About
Ashley K. Rittershaus, CFP® (she/her)
My Story
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always been fascinated with money and personal finance. This interest only grew in my mid-20s when I discovered the FIRE movement (Financial Independence Retire Early). Feeling burnt out at work, I saw FIRE as my way out and I was all in.
In the years that followed, I learned so much and made significant progress toward my financial goals, but my mindset began to change. I had been so focused on getting away from my job, that I hadn’t given much thought to what I wanted my life to look like. It was time to figure out what I really wanted and find a way to make that a reality now.
After some soul-searching, I realized that what I most love doing is helping people to feel more confident managing their money. If I never had to work again, that’s how I would spend my time, so I decided a career change was in order. I quit my job and took a break from full-time employment to recover from burnout, complete the CFP® coursework, and learn to prepare taxes/work part-time at H&R Block (my idea of fun).
I was fortunate to find a job at a small fee-only financial planning firm, pass the rigorous CFP® exam, and gain the experience necessary to obtain my CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification. After a few years, I decided to go out on my own and launch Curious Crow Financial Planning, bringing me that much closer to living my best life today.
My Core Money Beliefs
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People who align their spending with their values tend to be the happiest. Prioritize spending money on what you value, cut back on what you don’t.
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It doesn’t make sense to go go go for 40 years and then suddenly stop at an arbitrary age. Don’t let others tell you what you “should” do - figure out what works for you and go for it! There’s no right or wrong way to live your life.
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You can balance living your best life now with taking care of future you. Depending on your situation, this could mean taking mini-retirements, splurging on a once-in-a-lifetime trip, or just making time for your favorite low/no-cost activities.
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Life is bound to throw curveballs your way. Ensuring your financial plan is built with flexibility in mind allows you to easily change course when needed, without derailing your plan.
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This is why I focus not just on what needs to be done but also the why and the how. I love helping people learn about personal finance. I make sure to encourage lots of questions, focus on education, and help with implementation for all of my clients.
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I am extremely privileged to be financially secure. Unfortunately, our society is structured in such a way that this is far from reality for so many people. I do my small part to help where I can by volunteering for non-profits that provide pro bono financial planning services and offering free intro meetings to anyone interested in speaking with me.
Life Outside of Work
Although talking about money is my idea of fun, that’s not the only way I spend my time. Life outside of work typically looks like:
Spending time with friends and family
Crafting and other creative projects
Going to Broadway musicals
Playing board games, puzzles, and escape rooms
Reading
Spending time outside
Traveling
Hanging out with my cats, Bonnie and Clyde
Let’s Talk!
Our Core Values
Curiosity
We believe life is better when people are curious rather than judgmental. Whatever your past looks like or whatever you want for your future, we want to learn more and are here to support you! We encourage you to be curious with yourself to figure out what your ideal life would actually look like, instead of what you think you “should” be doing. To best support our clients, we ask plenty of questions to make sure we truly understand them and their unique needs. We value financial education and encourage our clients to ask lots of questions throughout the planning process. Curiosity leads to knowledge and insights, which ultimately leads to better financial decisions.
Lifelong Learning
We love learning and believe we always have more to learn. We go far beyond the 30 hours of continuing education every two years that is required to maintain CFP® certification. Each year, we spend hundreds of hours reading articles/books, listening to podcasts, attending webinars, and taking courses. We take action to implement what we learn, so our clients can benefit. This ranges from staying up to date with tax-law changes that provide opportunities for new planning strategies or finding more effective ways to explain financial concepts. We are also constantly learning new things from the clients we work with and love to see our clients gain a better understanding of complex financial topics!
Inclusivity
We provide a safe space to talk about money. All are welcome and treated with respect. Embracing differences allows us to incorporate each individual’s unique needs and objectives into their plan. We recognize that systemic issues have created racial and gender wage/wealth gaps, while also limiting access to financial advice. We believe everyone deserves financial success. To do our small part, we volunteer for programs providing pro bono financial planning and we offer free intro meetings. For those not in a place to work with us right now, we’ll do our best to provide guidance and resources to get you started on your financial journey.