, and future. We are a somewhat young couple and she laid out a clear path for all big decisions ahead of us, also making sure we'll comfortably retire at some point. This kind of confidence and peace of mind is priceless. We made a very conscious decision to invest in a financial advisor for two major reasons: - We wanted a "grown-up" to be part of our financial planning. Someone with lots of experience who would look at our finances and tell us how and where we can do better. ( Delivered by Sam) - This person would also be a tiebreaker. There are things I think we should do a certain way, and my husband thinks differently. But we're not really knowledgeable on the ins and outs of investments and stuff! Therefore, the weight of such decisions (My way x Your way) can become a burden for a couple, especially if things go bad ("If we had done what I said..."). So we brought a lot of those questions to Sam - and she once again Delivered. We'd ask her: "Should we do Y or Z?" - and her answers were so complete we both left feeling confident in taking her advice. I believe if you're reading this it might be because you need some financial help. I say go for it. I am not big on writing Yelp reviews, but I *had* to come here because the reviews I read convinced me - and they were 1000% true. For a young couple like us, we had to budget a little to afford Creative Money. It might sound a bit expensive for you as well. But the work they do is thorough, the attention they give you is reassuring, and the peace and organization they bring to such a stressful part of life is really worth it. I could go on and on, but I think my point has been made. THANK YOU, SAM, AND THE CREATIVE MONEY TEAM FOR THE AMAZING WORKS. YOU GALS RULE!!!! read more

If you are looking at these online reviews and thinking if you should contact Creative Money, do so right now. I am working with Mindy and her team and it's been more than helpful with the services they provide. They were able to map out a plan for me, look at investment options, and talk about day to day finances. I'm generally anxious about my finances and whether my earnings/spending habits are on track - Mindy and her team does a great job answering any questions you have. They also check in with you monthly! Planning on having kids/getting married/getting a new job? They sort ALL of that for you! The strategy session is pretty long and overwhelming in terms of the information they give you, but it gives you a detailed summary of where you are at in your life and a lot of practical action items. If you're wondering whether this is worth your investment, 100% absolutely. You won't regret it, and you'll find that their team is in your life journey along every decision you make. Mindy is like a best friend! Talk to them soon - they get booked months out. Oh and one more thing, they have a flat fee structure, so no commission based high pressure sales to you like other financial investment firms. read more

Finding a fee based financial advisor has been on my list for a while now and I feel extremely lucky to have found Creative Money. I wanted a roadmap and a plan to show where we stand currently and how to get where we want to be regarding investments and retirement, etc. We were connected with Sam on Mindy's team and she delivered precisely what we wanted and needed. They don't money shame you and are so supportive of your personal goals and efforts and are extremely knowledgeable in all things finances. Sam not only put together our financial big picture but shared solid advise and strategies that made us feel so good when we left our meeting. I would highly recommend them to anyone who is looking for an advisor, especially if you don't necessarily want one that requires you to invest in any of their associated products, etc. They really are there to just help you plan for you with no strings attached! read more

Had a quick consultation with Mindy 3 years ago and was convinced that Creative Money was the team for my family. Have worked with Sam at Creative Money for the past 3 years and appreciate the entire team so much for the planning and education they provide so we make sound financial decisions based on our long term goals. If you need a trustworthy team that goes above and beyond in centering your financial plans, they are the ones for you. Especially appreciate the monthly check ins that gently nudge us to give our financial plans the attention they need. read more

I can't say enough about Mindy and her team. They are professional, knowledgeable, and cater their advice to your particular situation. We have been their clients for several years. Originally they got our finances on track and recommended adjustments to our savings and retirement that turned out to be very sound. Years later, after our family situation evolved, we checked in again. After the initial very thorough analysis and recommendations, they supported us through email and even additional virtual calls as we had questions on how to execute the plan. They watch and understand the market closely and provide sound advice through even the most chaotic economic times. Highly recommended! read more

I paid for a financial consultation, which was good and thorough. I called back two years later with a technical question about some intricate stock transfers and I was told I'd have to sign up to update my plan and that there wouldn't be anyone that could help me quickly. So I think it's a good company as far as the plan goes, but in terms of getting ongoing support (or quick questions answered without having a current plan), I can't recommend. I might have re-upped to update my plan if I felt supported by Creative Money. read more

We were blown away with Creative Money. We worked on a financial and retirement plan with Mindy. She really really knows her stuff, and has an incredible level of attention to detail. The plan she put together was comprehensive and sensible, covering every base imaginable. We now have a clear picture of where we are heading and how to get there, and a partner we can rely on. Thank you Creative Money! read more

I saw all of the 5 stars reviews before I emailed Mindy and her team about setting up an appointment. We didn't know where we were as far as retirement and our ability to live comfortably in our late years. We were provided a realistic set of scenarios and were able to make informed decisions that will impact us for the rest of our lives. I retired 3 months later as a result of the advise and reassurance that I (we) could choose for me to do so, and with confidence. Thank you so much, and I highly recommend reaching out to Mindy and her team. read more

So practical, Such a good service. We started by scheduling a meeting with Sam. We prepared all of our documents and listed all of our topics and concerns. Sam came to the meeting fully ready after studying our material. None of her suggestions were "generic" or "fluffy". She walked us through many scenarios, talked to every point we wanted and some she thought were important. We prepared a concrete plan to execute and scheduled follow ups. Since then i have been in touch with her (and Mindy who is so helpful). Every mail is answered so quickly, the answers are so well thought and the service is so personal. I'm very happy with our decision to go with Sam and the team! read more

Yep - as good as advertised and our experience was the same as the other reviews. Mindy and team provided exactly what we needed, which was a practical approach to our finances that wasn't overly complex. No selling, product pushing, or complex recommendations which were hard to follow. She first listened to our objectives and partnered with us to build a plan in which we all agreed made sense. The approach is not overly formal, however very professional and instilled confidence in the guidance. She took time to answer all of our questions, and we believe puts us in a great position to achieve our goals. I will would recommend her to anyone looking for great financial planning and support. read more

I cannot recommend Creative Money (and Sam specifically) enough. The five star reviews are here for a reason! I've always stressed about money. Not enough to learn how to manage it, just enough to always be stressed and to try not to deal with it. This means I had money sitting in savings rather than working for me because I really just couldn't bring myself to figure out how to do anything else with it. This spring, as I was trying to do my taxes, I realized I didn't even know where all my money was, how to track it down, or whether I was doing okay. I decided to bite the bullet, spend a little money, and I set up time with Sam at Creative Money. It's honestly the best money I've ever spent. After an initial consultation, I sent over all the required documents to Sam. When we met she was fully prepared with an excel file created that could dynamically show a number of different scenarios. Sam and I talked through my goals and I left that meeting with a list of instructions. No thinking required: "Open X account at Y, and do Z." I immediately started seeing my money grow and all I had to do was check in on my accounts once a month - talk about easy!!! At the time we talked, I had said I wasn't looking to buy real estate this year, so we didn't even really talk about the scenario. Then, last week, I found my dream home. Things moved very fast - from looking at the place to get pre-approved, to putting in an offer, to having my offer accepted in less than 24 hours. This was my first ever foray into real estate and could have been very scary, except: I reached back out to Sam, she asked for updated account statements, and got back to me within the day with exact instructions on where to get my money (down to how many shares to sell from which vest) and let me know what my estimated tax burden would be come next round of taxes. If I hadn't built this relationship with Sam, I probably would have backed out of the deal on my dream home because I would have second guessed myself on being able to afford this place or would have gotten too overwhelmed trying to figure out which money to use. Instead, I have zero anxiety, I know I can afford this place, and I know exactly what to expect come April 2021. Sam, I cannot thank you enough. You made this financially-illiterate girl much more savvy - enough that I was able to think through mortgage points and the long-term value of what I might save on different mortgage rates and pick the slightly higher interest rate because I know that your plan will grow that money more than it would in real estate. To anyone still hesitating - I promise it's worth your money. Within months of following Sam's plan I already made back double what I spent on my consultation just by moving money around. You will not regret the time and money you spend with Sam and Creative Money!!!! read more

Meeting with Mindy the first time literally changed my life! I don't think she can necessarily guarantee the same results for everyone, but when I met with her for the first time 3-4 years ago she broke the news to me that I was "on track" to retire at 67. Mindy gave me the list of things I could do to start whittling that number down, helped me plan and manage my retirement savings, and didn't make me feel even a little embarrassed about where we were starting from. We just did a plan update and I'm now on track to retire several years sooner. If you've never worked with a financial advisor before, Mindy provides a great first experience. And if you have worked with someone before, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find that meeting with a financial advisor can actually make you feel like things aren't as bad as you thought, you aren't failing at money, no one is judging you, and the process doesn't have to be painful. read more

Mindy and the team at Creative Money have been our go to financial planners for almost a decade and they have been fantastic partners in creating financial plans for our goals and life stages. Things we love 1. Personalized. We've done consultations with financial advisors from big banks and done a million online retirement calculators, but at the end of the day, there is a lot of nuance to a person's financial life and plan. Mindy and the Creative Money team are laser focused on your individual goals and situation, and then work with you to build a plan to get you there. 2. Holistic approach. Creative Money provides the number crunching you expect for your retirement planning (or other goal) but their process also helps you get clear on other things. When we were choosing between remodeling our house or buying a bigger house, Mindy helped us flesh out what each option would look like, and she even brought listings of houses in our price range so we could get a visual on remodel vs. buy. 3. Great communication, timely and personable. Across the board, Creative Money is a really well run business. Prompt communications, clear expectations and actionable guidance - all delivered with an approachable, down to earth style. Money can be an intense topic, but Creative Money makes it easy to engage and get things done. 4. Fee-based. Many advisors charge a % of your total assets and want to manage your money on your behalf. That gets needlessly expensive fast and you lose a degree of control. With Creative Money, you get a solid plan based on your goals and then clear instruction on how to execute it yourself - all for a clearly defined fee. 5. Ongoing support. Even after you have the financial plan in hand and have executed it, Mindy and team are there to answer questions as they come up (12 month package). This helps you get more mileage out of the plan since you can fine tune it as jobs or circumstances change. We feel really fortunate to have connected up with Mindy and highly recommend her and the whole team at Creative Money. read more

I had my first ever financial planning session with Katie and it was great! It was very clear that she had put a lot of time and effort into preparing for our strategy session and I left feeling like I had the tools to make good financial choices and start preparing more for the future. She gave me a clear plan with achievable goals and she was easy to talk to, friendly, non-judgmental and very knowledgable. read more

Like so many others here, we had a great experience with Mindy. She was well prepared and really helped us understand all of the decisions we were making. She brought clear tables laying out our path forward and helped us see where we needed to do around everything from retirement, college, insurance and monthly cash flow. This is an area where I think you can always say to yourself that you can figure it out on your own, but I have a lot more confidence coming out of the meeting with Mindy that we know the right path forward. The peace of mind that you get from talking to a warm and honest professional (who will tell it to you straight) is totally worth it, and highly recommended. read more

After a less than helpful visit with a financial advisor many years ago, I was reluctant to schedule an appointment with another advisor. Terrified is the adjective that comes to mind. After listening to friends discussing retirement dates based on advice from financial advisors, I decided it was time try another advisor. I read Creative Money reviews and the website. I liked the philosophy. I got the feeling it was very much a "start where you're at" approach as opposed to "don't bother me until you're super rich". In spring of 2019, I made an appointment with Sam at Creative Money. Together with my husband, I was considering getting a master's degree, fostering kids, and/or moving abroad but I was paralyzed with fear not knowing what we could really afford. Sam put together spreadsheets demonstrating our track to retirement based on various scenarios. What a relief it was to see the reality of our situation. It was better than expected. She also provided a clear plan of how we should consolidate accounts and invest our savings. I decided to stay put in my job. Less than a year later the pandemic hit. My job and our life in Seattle began to feel unfulfilling. My husband and I took the spreadsheet Sam had provided and plugged in the rising values of our investments and home. We started thinking about quitting our jobs and moving abroad where the cost of living was cheaper. We contacted Creative Money in August 2021 to draw up a new plan. We weren't able to get an appointment until November but based on the spreadsheet from 2019, we were confident we could move ahead. By November of 2021 we had quit our jobs, sold our house, and moved to Italy. In November, from Italy, we logged on to the Zoom call with Sam. With an updated spreadsheet in hand, she was able to demonstrate our finances are in good shape as long as we stick with our budget. She also provided guidance on how to invest the money from our home sale as we head into retirement. What's even sweeter is that I now have time to do volunteer work and take online classes which fulfill the other dreams we discussed in 2019. My only advice is to book an appointment with Creative Money sooner than later. It takes months to get scheduled. Thank you, Sam! Thank you, Creative Money! read more

It's very infrequent that someone wows me as much as Mindy did, but she's absolutely amazing. Let me count the ways: 1. She charges a more than fair price for her packages, given the amount of time and depth of thought she put into her financial recommendations for us. 2. She comes to your house (or office, or wherever), which is incredibly convenient. 3. She's fun, approachable, and doesn't ever guilt trip you about money. 4. Even after the extremely thorough report she provides, she's extremely responsive on email and answered some questions we've had in the months following our consultation. And when we had some urgent questions about a house we were about to put an offer on, she called and helped us clear some things up (and calmed my nerves as a first time home buyer.) 5. Mindy even started sending us houses she found in some of the areas we were looking, because she knew we were in the middle of a house hunt and she got excited about it when she found some cool places. :) 6. She suggested some options for our money that we wouldn't even have considered, and printed out some great and clear examples that made us confident in our gameplan. I also love that Mindy charges for time rather than how much money she might make you. I'm leery of financial advisors who profit from your profit. I'm sure there are some good ones out there, but all the ones we met previously were like sharks. The incentives are just very clearly different. I recommend Mindy to everyone who's looking for clarity on retirement, how much home they can afford, or any other pressing financial questions. She demystifies a lot and is simply awesome. What more can I say? :) read more

As good as it gets; absolutely. I won't dig into the details of the initial meeting my husband and I had with Mindy - she's got a ton of descriptive reviews here and her website is very informative. We got a great plan that we've continued to followed since meeting with her a year ago. I think the true differentiator for Creative Money and Mindy is that just this weekend, almost a year after we met, she is still available for us to ask any question at any time, without additional fees. And this isn't the first time we've reached out with questions. She remembers us and our situation as clients and helps steer us in the right direction regardless of the question. She is honest, approachable, responsive, and just a gem! Worth every penny and we will use her services again! read more

My husband and I recently worked with Sam Kirby at Creative Money and couldn't be happier with our experience! Everyone at Creative Money seemed great (someone else worked with us in advance to make sure that we assembled all the documents/information Sam would need), but Sam was out-of-this-world awesome. It felt like she really "got" us--not just our financial situation, but our logistical limitations as two very busy working parents (probably because she is one herself!). She put together a plan for us that addressed all the things I was hoping for guidance on, and many things I hadn't even thought of, and she was fantastic at explaining the what and why of every recommendation. I feel like we are in fantastic shape to move forward with confidence, and it's awesome to know that Sam is a resource to us for additional questions/issues for the next year. I couldn't be more pleased with our experience! read more

My financial world had been neglected for several years, because I hate this stuff. I hired Mindy to help with a comprehensive financial review. She helped me: * Figure out whether to take a permanent position or remain as a contractor with my employer * Analyze my expenditures and get connected with resources to help me EASILY manage my money * Determine how much I need to save for retirement and which funds I should have it in -- using my existing Vanguard structure * How much house I could afford (I've since bought one). I can't think of any down-sides of working with Mindy. She is easygoing, practical and she knows what she's doing. I feel a greater sense of peace and order over my finances than I have in years. read more

Mindy does an excellent job of breaking down the financial realm in simple, jargon-free language. We had consulted with several potential advisors before meeting with her and we were immediately struck by her unpretentious attitude and the transparency of her thinking and methodology. Between her down to earth personality and her fee-based payment structure, we had no question that she had our best interest in mind throughout the planning process. Mindy created excellent visual aids to compartmentalize our overall financial picture. She helped us to organize our assets, plan for a home, retirement and education savings, and to plan for some interim goals, like an extensive vacation and starting a small business. Thanks to Mindy, we now have a clear path forward and the confidence to know that we can manage our own financial future. read more

I've been working with Mindy for about a year now and I am so happy I met her. She advised me last fall, when I was faced with a unique financial situation and made a plan with me so that I could work toward personal and financial goals. Since then, I've bought my first house, have a tax strategy, and feel so much better about the shape of my financial future. I couldn't have done it without Mindy! If you have the idea that financial planning is scary, expensive, or boring -- then you need to call Mindy. She's anything but those things! She'll walk you through everything, and with her caring, friendly, and affordable approach, you really can't go wrong. read more

Very personable and helpful. However, I do not suggest her advice to use Mint.com for uploading investment information. It causes investment sites, such as Morgan Stanley's Stock Connect site, to be not secure and a stock investment could be hacked pretty easily. read more

The Creative Money team did a fabulous job assessing our retirement finances. Everyone we had contact with was cordial, competent, and professional. And friendly to boot. More importantly, we received money saving/generating suggestions and a baseline spreadsheet tool that captured our current status, and allows us to see the impact of financial status as economic circumstances change. I can't recommend this group enough. Thanks so much Mindy. read more

Mindy is basically like a one-woman Make a Wish Foundation for adults with financial issues. Here's why: It was over two years ago that my wife and I first contacted Mindy, desperate for help in creating a concrete financial plan to achieve our dream goal: to quit our jobs and move abroad for a while to travel, learn languages, and have fun. Well long-story-short, I'm writing this review from Europe with a lot more money in the bank and more options available to me than I had dared to think possible back then. So much of this is thanks to Mindy! She created a really realistic plan that we could immediately put into action, helping us to put away money for the Big Leap, as well as still taking care of our way-off-in-the-future finances, like retirement. We really enjoy working with Mindy because she knows her stuff (and backs everything up with charts and data). She creates a clear plan that you can follow step-by-step. She has a great sense of humor and isn't stuffy; you certainly can't say that about many financial types! She is always available to answer questions and help, even when you are living abroad like us! Finally, she is trust-worthy, and for us that is the most important of all. She works for YOU and YOUR GOALS, not for some big investment firm. Considering results and outcomes, working with Mindy was probably the best money we ever spent! I'd say you owe it to your financial goals and dreams (and yourself) to give Mindy a chance to work her magic. read more

This was our first time working with a financial advisor. We picked Creative Money because they are fiduciaries and they work on a flat-fee basis instead of % of assets, and also because their reviews are so solid. We worked with Sam and did the "complex review", which is the higher flat rate. Our situation has a bunch of variables: rental properties, major construction project coming up, need to divest from holding too much of one stock, fund 529's, set up an irrevocable trust, discuss LTC insurance, etc. We did a bunch of our own homework ahead of the meetings with Sam (probably more than we needed to), to outline our assets/expenses/etc. Sam then created her own spreadsheets to do a forward-looking exercise and guide various decisions. This approach totally worked for us. It gave us confidence in proceeding with the plan of action. The only downside was that the Creative Money team is super busy and we had to book our meetings way out. But otherwise we loved it. The meetings were high-yield, highly organized and efficient. We would definitely recommend working with them. read more

I can't say enough about Mindy. She has helped turn me from an anxious financially unaware soul into a confident individual empowered to make decisions that bring me toward the end goal we're shooting for. Recently my husband and I did the full financial review with Mindy. Her analysis was comprehensive. She set at ease immediately and explained everything we had a question spending about an hour more with us than scheduled. Thank you Mindy. You're the best!! read more

It's tough work to get an ex-Elite Yelper to come out of review-writing retirement, but for Mindy (and for all you potential future clients of hers), I feel compelled to share my awesome experience. I went with Mindy's Strategy Session, and I truly feel it was worth every penny. I feel much more confident in my retirement, and in the money that I'm setting aside for larger expenses in the next couple of years. If, like me, you're wary of financial planners and have some anxiety, let me tell you - I've been there! It's hard to feel comfortable and trusting when the other person knows so much more about finances than you do! But Mindy put me right at ease for a few reasons: 1. She's not affiliated with a particular bank, so she isn't required to sell certain investment funds or other products. 2. She explains things really well, and I felt comfortable with all the recommendations she made. I felt like I understood what was happening with my finances! 3. She is willing and able to provide alternatives. Don't like a particular investment fund? She'll find an alternative. Feeling a little more risk averse than you thought when you met with her? She'll make some adjustments to help you feel more comfortable. 4. Her post-meeting checklist is awesome. I felt so accomplished after I worked through that list! It made me feel more in charge of my finances than I had in a long time, and now I feel like I know what to look for in financial statements to check on the status of my accounts. 5. She keeps in touch! One of the best things with Mindy is that you can send a quick email if you have a follow-up question. I've sent along a couple questions after our initial session, and Mindy always responds promptly. If, like me, you have a tough financial problem and need someone trustworthy to give you advice, look no further! Mindy's the best, hands down. read more

Mindy and her team are amazing. They provide excellent customer service, informed and invaluable insight into your financial situation, and how it plays into what's going on with your life. cannot say enough good things about Creative Money! read more

If you're snooping around these parts, you're probably looking for financial advice, so I'm about to give you some, ready? Call Mindy and her peeps. Do it now. Creative Money is off the chain, and Mindy is the total package--sharp, financially savvy, real world street smart and practical (because financial advice, or any advice for that matter, is only worthwhile if it's actually do-able), and super cool--she somehow made it fun for us to take on the daunting task of finally getting our grown up finances in order. Mindy's team is professional, organized, and easy to work with. After committing to a strategy session and some preliminaries with Creative Money over the phone, my wife and I began our homework of document and data gathering (aka: 'The Mindy Project'). It paid off, since Mindy knew our situation inside out when we met in person. If you look around Mindy's site, you can tell she knows what she's talking about when it comes to finances--but on top of that, it was clear that she had a great understanding not just of our finances, but who we were as people. So basically it's her people skills plus professional financial superpowers that made her advice (and data-driven, well documented step by step plan) meaningful to us, easy to follow, and so in line with our goals (and dreams and lofty ambitions and touchy feely big picture stuff). As our circumstances change, we've felt great about keeping in touch with Mindy and running things by her--meet with Mindy and you'll see what I mean, cuz you'll be so glad you have this life coach in your life! Pleasure to work with, and exactly what we needed. read more

Mindy provides a unique and important service to her clients without the pressure (and potential conflict) of selling her own financial products. Rather than just telling her clients how to "just do it," she understands that financial decisions are tied up in larger emotional issues. She works with her clients with compassion, intelligence, and humor to help them "get right" with their money and plan well for their future. I highly recommend her services. read more

I was finally done with ten years of grad school and had a job that paid a grownup salary. My credit card debt and student loans felt like hungry wolves breathing down my neck. And savings? Retirement? Uh, no. Despite my science degree and solid math skills, finance seemed completely mystical and terrifying. I wasn't looking for someone to help me invest. I just needed help feeling in control of my money and planning for the next few years. I found Mindy on Yelp and thought she seemed like a good match. Mindy sent me some worksheets (awesome, I can totally handle worksheets). I filled them out, collected my financial records, and crammed it all into Dropbox. When met up, she had already crunched stuff and had some things to tell me. Wow, was she helpful! In an hour or so, we made a plan saving, getting a car loan, dealing with my employer retirement fund, and paying off my credit cards. She helped me with everything I needed. Spoiler alert: Mindy has this philosophy about not using budgets. That totally works for me. I am pathetic at budgets and I don't think that will ever change. Imagine my delight at being in control of my spending, saving, and debt without the dreaded nickel-and-diming! Mindy is plucky, warm, and innovative. She's funny, wonderfully nonjudgmental, and makes intimidating stuff approachable. I've learned a lot about managing money. My personal finances no longer feel like a monster under the bed! If you want money advice from someone who appreciates that smart people have lots of other things to think about, Mindy is a great choice. read more

My husband and I met with Mindy as he was transitioning from a full time law student to the working world and we were considering many big changes in our lives including selling out of state real estate, purchasing a home in Seattle and starting a family. I did quite a bit of research before contacting Mindy and was sure that we wanted an independent financial consultant to provide us with tools and a system that we could implement on our own and wouldn't be pressured to purchase product. We chose the "Strategy Session" package that Mindy offers and she more than delivered on her service! She showed up at our meeting with worksheets filled out with our actual financial numbers, real life examples and objective advice that helped us revamp our uber-complex financial accounting system to one that was simple and intuitive. Meeting with her also tipped the scales on some big decisions that have positively affected our day to day stress levels around money. Mindy truly acts as a coach, and has been very responsive to follow up questions we had after our session. I feel like we now have a knowledgable resource we can turn to as life continues to evolve and we'll definitely use her expert services again at our next financial fork in the road. read more

Mindy is the bomb! We started working with her for financial planning about 7 months ago to make sure we were in shape to meet all of our financial goals. My wife and I are extremely impressed with her knowledge, professionalism, and sense of humor that she gave us through her advice and ongoing support. Still to this day we feel very comfortable running things by her and getting advice (i.e.: we just bought a house and cleared all of the details by her). She was able to give us the confidence we needed to make big financial decisions and we feel like she has given us the right tools to meet all of our goals. We will definitely be using her services again and highly recommend her! She didn't even scold us for having such a ridiculous budget for travel:) read more

My husband and I purchased the comprehensive package from Mindy/Creative Money, and are so happy we did. Neither of us are interested in the task researching and finding the right investments. Mindy took care of that for us and explained it to us in the most layman's terms possible. She can geek out with financial jargon too but it's easy to bring her around to your level of expertise (which is very low for us). She is passionate about her job and seems to enjoy the challenges we present to her. She also painted a clear picture of a few different financial scenarios for us, including real estate investments. We feel more organized than we did before and have a clearer idea of where our money is going. She is very accessible via email and promptly answers any follow up questions I have. We researched other fee only financial advisors and felt overwhelmed by their requirements from us. Mindy lays it out there for you but doesn't make it feel like you have to get it all done by a certain time. I feel confident with her knowledge of the market. She is constantly researching and has even emailed me about specific ideas regarding a business we want to start up. She didn't have to do that but she takes initiative and seems to genuinely take interest in your situation. I highly recommend her for anyone who wants to get their financial ducks in a row but also for business owners who need to bounce some ideas around. read more