Jessica M. Garcia

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Welcome!  

Hello!  
It has been a long while since I introduced myself.  My name is Jessica Garcia, I started BrainstormingWomen on December 1, 2015 - the day after I left my banking career of 22 years.  It was no longer satisfying my need to make a difference and serve others.  For many years, I had noticed the need to help women find their voice, financially speaking, and I knew I just needed to take a leap, take a risk, because otherwise I would choose to remain on safe, sturdy ground.  It took taking flight and building my wings along the way to know what it would mean to help women have a proactive relationship with their money, to make a difference in their life, and help them navigate the difficult decisions of divorce.  I never imagined that my love of real estate and finances would lead me to become a Divorce Financial Planner and Coach. It turns out that for all those years as I worked in different areas of banking; learning about real estate, lending, investments, and wealth management, I was preparing for the role I have and love today -  bringing women insight, ideas, and knowledge to better understand their finances, and make important financial decisions during a major life transition.

Because of the way I serve my clients, I cannot deny that some days it does seem like things could be easier, less heavy, if I went back to the corporate world, but then someone reminds me of how thankful they are that I do what I do or that they couldn't have done it without me --- and poof those thoughts disappear; I have also learned to take time for myself which definitely helps.  

Ultimately, my truest reward is knowing that my clients are thriving in their next chapter.  

Talk to you soon,
Jessica

Education

• Masters in Business Administration from the McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte

• Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and Business from Queens University of Charlotte   

Credentials

• CDFA®️ Certified Divorce Financial Analyst

• CDC®️  Certified Divorce Coach

Additional professional certifications for specialized Divorce Coaching and Dispute Resolution Coaching

• DFC™ Divorce Financial Coach• CDFC™ Certified Divorce Financial Coach

• CDP™   CDP Divorce Practitioner™ 

• CDRC™ Certified Dispute Resolution Coach

Licenses previously and no longer active but I still have the gained knowledge and experience

• NC Real Estate Salesman License  
• NC Health & Life Insurance License  
• FINRA Series 6, 63, 65, 66 and 7​​ 

A Certified Divorce Financial Analyst is a professional skilled at organizing and analyzing financial data and providing expertise on issues related to the finances of divorce. A CDFA can help you reduce the stress and overwhelm that come with the process before, during and after. We bring methodologies of financial planning to the divorce process, crafting individualized settlement solutions. We provide our clients with a greater sense of confidence in their decisions through a fuller understanding of how their marital settlement agreements will affect short and long-term financial future.

What is the role of a CDFA in Divorce?   CDFA professionals may serve multiple roles in the separation and divorce:

• Individual Advocate for those facing divorce difficulties. We can join with the attorney to strengthen and maximize your settlement outcome
  
• Collaborative Divorce Professional as a financial neutral  in a team-mediation approach involving professionals like attorneys, family therapists, and others
  
• A CDFA professional serves clients' needs as a strong financial advocate in litigation OR as a third-party neutral for those seeking higher control over their divorce outcomes with Mediation

Financial Expertise and Strategy

A CDFA provides the client and attorney with data analysis that shows the financial effect of any given settlement. They become part of the divorce team and provide support on financial issues such as:

• Examining your pre- and post-divorce situations, including Cash Flow
  
• Understanding the short-term and long-term effects of dividing property
  
• Analyzing pensions and retirement plans
  
• Determining if the client can afford the marital home, and if not, what he or she can afford
  
• Recognizing the tax consequences of different settlement proposals and bringing in a tax professional as needed
  
• Propose settlement options to individuals and couples seeking knowledgeable advice.
  
• Data Collection and Analysis
  

CDFA professional’s role mostly is to help gather and organize the client’s financial data and perform analysis. CDFAs can help manage a client’s expectations of their financial future by presenting different scenarios and talking through the client’s budget and expenses. 

CDFAs are trained to help clients:

• Define a division of assets and financial settlement that is individual to the client’s needs
  
• Collect financial and expense data
  
•  Identify their current and future financial goals
  
• Develop a realistic spending plan