About Annette M. Bau
During my 20 years as a financial planner, I have advised hundreds of clients before, during and after life transitions such as divorce, death, retirement, and the start-up or sale of a business. The most heartbreaking aspect of my job has always been when people, usually women, have come to me after losing a significant amount of money as the result of poor financial decisions or unethical advisors. These women have often said to me, “If only I had known …”
I have always had a strong desire to provide widespread, proactive education to people so that no one would have to ever utter those words to me again. I longed to be able to alert women across the globe of the importance of planning for their future, and to provide them with the resources and information they needed to make informed, intelligent choices regarding their financial matters. But for a long time, I didn’t know how to go about it.
All of that changed one windy afternoon in Kauai as I clung to a perilous mountain ledge, fearing for my life and trying desperately not to fall off.
The day had begun with excitement when my husband and I decided to enjoy the 10-mile journey down the beautiful Na Pali coast with our 11 year-old daughter. After completing about seven miles of the most intense workout I had ever had, we came to a treacherous stretch aptly named “Crawlers Ledge.” The foot-wide trail was littered with rocks of all sizes, and herds of mountain goats running up and down the hill dislodged additional rocks from the ledges above us, causing them to rain about our head and shoulders. Our already dangerous situation was further complicated by tour helicopters, which approached and hovered above us, probably to take a closer look at the “crazy hikers” on Crawlers Ledge. Their rocketing rotors created blasts of wind so intense that we had to brace ourselves at each turn to avoid being blown off the mountain.
We had hiked mountain ranges all over the world, but had never before found ourselves in such a dangerous situation. Mere inches to the right of our feet was a sheer, staggering drop to pounding ocean waves below, and the mountainside to our left — which we shared with hundreds of goats — offered nothing to grab onto. As we inched our way forward, the trail continued to narrow until we reached a point where the path simply disappeared, having completely eroded away.
As I sat down on the raw edge of Crawlers Ledge, I was scared to death for myself and my family. I began to cry, struck by the realization that we could easily die. We eventually did make our way back to safety, but I couldn’t shake the intensity of the experience.
People have different reactions when faced with death; for my own part, all I could think about was what I had done to give back to humanity in return for my life and all that it has been blessed with. During the following months I continuously thanked God for my life, and prayed for guidance regarding what I could do to make an impact on the world that would continue long after I left this earth.
Soon afterward, I was meeting with yet another widow who uttered that tragic phrase, “If only I had known …” Her words inspired in me a sudden epiphany of how I might be able to prevent people like her from suffering financial devastation.
That night I began penning a book, which I titled, If Only I had Known: What You Need to Do NOW to Avoid Devastating Financial Mistakes surrounding a life transition. The book put into writing the material I taught in a class by the same title, as well as my “financial freedom” course and the basic financial planning tenets I share with all of my clients. The book – combined with this website — have enabled me to reach large numbers of people with my message of financial hope. In addition, I have created a training so people can teach my materials.
I invite you to click on our Resources link to join our free community and begin benefiting from the wealth of tools and information we have gathered to help ensure your successful financial future. Hopefully, it will prevent you from the rocky financial path that others have traveled.
Here’s to your bright future and wonderful life …
Annette M Bau, CFP and our LifeTLC.org Team!
About Kathleen Bau
During my career as a nurse, and during the last decade of working as a hospice nurse I have seen many people, most especially women, faced with a life transition in need of emotional and financial support.
Fortunately for over 20 years I have worked with my daughter, Annette Bau and was able to co-found LifeTLC.org to help people who are in need of emotional or financial support and advise.
We became very concerned with the fact there was so little help available and to fill this need, LifeTLC.org was created to provide a network of assistance for people facing a life transition such as widowhood or divorce.
I was honored and pleased to have been invited by Annette to help establish Life Transitions and it has been our hope to educate people prior to a life transition.
We have worked with many people, especially women left alone thru death or divorce and providing them support has been one of the most profound aspects of my career.
Knowing that people facing a life transition can now get support and advise at LifeTLC.org is a rewarding feeling.
I am happy to have you join our community.
Kathleen Bau
