There is a different way to look at your money and financial future.
The Servant Money Method™ is our proprietary life-centered financial planning process that puts your life and financial well-being at the center of the conversation, not your money.
It’s a process anchored in purpose and not the purse.
Women’s wealth needs are different.
Just like you, your wealth journey is “one-of-a-kind.”
We are life-centered financial planners who specialize in working with women experiencing a significant life event.
Are you ready to learn more about the journey forward together?
“All we can do is control what we can control, and make the smartest financial decisions possible. To put the odds on our side knowing our money is managed in a way that honors our life.”
Our Mission
Ed Vargo and Melana Carbary run Burning River Advisory Group with a MISSION in mind.
To give women the confidence to live their version of a meaningful life.
To take away the anxiety and emotional strain of not knowing what to do.
To provide a clear vision of what life could be if you use your money to make a life instead of using your life to make money.
The Servant Money Method (SMM) ™
“Money is the best of servants or the worst of masters.”
Gaining the confidence to use your money to cultivate a meaningful life requires an enlightened financial worldview and specialized tools to support it.
Here are just a few of the tools and concepts unique to the SMM™ that enable us to make the best financial decisions possible no matter what life throws at you.
“Return On Life” (ROL)
Unlike ROI, which is all about your return on investment, ROL is all about your return on life. It’s about keeping your money in its proper place – as servant to your life goals and ambitions.
A return on life approach answers the question,
“Is my money managed in a way that honors my life?”
Easy To Read “Asset Maps”
Who says personal finance has to be complicated? Using easy to read “Asset Maps,” we provide a simplified, visual way to see your financial life on one page.
No 60-page report filled with a bunch of statistics, charts, and confusing financial jargon.
Just a simple, organized, and understand-at-a-glance view of your financial life.
No More Guesswork
Do I have enough money? That’s the million dollar question. Or, is it two million?
If you want to use your money to get the most out of life, knowing when you have enough money is the most powerful piece of financial knowledge you can possess.
How do you know when enough is enough? With access to industry-leading financial planning tools, we can tell you when you’re on the right track, are running short, or anywhere in between.
CEO + CFO
Unlike most financial advisors who place your money on top, we place you and your goals at the top of the hierachy. Think of it like an organizational chart with you at the top as CEO of your life.
Being the CEO can be daunting as you are in charge of … well, everything. But, that doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself. This is where we come in.
Consider us your “personal CFOs” (Chief Financial Officers) whose job it is to know “all things financial” and to help you make smarter financial decisions. Experience the peace-of-mind that comes from having someone you trust to handle the heavy lifting in your financial life.
In addition, we’ll lead and work alongside the other financial professionals (Expert Team) required to ensure your entire financial life is being adequately cared for.
Gone are the days of not knowing what to do.
Over 35 combined years of real-world, hands-on experience. A lifelong commitment to maintaining financial expertise in an ever-changing financial and political landscape. A calling, not a career.
Our commitment, passion, and devotion to improving women’s lives through a positive relationship with money enables us to serve you in all seasons of life:
Widowhood
Single (again)
RETIRE (SUCCESSFULLY)
Next level Living
CHILDREN + GRANDCHILDREN LEGACY PLANNING
Starting or
selling a business
Your financial life is so much more than your investments
Most financial advisors have a stronger connection to your investments than they do to you. Look at how they express their value. They go heavy on the financial jargon to make themselves sound smart and you feel small. Or, they tout their “low is the way to go” fee approach as if pricing their services like milk or eggs is the way to build a rich life.
And the spreadsheets. Oh, how do they love their spreadsheets.
But, do they understand you and how you feel about money? Do they know how you define a meaningful life? Are they focused on providing you the greatest value and having the biggest impact across your entire financial life?
The truth is most financial advisors are only interested in your investments. Unless the stock market is your only concern, this is a mistake. As life-centered financial planners, we believe your worth should be measured by what you bring to the world and not how much money you have.
We support you holistically by providing wisdom and guidance across all five pillars of personal finance.
Our services include:
Tax Planning
Few areas in finance bring more fear than the IRS.
Fear not.
We take the complexity out of tax planning. No more leaving money on the table because you’re too afraid of being on the wrong side of the IRS.
We don’t replace your CPA, but work collaboratively, alongside them.
Estate Planning
Estate planning is much more than trusts, wills, and powers-of-attorney. And it’s not as simple as, “I’ll give away all of my money when I’m gone.”
At least it shouldn’t be.
Too many people wait until after they’re gone to share their wealth. What a shame.
It’s more fulfilling to give with warm hands than cold ones. There is an optimal time to share your good fortune and it’s almost never upon death.
Banking & Cash Flow
“Many folks think they aren't good at earning money, when what they don't know is how to use it.” ~ Frank Clark
So true.
Do you have an “income” problem or an “income management” problem? Do you have the same financial problems today you had three raises ago?
Insurance
No generic, rule-of-thumb, how-much-do-you-want-to-pay sales tactics here.
Each person has a one-of-a-kind situation, a personal portrait comprised of obligations, goals, and responsibilities that need to be accounted for.
Your insurance solutions should be individually tailored to meet your unique life.
Investments
Investing is the growth engine of financial independence. It’s also the most uncertain and emotional variable.
Which is a real problem as emotions often represent the biggest challenge to good investing.
We’re adept at helping clients stay calm and clear-headed through the most emotional of times. We balance our technical investment know-how with an understanding of human nature to guide individual investor behavior.
Gain the peace-of-mind that comes from knowing we’re looking out for you to make sure everything’s okay.
HOLISTIC FINANCIAL PLANNING
We begin with the end in mind.
We answer the important questions:
Am I on track for my retirement goal? Can I retire earlier? Travel more?
Will I die with too much money?
Can I gift money to my kids or charities without putting myself in jeopardy?
What don’t I know but should?
Is my money aligned with my values?
Wherever you are, wherever your life takes you, we can build a financial plan that supports you and your life journey.
Can you relate to these statements we often hear from women?
Is this you?
“Money is too complicated and confusing. Overwhelming even. It’s so stressful and, some days, more than I can handle.”
Or maybe this one…
“I really hate this money stuff. I’m a smart woman, but this stuff makes me feel so dumb.”
Traditional advisors have condescended, talked over, or flat-out ignored women for as long as there has been a financial industry. As a result, women all too often believe personal finance is too complicated, too boring, or just too much for them.
This has to change.
Start here and select the best fit for your life journey.
Widowhood
It's overwhelming. All of the questions, paperwork, and financial decisions you have to make when it's the last thing you want to do. Do you wish you had someone you trusted who could handle it for you?
"You Aren't Alone"
START HERE
Single (again)
Are you divorced (or in the midst of it)? Do you feel confident you'll be okay financially on your own? You are resetting to a new financial future. Would you like someone who's been there to guide you on this new journey?
"Single Again"
START HERE
Retire (wisely)
Do you know what your paycheck is costing you? Probably a lot. Time with family and friends. Lost personal experiences. Meaningful work. What if you didn't need to work for money anymore? What if there was a way to retire without surrendering to the unimaginative "I must work until Social Security age" doctrine? There is. We can show you how.
"Think Differently"
START HERE
Executive Achievement
Doors you never dreamed possible are opening. Your professional success has given you the opportunity for exceptional financial success. But, how do you take full advantage of these opportunities? The learning curve is steep. There's no need to go it alone. Lean on us as you take it to the next level.
"Let's Grow"
START HERE