Amy R. Cook is a collector of many things, including knowledge. She spends her time immersed in her financial planning practice and likes to travel and work on hobby projects in her free time. She is currently building a dollhouse and working on a series of children’s books about collections (Lessons in Collections), spurred by her love of vintage and antique things that started when she was a child and spent weekends exploring antique stores with her parents.Her arrival in the financial industry was a serendipitous chain of events that started with her own money narrative and transformed into a success story. While working in the mortgage business at the start of her career, she was exposed to many financial dilemmas and noticed a reactive approach to financial decision-making. She began to see that money was not something that needed to be reclaimed and put back together. Proactively, it was something that could be controlled and tackled with a solid plan and a grip on the narrative that runs through our minds. Since then, she has aimed to simplify the process of financial decisions and planning to help her clients reach their goals.When she started her career as a financial advisor in 2009, her drive to overcome her own money narrative bolstered her passion to help clients dissect their goals and lay down a track that is free from unrealistic expectations yet layered in attainable goals that help take them from their starting point to beyond retirement. Amy credits her unwavering interest in financial planning to lessons she has learned in her own life and a commitment to helping others do the same. Amy is a CFP® and has a master’s degree in personal financial planning. She utilizes her education and experience to help clients across all industries and in all stages of life. Just like our individual circumstances, she believes financial planning is dynamic and ever-changing,and preparation is key.Amy lives and works in San Mateo, California, serving clients throughout the country from her local office.Read more about this authorRead less about this author