People spend decades preparing for financial freedom. They save consistently, build retirement accounts, reduce debt, and follow a plan year after year. Then, one day, the numbers finally look strong. And a different question appears: what now?
Chris Weddellfinancial advisor Volare Wealth AdvisorsLook at this moment often. Clients come in financially prepared but unsure of how they want life to feel moving forward.
“People work very hard to save all this,” Weddell says. “Then they realize they’ll never actually be able to use it. The conversation becomes, What do you want this money to do for your life while it’s here??”
At Volare, financial planning goes far beyond spreadsheets and projections. Conversations focus on fulfillment, relationships, purpose, and the life the client wants to create now, not in the future.
Legacy looks different than most expectations
Many people associate legacy planning with paperwork and future inheritance, focusing on wills, trusts, and the ultimate transfer of assets. However, Weddell encourages clients to think more broadly about the impact they want to create and the value they want to share during their lifetime.
“What impact do you want to see in your lifetime?” she asks. “What do you want people to remember about you and your values?”
The perspective redefines legacy planning as something that people can live and experience in real time, rather than something reserved for the future.
Some clients use annual gifting strategies to help children or grandchildren repay student loans. Others support charitable causes while they can still see its impact firsthand. And some people simply want to help their loved ones experience less financial pressure today.
“They see the relief,” Weddell says. “They now experience the joy that comes from helping someone.”
Retirement should feel exciting
Weddell believes that many people prepare financially for retirement without preparing emotionally. “There’s a big difference between being retired and retiring well,” she says.
Retirement planning involves much more than building financial security, given that overall quality of life is also affected by health, personal relationships, community involvement, and daily routines. Weddell often encourages clients to prioritize social connection long before retirement, pointing to friendships, travel, volunteering and frequent engagement with others as important parts of creating a fulfilling, rewarding next chapter.
“The definition of wealth has changed,” Weddell says. “It’s money, health and social connections all working together.”
Weddell’s approach to financial planning closely mirrors the values upon which Volare Wealth Advisors was built. The company’s name comes from the Latin word meaning “to fly” or “to fly”, representing a commitment to helping clients move through life with greater freedom, clarity and optimism.
permission to live fully
Many of Weddell’s conversations with clients are designed to help people feel comfortable enjoying the life they have spent years working and financially preparing for. One client, who had recently lost her spouse, was hesitant to take a bucket-list trip through Europe, despite having the financial ability to comfortably afford it. “She wanted reassurance,” Weddell says. “I told him to go – tomorrow isn’t promised.”
Such experiences reinforce the idea that financial planning is not only about preserving wealth, but also about creating the ability to enjoy life. “Money is a tool,” Weddell says. “It helps you live the life you want to live.”
Many people assume that financial advisors focus primarily on savings, investments, and asset protection, however Weddell approaches planning through a far more personal, adaptable perspective. She describes financial planning as “constantly evolving,” with both long-term strategies and backup plans adjusting to career changes, health events, caregiving responsibilities, loss, new opportunities, and unexpected milestones.
“Life is constantly changing,” says Weddell. “Financial planning must evolve with it.”
Why does intentional financial planning change everything?
Weddell returns to one word again and again when talking to customers: ideology.
“If we don’t think intentionally about our money, decisions become automatic,” she says.
Deliberate financial choices create clarity. Instead of reacting emotionally in the moment, customers begin to link spending and saving decisions to larger priorities. Once people understand why they are making each decision the process becomes less burdensome.
“My job is to take something complicated and make it accessible,” Weddell says.
A different view of money
Reaching financial goals is often just the beginning of the conversation. Weddell believes the next step involves helping clients use that financial stability to create a life full of purpose, experiences, relationships, and daily routines they truly want to enjoy.
“You have everything you need,” Weddell says. “Now we have to decide what you want life to look like.”
And sometimes, that question becomes the most important part of financial planning.
This post was created by SLM Partner Studio on behalf of Volare Wealth. For more information visit volarewealth.com.
