FINANCIAL COACHING
A financial coach helps you make a budget that works, get out of debt, and stick with the plan when a hard month hits. I’m Bryan Halverson, and every person I coach starts with a free 20-minute call.
Free · No contract · You leave with your first three steps written down
WHAT IT IS
Financial coaching is one-on-one help with the everyday side of money. A coach helps you see where your money actually goes, decide what to pay first, build a budget around your real income, and stay on the plan when life gets in the way.
Most people don’t need more information about money. They’ve read the articles and tried the apps. What they’re missing is someone looking at their real numbers with them, telling them which step comes next, and checking in when the plan starts to slip.
At Be Money STRONG, coaching follows the 6 Financial Stages. Someone who can’t cover this month’s bills needs different help than someone who’s debt-free and ready to invest. So the first thing I do is find out which stage you’re in. Then you get the work for that stage, and nothing else.
HOW I CAN HELP
Whether you’re behind on bills or just tired of not knowing where your money goes, here’s what we work on.
01
Not a category breakdown. The two or three specific places it’s leaking, named.
02
When money is short, housing, food, transportation and utilities come first. When it isn’t, you get a payoff order and a debt-free date.
03
Not a textbook example. Your paychecks, your bills, your goals.
04
$1,000 first, kept in a separate account. Three to six months of expenses once the debt is gone.
05
Most people don’t fail because they picked the wrong plan. They fail because they switch plans every time it gets hard. Regular check-ins, and a plan for the week it breaks.
Money problems are rarely just math. Stress, habits and the conversations at home are part of the work too. Fighting about money with your partner? See couples coaching →
COACH, ADVISOR OR COUNSELOR
They sound alike, but they do different jobs.
Swipe to compare →
| Financial coach | Financial advisor | Credit counselor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helps with | Budgeting, debt payoff order, spending habits, money conversations at home | Investments, retirement accounts, insurance, long-term planning | Debt management plans, lower interest rates negotiated with credit card companies |
| Usually paid by | A fee for coaching | A share of the money they manage, an hourly or flat fee, or commissions on products | Often a nonprofit. A free or low-cost first session, then a monthly fee if you join a debt management plan |
| Best when | You earn money but it doesn't add up, your debt isn't going down, or you and your partner can't get on the same page | Your debt is under control and you have money to invest | You're behind on credit card payments and want one monthly payment |
Plenty of people use more than one. Many of my clients start working with an advisor once the debt is gone and there’s money to invest. That’s Stage 4, and getting there is what coaching is for.
IS IT FOR YOU?
Coaching works best when there’s income to work with and something isn’t adding up.
IT’S PROBABLY A FIT
PROBABLY NOT
Not sure which side you’re on? That’s what the free call is for. I’ll tell you honestly.
Work down the list. The first one that describes you is your stage.
QUESTION 1
Yes: you’re at Stage 1.
QUESTION 2
No: you’re at Stage 2.
QUESTION 3
No: Stage 3. Yes: Stage 4 or higher.
No paperwork. No sales pitch. Rough numbers are enough to start.
I find out where you are: what’s coming in, what’s going out, and which stage you’re in.
Which debt first, what to cut, what to stop worrying about for now. You keep them whether or not we work together.
60-minute sessions over Zoom, usually every other week. If your family is in crisis, we can meet weekly for as long as you need.
Most people find money they didn’t know they had. Theodore went from $2,075 short every month to $2,253 a month of breathing room, on the same income. These aren’t estimates. Every number below is what actually happened.
$2,253
$2,127
$1,600
COST
The first call is free. Twenty minutes, no contract, and you leave with your first three steps whether or not we work together.
There isn’t one price for coaching. It depends on how often we meet, which coach you work with, and your situation. We’ll talk about it on the call, and you’ll know the exact number before you decide anything.
For couples, Fix Your Money, Fix Your Marriage is a 12-week program. I’ll walk you through what’s included on the call too.
If cost is the worry, say so on the call. It’s a normal conversation, and I’d rather you not start than start something that breaks your budget.
“I was hesitant to start coaching but it has been so worth it, I just wish I had started sooner. It has paid for itself in the money I have saved and debt I have paid down.”Lydia H., Be Money STRONG coaching client
Free · No contract · No pressure
QUESTIONS
If your money doesn't add up and you can't see why, usually yes. Theodore was $2,075 short every month. After one session he had $2,253 a month of breathing room, on the same income. Independent research points the same way: in a randomized study for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, people offered financial coaching ended up with about $1,187 more in savings at one site and about $10,644 less debt at another, compared with people who weren't (Urban Institute, 2015). The free call is where you find out whether it's worth it for you.
A financial planner, like a financial advisor, helps with investments, retirement and long-term planning. A financial coach helps with the everyday side: your budget, the order to pay off debt, and sticking to the plan. The table above compares them side by side.
In 20 minutes, I find out where you are: what's coming in, what's going out, and which stage you're in. You leave with your first three steps written down, whether or not we work together.
Yes. Every session is 60 minutes over Zoom, so you can meet from home. Most clients meet every other week, and weekly if they're in a crisis.
No. Rough numbers are enough to start. We'll get the real ones together.
Yes, and it helps. Come together if you can. If your partner isn't ready, come anyway. See couples coaching.
I was a Ramsey Preferred Coach for six years, and the Baby Steps worked for my own family. They're one good route up the mountain. What matters more than which route you pick is not changing it every time the trail gets steep.
No. It's a diagnosis. There are no contracts, so there's nothing to lock you into. I'll tell you what coaching costs if you ask. If it isn't a fit, I'll say that instead.
One client told me he didn't know what he owed. Not that he hadn't checked recently. He said, "I refuse to know." That isn't unusual, and there's nothing you can tell me that I haven't heard.
WHERE TO START
1-ON-1
A plan built for your income, your debt and your goals.
NOT READY YET
Five minutes. Find your stage and your next step.
I’m Bryan Halverson, a Dave Ramsey Certified Financial Master Coach with an MBA from Utah State University. I’ve spent more than twenty years in the financial industry, and I’ve been at the bottom with money more than once myself, and climbed back. I’ve helped more than 200 families go from stuck to knowing exactly what to do next.
200+
$600k+
$80K
Before you go
Watch this first. In four minutes, I'll show you why smart, hardworking people still end up stuck with money, and the three things that actually get them unstuck.
Watch the 4-Minute VideoNo sign-up. No call. Just the video.
