About

When asked the question of "Who are you?", most of us think about what we do for work. I was a user-experience researcher and designer in tech for over 5 years. That's not only what I do, it's also what I want to achieve — solving people's problems and building trust.

In the past 2 years, new developments in technology have increased the shipping speed beyond many people's imagination. I found myself spending less time understanding the people I solve problems for, but more time focusing on tools. Talking to people face-to-face became a luxury given the trend. As a result, I feel the connections between my users and me are getting weaker.

During this time, I found allocating my assets to the most financially sensible accounts and helping my friends and family make financial decisions became one of the things that truly energizes me. Preparing myself and people I know for life's expected turns and making steady progress towards the life we want gives me a great sense of achievement. That's the tangible impact I always wanted.

I heard of the profession "Financial planner" from my therapist during one of our sessions. I was curious. I started looking into it. I did extensive research, including watching educational videos, talking to dozens of financial planners, and reading books about how ordinary people should plan their finances. The more I learn about it, the more I like the aspect of client-facing time and holistic planning.

With my tech skills, I vibe coded financial tools such as calculators and various spreadsheets to address the financial situations I encountered. One time, my friend told me she was considering buying a small apartment. I shared my Buy vs. Rent calculator with her. She told me that the knowledge she learnt by using it makes her a lot more confident with her decisions. That makes me feel the work I did can be so meaningful. Following that, I sent her my House ownership cost spreadsheet to help her plan her monthly budget.

With all the experiences, plus deep thinking, I decided to leave tech and pursue becoming a CFP (certified financial planner). There are moments when I feel it's so challenging to start over, but as I learn more about financial planning, I have less and less doubt about the decision. What I know for sure is that helping people to keep their finances under control aligns with my values.

In this transition, I met many warm-hearted and knowledgeable CFPs who shared their experiences with me and guided me m oving forward. If you’re open to sharing your experience or if my story resonates with you, feel free to reach out. I’d really appreciate hearing from you.