Frequently Asked Questions

What will we talk about about during the consultation?

At our first meeting (at a coffee place of your choice), I will find out what your biggest uncertainty is. Income & expense tracking? Taxes? Budgets? Business loan tracking? After an initial Q & A, I will go over what I can do to help manage the details of your finances.

Do I have to buy a quickbooks online subscription to engage your services?

No! I also can come to your place of business to work on your Quickbooks Desktop, or other financial management program.

Will I be locked into a contract?

No! My engagement agreement includes a 30 day termination clause for both parties.

What if I would like to learn this finance stuff for myself?

Since my passion is to help my clients to become financially literate, I happily train anyone in Quickbooks Online, Quickbooks Desktop, Quicken, and Mint financial programs. I love to work my way out of a job, because I believe it benefits our society to have financially literate consumers.

What will i be charged if i hire you?

I charge a $32.50/hour fee for all office and field work (including travel time), and hourly minimums for Quickbooks setup and book clean up. For most Quickbooks Online clients, I can provide write up services for about $65/month (for 4 accounts, and Quickbooks Online fees if applicable). See here for more services and pricing details.

Can you help me navigate the online financial world? I’m scared to take the plunge!

Yes! I specialize in translating financial terms and procedures to all ages and levels of financial literacy. I like to “bridge the gap” between the generations of those who grew up paying their bills by paper check to those who have never written one. For Gen Xer’s (my generation) and Baby Boomers, I can help you navigate the online financial world. For Millennials and the children of Millennials, I offer financial literacy classes to help you manage all those details about money that you may not have learned in school.

can I call your clients for a referral?

Yes! I have a list of satisfied clients and students who would be happy to discuss how I have taken the uncertainty out of their finances. After our initial consultation, I can provide you with a list of contacts to call and interview.

Can You do my taxes?

No, but I can help you prepare for your taxes, and reduce the bill from your accountant. I can also help you file your own taxes with Turbo Tax or H & R Block products, or I can help prepare all your personal/business information for your tax professional or CPA to file your taxes. On average I can save my clients approximately $350 in accountant fees, since my services include profit/loss reports, balance statements, and all supporting documentation for business and personal taxes.

What experience do you have?

With over 18 years of working in personal and business bookkeeping, I offer a wide base of industry exposure. I also have a large network of professionals-including tax professionals, CPAs, realtors, attorneys, Human Resource specialists, and government agency officers-whom I can contact when I need advice or you need a referral. And I have the practical experience of putting all that I know about finance into practice within my own family: paying off our mortgage, living debt free, paying for our children’s education, investing in our retirement, etc.

Can you teach your Financial literacy class to our youth or service group? or can you come speak to our group about how to manage our finances?

Yes! I have adapted my Building Independence (financial literacy) classes to age groups as young as 10, and for time periods as short as 4 weeks (my standard high school age course is 28 weeks). I am also available to speak to grief/support groups, foster home groups (especially graduating seniors), college groups, etc. Click here for more information on my financial literacy classes.