By Sheryl Rowling
SAN DIEGO–Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sheryl Rowling and money is my game. Well, it’s actually not a game for me; it’s my profession.
They say “Money is the root of all evil.” That’s a very negative way of looking at things. Money allows us to eat, educate ourselves, and provide for our needs. It can also be a means of helping others and leaving a legacy.
We’d all like our money to work as hard as we do. But, we’re all not money mavens and we’re not born with the innate ability to handle our finances wisely. If we don’t want to devote full time to money matters, we’re at the mercy of happenstance or the “professionals” we hire. And, yes, I intentionally used quotation marks! After all, how can the average Sam or Sarah know if his or her advisor is truly qualified?
To add to the tsoris, the world of money is complicated! We have to deal with:
- Taxes
- Inflation
- Risk
- Taxes
- Longevity
- Estate planning
- Taxes
- College funding
- Retirement planning
Oh, and did I mention taxes???
Finally, wouldn’t it be nice to accomplish our financial goals using our Yiddisher kops? Jewish values, applied to our finances, can help make the world a better place while achieving security. You see, money does not have to be the root of all evil!
But, I digress … I was introducing myself, wasn’t I? I’m Sheryl Rowling, CPA and Personal Financial Specialist. I have other titles too: MBA-Finance, Partner of Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC, author (I write the annually updated CCH publication “Tax and Wealth Strategies for Family Businesses.”), Board member (for the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego and Jewish Family Service), member (of the American Institute of CPAs, the California Society of CPAs, the All-Star Financial Group, Temple Adat Shalom and Congregation Beth Israel) and – best of all – mother (to Joe and Jeff) and wife (to Bill). I also used to write the bi-monthly “Dollars & Sense” column for the San Diego Jewish Times.
So, why am I writing this column? Quite simply – to give you the straight story on managing your money! I don’t sell anything; I don’t get commissions. My clients pay me for advice (“fee only”). I’m doing this as Tikkun Olam. I want to help make the world a better place. And, if I can help you make the most of your money, considering Jewish values, maybe we can all help make the world a better place.
Now that I’ve introduced myself, it’s your turn! Please send me your questions. As they say, “There’s no such thing as a dumb question.” I’ll do my best to provide clear, relevant answers, but I can’t guarantee there won’t be some “dumb” humor along the way!
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Sheryl L. Rowling, CPA/PFS, partner of Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC, has been providing tax, financial planning and investment advice for over 30 years, since 1979. Sheryl was named one of the nation’s top 250 financial advisers by Worth magazine, received recognition as one of Accounting Today’s 100 Most Influential People, and was named a FIVE STAR Wealth Manager by San Diego Magazine*. Contact her at sheryl.rowling@sdjewishworld.com
*Third- party rankings and recognition from rating services or publications are no guarantee of future investment success. Working with a highly rated advisor does not ensure that a client or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance or results. These ratings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor by any client, nor are they representative of any one client’s evaluation or experience with the advisor.