Why I Became a Financial Planner: Amy Artiga

When I was young, I had no career ambitions. I just wanted to be a mom. 

I grew up in the church, and as I became more serious about my Christian faith as a teenager, I felt called to ministry. I even dropped out of university to move from San Diego, CA, to Portland, OR, to attend Bible college. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Theology, I worked for a number of years in my local church in administrative roles until God fulfilled my dream of becoming a mother. 

While I thought that being a full-time mom was all I wanted to do, I realized that I missed the stimulation that being in a work environment brought and missed using the passion God had given me to serve others outside my house.

Introduction to Personal Finance

During those long days when my son was a baby, I began to listen to Dave Ramsey’s podcast. I hadn’t taken his class but I had heard of him at my church. I wasn’t actually interested in finance then, but I started listening to the podcast so that I could hear a voice other than the one in my head during those long, lonely days. 

Up until that point, I was financially illiterate. All I knew was that you should work hard and save because you will always need money. I had never even heard of life insurance.

As I listened to the podcast and learned about finances, I thought, “This is really important stuff. More people should know about this because it would make their lives much better.” I thought of my own mother who was a single mom with six kids and always stressed about money. Her life wouldn’t have been as hard if she had possessed this knowledge. 

At that point in my life, I was the person that people would call when they had questions about baking. It wasn’t strange for me to receive a text from someone I hadn’t heard from in 6 months with a question about buttercream frosting. I decided that I didn’t want to be that person for baking, which just makes you gain weight, but I wanted to be that person for personal finance, which can have life-changing positive impacts.

Discovering Financial Planning

So I started to do some research on the internet. And, lo and behold, I discovered that there is an entire profession dedicated to helping people with their money—financial planning. I had been wanting to find some kind of business that I could do part-time from home to make some money and serve as an intellectual outlet. I had considered bookkeeping or tax preparation but thought that might be a little boring.

When I discovered financial planning, even though I knew nothing of the industry and had never even seen a financial plan, I knew it was the right fit for me. I was looking for a pathway where I could truly help people, find intellectual stimulation, and it would be flexible enough for me to keep my family as my top priority. Because no matter how awesome being a financial planner is (and it really is!), being a mom is infinitely more important. 

When I decided to become a financial planner, I still had two little kids at home. Since they were my priority, I decided to bide my time until they were in school full-time before going back to school to pursue a career. I know some women can pursue a degree while caring for a young family, but I knew I didn’t have the capacity for that. 

Starting as a Ghostwriter

While I was waiting to become a financial planner, I started ghostwriting blog posts for financial planners during naptime through a friend’s marketing agency. It was a great foray in the industry and I learned a lot while developing my writing skills.

About a year into ghostwriting, I had this thought: “If these rich financial advisors and their rich clients find value in my writing, I want to use it to help normal people.” I decided to start a blog. After much prayer and deliberation, I felt that God had placed pastors on my heart and wanted me to write specifically for pastors. They face a lot of very unique financial issues and opportunities and there aren't many resources online available to them. So I started my blog, The Pastor’s Wallet. 

Joining Guide Financial Planning

It was through my blog that I got connected with Ben Wacek, the founder of Guide Financial Planning. After seeing my blog, he reached out to me to learn about what I was doing and my career plans. I had heard him interviewed on a podcast and felt that we had the same values. Then, after only having spoken to him on the phone once, I sent him an email asking to work with him and learn from him (and only work while my kids were in school!). I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had turned me down since he didn’t know me, I lived on the other side of the country, and I was asking for a lot of flexibility. But he said yes. 

I’ve been with Guide Financial Planning for over six years now and consider it a match made in heaven. Since then, I’ve earned a Master’s in Family Financial Planning and Counseling, the Certified Financial Planner® designation, and the Certified Kingdom Advisor® designation, and have become a lead financial planner.

I absolutely love what I do. I can tell that this is what God made me for and has called me to. Sometimes I have people ask, “Do you really like reading IRS documents?” The answer is no. Just like you, I think they’re boring. But God has gifted me with the ability to read them, understand them, and then explain them in a way that others understand. And I want to use my gifting to help others and further God’s Kingdom, as 1 Peter 4:10 commands: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.” So here I am! If you want to learn more about working with me for your financial planning, you can schedule a free call here. 

About Amy Artiga

Amy Artiga is a Christian fee-only Certified Financial Planner® and Certified Kingdom Advisor®. She has a passion for helping people of all income levels make wise financial decisions and steward their resources from an eternal perspective using Biblical principles. Based in Atlanta, GA, she works with clients virtually throughout the country and abroad through Guide Financial Planning and serves pastors through Pastor’s Wallet. You can follow the links to learn more about Guide Financial Planning and our team and the services we offer.