I’ve been asked by a couple of people why I decided to move to Vegas.

There were several reasons for my move. The main catalyst was the ending of my long term relationship.
I have lived in the Bay Area since I immigrated to the United States back in 2000.
After 20 years and moving from different cities around the Bay Area, I felt it was time for me to experience living in another state.
Not just any state, but a state that has no state income tax since I want to move somewhere with a lower cost of living so my money can go further. Plus not to mention somewhere less than a day’s drive away since I have two dogs and I really didn’t want to fly them in the luggage area.

So it was either Washington or Nevada. Washington didn’t really entice me, so Nevada it is and the first city that came to my mind was Las Vegas.

I have only been to the Strip (as most tourists usually go to) so I started doing a lot of research and talked to a lot of people who lived in the Vegas area. Most people recommended Henderson.

I also had to figure out if I want to buy or rent. I am not a big fan of renting but since I have never lived in the city and explored outside the Strip, I figured renting is a better option so I can get to know the area and really figure out where I want to buy a house, assuming I don’t end up hating it here. 😅

So fast forward, I have now moved in to my new apartment with my two dogs. Day one was hard since I had no furnitures and had to sleep on the foam mattress. I felt like I was camping (or glamping) inside my own apartment the first two days. Not a bad idea if you enjoy camping. 😂
It’s been one week and I’m starting to settle down and explore the areas more. What I do love about Las Vegas and Henderson area so far is that there are plenty of dog parks and parks in general. Once summer ends, I will be going out more and taking the dogs out on the trails.
Lately, I have adjusted my schedule to wake up really early to take the dogs to the park before it gets hot.

Definitely not a fan of the summer heat. It is starting to cool down slightly where it’s bearable to go out in the afternoon. For someone who came from Bay Area weather, 100 degree plus heat isn’t exactly fun.
The other big advantage of the move was definitely a financial reason. Had I stayed in the Bay Area and move to an apartment, it would have cost me almost $3K for some apartments that I like, while my new apartment here (picture of kitchen below) is only $1200.  Houses are definitely much cheaper here as well compared to the Bay Area. Single family homes that I like are mainly less than $400K versus way over a million dollars in Silicon Valley.

I am estimating cutting my cost of living to about half.

I’ll be posting another update after a couple of months of living here.

I think if your job allows you to work remotely, relocating might be a good choice financially.

If you need help analyzing such a big move, please feel free to reach out to me for a complimentary chat.

Last but not least, if you haven't heard. My online courses are on Labor Day sale till September 7th, 2020 at 7pm PST. 

• My simple online budgeting course. Budgeting is a critical piece to get your finances in order. If you don't know where to start, check out my easy to follow course. It's the same method I use for the past decade and what I teach my clients.

            Regular price is $59, sale price is only $29!  Sign up here!

• My LinkedIn course. I teach you everything I know about how I built my personal brand and get clients from LinkedIn without sending massive annoying sales pitches. 

​            Regular price for this is $197, sale price is only $97! Sign up here!

Imagine being the boss of your life.
Imagine having no limit on how much money you can make.
Imagine feeling delighted when discussing your finances, instead of feeling sad and depressed.
A financial coach can help you achieve financial freedom.
Just as a doctor improves your physical health, a financial coach can boost your financial health.
In this guide, we’ll discuss the 24 reasons why having a financial coach can be beneficial for you.
But first, we’re going to briefly answer these questions:

• What is a financial coach?
• When should you work with a financial coach?
• What is the difference between a financial coach and a financial advisor?

What is a Financial Coach?
​
A financial coach improves the money management skills of their clients.
Here is a brief outline of what a financial coach can do for you:
1)Study your spending habits
2)Discuss your financial goals with you
3)Develop a financial plan to accomplish your goals
4)Provide you with the tools and motivation you need to stay consistent
5)Help you work through your emotional money traumas so you can heal from them
Above all, a financial coach’s mission is to teach clients how to have a healthy relationship with money—so that money does not control their lives.
P.T. Barnum once said that “money is a terrible master but an excellent servant.”
After studying your finances, a financial coach will show you how to turn money into your servant.

When Should You Work with a Financial Coach?

Contrary to what some may believe, you don’t need to have millions of dollars to work with a financial coach.
In fact, some of my clients have debts, little to no savings, and imperfect spending habits.
If you’re in debt, a financial coach can help you develop a smart budgeting plan.
Also, if you make a high salary, a financial coach can help you allocate money for savings, investing, and your emergency fund. That way, you and your coach can develop a plan to boost your passive income.
No matter your situation, a financial coach can help.

However, the best time to work with a financial coach is before you need one.
But keep in mind, it’s never too late to hire a financial coach.

What is the Difference Between a Financial Coach and a Financial Advisor?

In general, a financial coach helps clients build a good relationship with money, deals with the emotions and money mindset so they can reach their financial goals effectively while a financial advisor helps clients with investing and wealth building. 
Typically, a financial advisor determines their fees based on a percentage of their client’s assets. While a financial coach usually charges a flat retainer fee or package rates.
Often, a financial advisor won’t work with you if you don’t meet their wealth requirement, while a financial coach will work with you even if you have little to no assets.
A financial coach isn’t licensed to advise you on investing, unlike a financial advisor. But what a coach can provide is the foundation you need to become an investor. Before you consider investing, you must have a healthy relationship with money.
Another major difference between a financial coach and a financial advisor is that a financial coach will not have an ongoing relationship with you. Of course, you can always contact your coach if you have questions or need advice.
But a financial coach’s main objective is to teach you how to become financially literate so you can better handle your finances.
When you hire a financial coach, she will show you how to fish so you can fish for yourself.
Do I want you to pay me to fish for you? Nope!
I’m all about empowering you to become your own financial expert.
So, are you ready to discuss the 24 reasons why you need a financial coach?
Great! Let’s begin. 😊

1) Understand How Emotions Affect Your Relationship with Money

Emotions control much of our behavior.
Often, we make buying decisions based on our feelings.
And the sneaky part is that we’re not even aware of this.
Furthermore, we tend to have an emotional connection to big brands like Mercedes-Benz.
And as you already know, big brand products can hurt your wallet—especially if you’re on a small budget.
That Gucci purse may look stylish, but it can set you back financially.
That Rolex watch may look flashy on your wrist, but it can prevent financial freedom.  
A financial coach can clarify how emotions are affecting your buying patterns.
I can explain to you the dangers of impulse purchasing.

​I can help you see the risks of neglecting your nest egg.
After speaking to you, a financial coach can detail what’s driving your behavior. Because often, it’s hard for us to be unbiased when analyzing ourselves. 

2) Develop the Right Mindset for Financial Growth

In her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck introduced these two concepts: fixed mindset and growth mindset.
A fixed-mindset individual doubts that she’s capable of growth or change, whereas a growth-mindset individual believes she can improve her abilities through hard work and discipline.
Here’s an example showing the difference between the fixed mindset and growth mindset:
A fixed-minded person would say: “I will never be able to control my finances. I’m always going to be broke and in debt.”
A growth-minded person would say: “I may have some debt, but I just need to find a way to control my spending and increase my income. If I can’t figure this out on my own, the smartest thing to do is consult with a financial coach.” 😉
As a financial coach, I would explain why the growth mindset is crucial to your financial success. I would study your situation, learn more about you, and show you how you can benefit from a change of mindset.
Some of the things we would discuss are your spending habits and overall relationship with money.
The key is having the right mindset.
If you’re missing the right mindset, your chances of financial growth are slim.
Without the right mindset, you become your own worst enemy.
As a financial coach, I will teach you how to become your own best ally.

3) Receive Consistent Motivation to Control Your Finances
​
You may feel that conquering your financial burden is like climbing Mount Everest barefoot.
But a supportive financial coach can motivate you to keep climbing.
How?
By explaining to you that it’s all about taking one step at a time.
Think of it this way:
Boxers need a cornerman (or cornerwoman 😉) to encourage them to keep fighting and let them know they can win. 
Similarly, a financial coach will inspire you to knockout debt and become a financial champion.

4) Develop a Strong Financial Plan for Building Wealth

“When you fail to prepare, you’re preparing to fail.”
Basketball coach John Wooden is one of the many people credited with saying a variation of this quote.
Nonetheless, it’s powerful!
Because when you fail to prepare a solid financial plan, you’re preparing to fail.
A financial coach will help you develop an effective financial plan so you can start building wealth.
Imagine building your dream home.
To save yourself time, you would hire an architect to deliver your vision. An architect would know what’s required to make your dream home stable.
Well, it’s the same process with your financial dreams.
Thus, a financial coach is like an architect for financial planning.

5) Consistent Accountability for Consistent Results

Consistency brings results.
Want to know what the formula for success is?
Read this quote by Jeffrey Fry:
“The formula for success is 2% talent, 8% luck, and 90% of showing up every day.”
The more you show up, the better you naturally get.
And as you consistently show up, you gradually build your abilities.
Therefore, the best financial coaches hold you accountable for showing up. We make sure you’re prioritizing your financial plan.

6) Fix the Root of Financial Problems for Lasting Change

A financial coach will help you treat the causes of your money problems.  
When you only treat the symptoms, you’re ignoring the root cause of the condition.
An experienced financial coach will do the following:

• Analyze your finances
• Study your mentality
• Develop a financial plan for you based on analysis

In addition, a savvy financial coach will educate you on the hidden fees that are costing you money—money that you could save or invest.

As a financial coach, I prioritize helping you reach financial freedom. But the first stage is fixing the root causes of your financial problems.
Once we treat the cause, we’ll produce lasting change.

7) Work with a Trusted Personal Confidant with Vast Experience

A financial coach is your personal confidant—someone who actually cares about you and your future. 
As your financial coach, I would create a comfortable environment for you to discuss your finances. A judgment-free environment.
Let me tell you a little about myself:
In 2012, I sold my condo in the Bay Area.
Sounds great, right?
But it wasn’t.
The problem was that it was a short sale.
Unfortunately, I lost out on a lot of equity on a property that’s now worth a lot of money.
When I recall that mistake, does it hurt?
A little.
But I learned from it.
That experience made me stronger, wiser.  
If I had a financial coach back then, I could have been saved from that mistake.
Fast forward years later, my goal is to prevent you from making similar mistakes.
I want to improve your relationship with money and assets.
That’s why I became a financial coach.
I’m on a mission to give you the tools you’ll need to become financially free.
And that’s the type of mentality your financial coach (aka trusted personal confidant) should have.

8) Achieve Greater Happiness from Seeing Results

When you start seeing results from our work, you’ll feel rejuvenated. And the more results you see, the more inspired you’ll become.
But you must always remember that it takes time to see results.
As you honor your financial plan, you’ll start to see your world change.

You’ll feel empowered knowing that you’ve taken control of your personal finances.
When you’re happy, it makes it easier to use the awesome power of positive energy. And with positive energy, you make the journey easier for yourself.
How so?
Because you’ll feel much more encouraged to conquer your financial plan.
But don’t worry, as your financial coach, I’d help you along the way.

9) Discover Creative Solutions for Money Problems

Sometimes a problem requires an outside-the-box solution. Specifically, the type of solution that involves creativity.
Michael Michalko wrote a wonderful article on creativity.
He said that being a genius is not about having a 1600 SAT score. It’s not about being able to speak eight languages before you can walk.
And it’s not about being able to play the piano blindfolded. 😊
It’s about the ability to construct creative ways to solve problems.
Generally, when we face a new problem, we look for solutions that we’ve used for similar problems. 
But that’s not what geniuses do.
They have a different reaction when they face a new problem.
Geniuses ask questions like:

• “How many different ways can I analyze this problem?”
• “How can I look at this problem from a different angle?”
• “If I see this problem through different lenses, can I come up with solutions I would have never thought of?”
• “How many different ways can I solve this problem?”

By asking these questions, a genius can produce unique solutions to challenging problems. 
 
And how are they able to do this?
 
They force themselves to tap into their creativity. 
 
So, any time you tap into your creativity, you’re tapping into your inner genius. 
 
As your financial coach, I can help you devise creative ways to solve your money problems. I can inspire you to become a financial genius. 
 
10) Improve Your Financial Habits

As human beings, we’re creatures of habit.
It’s so easy for us to revert back to old, hard-to-shake routines.
When it comes to money, you must have the right habits.
Because the dangerous thing about habits is that sometimes, you might not even know they exist.
A financial coach can point out your financial habits, and provide solutions so you can break the bad habits.
The truth is, we are our habits. We are what we do every day.
As your financial coach, my job is to make sure you develop the habits that lead to financial freedom.

11) Learn Why You Must Escape the Rat Race

The rat race is a suffocating trap.

The more time you spend stuck there, the easier it is to feel like it’s your destiny.
But it does not have to be!
Life is too short to be spending it in misery. You need to be enjoying life.
Before you can escape the rat race, someone needs to tell you it’s possible.
As your financial coach, I would not only tell you, but also show you how. 

Here’s a brief background on me:
​
At age 20, I immigrated to the United States from the Philippines.
New continent, new country.
It almost felt like a new world.
After being in the states for a few months, my aunt kicked me out of her apartment for not following a 10pm curfew.
I had to find a way to survive. Sink or swim.
To save money, I worked 20 to 40 hours of overtime.
But you know what working all of those hours allowed me to do?
Become a speed typer. A skill that helped me become more time-efficient.
Eventually, I continued my college education—while working full time.
Those were hard times.
I had absolutely no social life. It was work work work …
But I never gave up.
And my reward for not giving up was getting a nice job in the Data Analytics field.
Years later, I shifted to Corporate Finance.
From there, I made one of the best decisions of my life: I became a financial coach.
With hard work, I was able to start and grow my business as a financial coach.
Indeed, following my passion allowed me to quit my corporate job and become my own boss.
I tell you all of this not to brag, but to inspire you, to let you know that if I can escape the rat race, YOU can as well.  

12) Learn to Treat Your Finances as a Business so You can Build Your Wealth

The most effective way to escape the rat race is to treat your finances as you would a business.
You need to track all of your income and expenses just as a corporation tracks its income sheet.
You need to track all your assets and liabilities just as a corporation monitors its balance sheet.
And similar to a corporation, you want to increase your assets and decrease your liabilities.
Realize that you are the CEO of your personal finances.
As a financial coach, I would be there to help you become the type of CEO who maximizes cash flow.
Because that’s how you build wealth.

13) Discover Proven Methods for Financial Stability

Over the years, I have worked with numerous clients.
I have seen what works and what doesn’t for achieving financial stability.
Although each client is unique, you start to see patterns after you’ve worked with many clients. You see key elements that each has in common.
Here are just some of the proven methods for financial stability:

• Decreasing your debt
• Increasing your income
• Controlling your spending habits

The proven methods I just listed are universal.
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misinformation online.
A financial coach will help you separate the myths from the truth.

14) Learn the Importance of Investing and How It Works

A financial coach teaches the value of investing and having your money work for you. 
You want to continually grow your passive income.
But money isn’t the only thing you can invest. Time is another.
When you invest time in becoming more financially literate, you will receive a healthy return based on how committed you are. 
Smart investing stabilizes your long-term financial security.
Indeed, the best financial coaches teach their clients the value of investing time and money prudently.

15) Understand Financial Terms; They’re Less Scary Than You Think

Elite financial coaches eliminate the scariness from financial terms.
Often, when we’re afraid of something, we’re less likely to address it. 

Remember, as a child at night, being afraid that there was someone in your closet or underneath your bed?
And if you heard a tiny creak, you would think there’s some big, frightening monster in your room. Especially if it was pitch dark.
So, you’d call your mom, and she’d turn on the lights and show you that there’s no slimy, hairy creature in your room waiting to pounce on you.
Well, financial terms can have that same effect on you as the bogeyman.
But financial terms don’t always have to be something that causes you to hide under your blanket.
Realize that the financial expert wasn’t always an expert on financial terms.  
So, the great thing about working with a financial coach is that she can help take the mystery out of finances.
An experienced financial coach will show you that there’s nothing to be afraid of when it comes to financial terms. And that you don’t have to feel incompetent if you’re new to finance.  
We all start out as beginners in the world of finance.

16) Learn to Become Your Own Financial Expert

As a financial coach, I want you to become your own financial expert.
I want to give you the tools for you to learn how to think for yourself. When you’re able to think for yourself, you can spot the financial opportunities around you.
When you become a financial expert, it’s like having a special pair of binoculars—you see things others don’t. As a result, you can capitalize on opportunities before they become too crowded.
 
17) Receive Access to the Right Information that will Help You Grow

Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there. The type of information that does more harm than good.
Think of it like this:
Imagine having a tomato garden.
The worst thing you can do is feed your garden toxic chemicals. That would prevent your tomatoes from growing and eventually destroy your garden.
You want to feed your garden clean water and fertilizer so it can grow.
Similarly, your mind needs the right information, not toxic information.
A financial coach ensures that you have the right information so you can grow financially.

18) Learn at a Comfortable Pace  

The best financial coaches create a pressure-free environment for their clients.
When you’re comfortable, it’s easier to connect the financial dots.
Indeed, it takes time to adjust your relationship with money.
That’s why I follow the motto: one step at a time.

Each session you have with me will build upon the previous one.
The last thing I would want is for a client to feel like we’re moving too fast.
My goal is to make you feel safe, not discourage you.

19) Create a Budget that’s Best for You

Budget mastery is one of the first steps to achieving personal finance mastery.
Your budget instructs you on how to handle your money. 
Not everyone has the same financial situation. Therefore, a financial coach works with you to develop a budget tailored for you. 
 
20) Learn how to Measure and Track Your Results

An experienced financial coach will teach you how to measure and track your results.
Think of it like this:
To improve, a long-distance runner monitors how many miles she ran and how long it took her.
It’s the same with you and your finances. 
When you measure and track, you’re able to see if you’re improving. Furthermore, you enhance your chances of success because you can eliminate what doesn’t work, keep what does, and discover what’s missing.
As you start to see results, you’ll be inspired to stay consistent, so you can see more.

21) Ensure You’re Maximizing Your Employee Benefits

When you’re working for a company, it’s best to take advantage of employee benefits.
One example is the 401(k) plan.
If used properly, the 401(k) plan can help you build your nest egg.
Here’s a brief summary of what to do:
First, you would find out how much your employer is willing to match. Then, you make sure that, at minimum, you match it.
For example, if your employer is willing to match $300 each month. Try to make sure you set aside at least $300 for your 401 (K) plan.
That’s just one example of maximizing your employee benefits.
As your financial coach, we would discuss more examples so you can take advantage of any available opportunity to stabilize your finances.

22) Receive Help with Managing Student Loan Debt

As of 2020, student loan debt is about $1.56 trillion in the U.S.
And it’s only increasing.
According to Forbes, 45 million people have student loan debt.
So, as you can see, that’s a lot of people and a lot of debt.
Like credit card debt, student loan debt can be a drain on your finances.
Before you can pay off any type of debt, you’ll need a strategy.
Based on your situation, a financial coach can help you decide which strategy will work best for you.
 
23) Understand Cash Flow Management

Cash flow management is crucial to your financial growth. It’s about understanding where your money is coming from and where it’s going.
Ultimately, your goal is to have a positive cash flow each month. That’s your first step to financial freedom. If you don’t take that first step, you won’t be able to get there.
After reviewing your finances, a financial coach can show you how you can become cash flow positive.

24) Learn About Your Retirement Options

As an employee, there are retirement options available to you.
Earlier in this guide, I briefly mentioned the 401 (K) plan.
But there are more options, such as the Roth IRA and a traditional IRA. (A financial coach can explain the differences between the two.)
It’s never too early to learn about your retirement options.
We all want to be able to enjoy retirement—without fear of running out of money and having to return to work.
​

That’s why I always advocate financial freedom.
When you’re financially free, you can retire on your own terms.

Take Control of Your Destiny
Financial freedom doesn’t have to be this distant dream.
It is achievable.
Early retirement doesn’t have to be a carrot dangling in front of your face.
It is reachable.
A financial coach can guide you towards the future you desire.
Today, we discussed 24 reasons why you need a financial coach.
Yet, I would like to end this guide with one last point:
None of us has the power to change the past.
But we all have the power to control what we do today.
Starting right now, you can lay the groundwork for a brighter future. A brighter financial future.

Schedule a complimentary chat to discuss how I can help you reach your financial goals.

Do you feel that you deserve to be successful?

This past week there’s a theme among my clients who are struggling with their finances.

You get to the point where there’s only so much you can cut down from your budget unless you want to make drastic lifestyle changes but most people aren’t ready right away.

So the next thing we work on is to figure out how to make more money.

This is where we find out their core deep issues.

A common theme among my clients is that they don’t feel they deserve to be successful or they’re not worthy of it.

Unfortunately, you get what you believe in. 

Too many put an invisible glass ceiling due to their limiting beliefs that they don’t deserve to make more, that making more money is like taking away from someone else. 

Due to these beliefs, you stay where you are at until you heal and work through those money traumas so you can transform your relationship with money.

Most come from their childhood that they’re not aware of. Part of the work we do is going through their money history to identify where did the core defeating money scripts and belief came from. 

Then we can start our real work from there.

The first step to healing is awareness. You can do all the practical work you want but if you don’t deal with your emotional issues, it won’t last.

And this is not something you can just google away. 😊


Christine Teh is a personal finance coach who lives in Silicon Valley and serve clients virtually. She also offers tax preparation and consulting services and LinkedIn coaching as well.

Schedule a complimentary chat now to see if her financial coaching services are right for you!
​

Top 3 Reasons People Stay broke

Step 1 👉🏻 Visualize being rich
Step 2 👉🏻 Do nothing
Step 3 👉🏻 Repeat steps 1 and 2

The above is meant to be humorous but I have encountered people who think just visualizing and doing positive affirmations and believing that they'll be rich is going to get them rich.

Sorry to share the news, but NO that won't get you anywhere if you don't take any action. Visualization and positive affirmations are there to provide you a tool so you can take inspired actions that can propel you towards the goals you visualize about. 

Also hiring a coach won't get you anywhere if you don't do the work. We can only lead the horse to water but we can't make them drink.


Christine Teh is a personal finance coach who lives in Silicon Valley and serve clients virtually. She also offers tax preparation and consulting services and LinkedIn coaching as well.

Schedule a complimentary chat now to see if her financial coaching services are right for you!
​

What about money are you grateful for?

Remember you attract more of what you’re grateful for.

So let me start by sharing my top 5 reasons I’m grateful about money.

• Money allowed me to buy a home I love and not worry about rising rents

, especially in Silicon Valley, where rents are always increasing.

• Money allowed me to live a lifestyle that I love.
• Money allowed me to pay for insurance for myself and for my fur babies. Remember, you don’t want to not have insurance. Life happens and just think about how much it would cost you if you got coronavirus and you have to stay in the hospital for a while.
• Money allows me to send money to my family in the Philippines. My family may be considered poor by some people so I am grateful that when my mom needs money, I can gladly send it to her.
• Money allowed me to save enough in my emergency fund so I don’t have to panic during the next few months while the vaccination for Covid-19 is still being worked on.

So now it’s your turn, what are you grateful for money? What has money done for you? 
​

Christine Teh is a personal finance coach who lives in Silicon Valley and serve clients virtually. She also offers tax preparation and consulting services and LinkedIn coaching as well.

Schedule a complimentary chat now to see if her financial coaching services are right for you!
​