“I want to make the right decisions but I don’t have time to figure it out on my own.” “Can you help me with my student loans? This is more complicated than I thought it would be.” “How do I invest? I know it’s important but I don’t know the best way to do it and I don’t want to mess it up” Have you said any of these before? You’re not alone if you have. I have heard these statements from many lawyers I’ve met throughout my wife’s time in law school and her legal career. As a CPA, CFP, and someone who has worked in financial planning, I have seen young people who are overwhelmed about managing their personal finances. I have also seen people near retirement who unfortunately didn’t make good financial decisions and now have to modify their future lifestyles because of their financial situations. I hate seeing people not achieve everything they want in life because they can’t afford their dream lifestyle. So I set out to change that. My mission is to help young lawyers establish a strong financial foundation early in their careers so they can capitalize on future opportunities instead of trying to fix financial mistakes. So I created the Developing Financial Process. My process identifies what is most important to you, analyzes your current financial situation, builds a comprehensive financial plan, implements the plan, adapts the plan as your life changes on an ongoing basis, and most importantly educates and empowers you throughout the entire process. My process helps you pay off your student loans completely, invest effectively, save and spend intentionally, and achieve your financial goals and ambitions. I believe that everyone should live their dream life without worrying about their finances. I live what I preach and when I’m not working, I am out living. I love to travel and have visited many states and countries. My family and I go camping, spend time at the beach, and visit friends and family as often as possible. I truly love educating and empowering people to live their ideal life. I hope you reach out to learn more about my process and how financial planning can benefit young lawyers like yourself!

Jack McCormick is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional. He specializes in retirement planning, family wealth management strategies, and personalized financial planning. Jack brings over five years of experience, having started his career on the operational side at Merrill, which provides him with a comprehensive understanding of building financial plans from the ground up. Jack holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Redlands and an Associate's Degree from Santa Rosa Junior College. He was a dual-sport NCAA collegiate athlete in swimming and water polo. He is also a fifth-generation resident of Sonoma County and remains active in his community through volunteer work with the Made In Santa Rosa Education Foundation and coaching water polo at Santa Rosa Junior College. Jack is fluent in English and Spanish and holds the designations of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). His approach is hands-on and detail-oriented, focusing on helping affluent clients build goal-focused financial plans.

Samboun Sim is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, serving clients in the Santa Rosa and Sonoma County area. With over a dozen years of experience in the financial sector, he focuses on developing strategies that address clients' short-, mid-, and long-term financial goals. His client focus areas include family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, tax minimization, and retirement income. Samboun holds a Bachelor's Degree from Sonoma State University and is designated as a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). He provides a holistic approach by combining Merrill Lynch's investment and retirement planning expertise with access to Bank of America's banking, credit, home financing, and small business solutions. Samboun emphasizes honest and open conversations to understand what matters most to his clients and to deliver appropriate financial solutions. Outside of his professional role, Samboun enjoys basketball, cooking, drawing/sketching, fishing, football, spending time with his family, traveling, and watching movies.

James Below is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management with experience since 1985 in assisting individuals and small businesses with wealth management. His expertise centers on helping plan sponsors manage and administer retirement plans, including 401(k), Profit Sharing, and Defined Benefit plans. He holds multiple professional designations, including Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™, Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist™, Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor®, Certified 401(k) Professional, Personal Investment Advisor, and Retirement Benefits Consultant. In addition, he serves as a Portfolio Manager, managing personalized investment strategies on a discretionary basis. Before his current role, Mr. Below founded Senergy Incorporated, a consulting firm focused on financing and developing energy-saving projects for commercial buildings. He attended the University of California at Berkeley and Humboldt State University, concentrating on economics and accounting. Mr. Below lives in Santa Rosa with his wife and two sons. He also dedicates time to volunteer work within the community. His personal interests include football, hiking, reading, and watching movies.