About Me

I began my career as a physician after completing my undergraduate degree at Mississippi University for Women and medical school at University of Mississippi.

My first residency was in pathology and it was there I learned that most of us die way too soon from poor lifestyle choices and bad luck. To put a dent in this problem, I switched to family medicine and completed my residency at Virginia Commonwealth University. After a couple of years in private practice and emergency medicine practice in Richmond, Virginia, I returned to the Sunny South of Jacksonville, Florida to teach on faculty at the University of Florida. I also worked in various emergency departments in the Jacksonville area.

In 2000, my husband and I tried to find a financial planner to help us decide if he could change careers. The people we interviewed were more interested in sales or investing money, and not helping with the financial planning we desired. I went back to school for fun at the University of North Florida to learn about financial planning and found a new passion.

I had no desire to change careers – I loved patient care. However, I grew disenchanted with the business and culture of medicine. In 2004, I opened Life Planning Partners, Inc. – a fee only financial planning firm that provides the comprehensive financial planning my husband and I desired. In 2005, I left medicine “for money” and began volunteering at a clinic for the working homeless.

As I became more involved in the financial planning profession, I recognized that understanding basics from medicine could help financial planners better help their clients. I put together talks on planning for terminal illness, how to help uninsurable clients get health insurance, and how to work with clients facing cognitive decline. These talks became very popular and I began speaking to audiences all around the country.

In 2010, I digested the entire Affordable Care Act and have kept up with the inner workings of health care reform since that time. This resulted in becoming a contributor to Forbes in a blog titled “Quest for Simplicity.” I write for many other publications and serve on the CNBC Financial Advisor Council. It is also an honor to be a “go to” person in the press for publications such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and many others.

My crew is who makes this all possible – my wonderful husband, Trib LaPrade, my coworkers at Life Planning Partners, Inc. and all the engaged financial planners and medical professionals who have helped me develop this content along the way. To stay sane, I raise monarch butterflies, cycle, run, and throw javelin. I look forward to sharing my journey with you.