Name: Julie Fletcher

Title: Certified Financial Planner™

SH&J team member since: October, 2013

You have been a financial planner at Sharkey, Howes & Javer for over a year. What do you enjoy most about working here?

This firm truly acts in the best interest of our clients. There is no such thing as “sales” in this office, which minimizes the stress level and frees up time to spend on problem solving instead.

Outside of working, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I spend a large portion of my free time with friends, whether it’s trying a new restaurant, celebrating a birthday or the birth of a baby, bringing meals to new parents, going for walks, visiting a new home, or simply sharing a bottle of wine. Taking an active interest in my friend’s lives is of utmost importance to me. In the summer, I want to spend every second outdoors hiking, golfing (current goal: double par), bbq’ing, or playing volleyball. In the winter, I spend a lot of time in the mountains skiing.

Tell us about your dream vacation.

Living in Colorado allows me to spend ample time in the mountains, so my dream vacation would have to be on a beach. When I was in college, I spent a semester studying abroad in Australia with my best friend. We traveled the coast, but we were young and poor and tried to minimize the cost of meals to under $4 total for the both of us (true story). There was nothing that wasn’t shared. We have always dreamed of going back to Australia but this time with actual spending money. This return visit has not happened yet, but maybe it will someday.

What advice do you have for recent graduates who want to get into the financial planning industry?

A great way to learn about the industry is to conduct as many “informational interviews” as possible. Visit with various financial planners and ask them all about their practice and experiences. Attend local industry meetings and meet as many people as you can.
Note: Beware of “financial planners” who want to hire you to sell products to people you know. Unfortunately these jobs still exist, so run far away from these traps.

Tell us something we would be surprised to learn about you.

I have a need for speed on the ski hill. I started skiing at an early age, which means I never adapted a healthy fear of the mountain. This resulted in knee surgery a couple years ago.