Money advice can feel cold, scripted, and weirdly shaming, especially if you’re not already “in the club.” We wanted a different kind of conversation, so we sat down with Joanne Seckyi, an independent financial advisor with LPL Financial who brings equal parts candor and humor to the table. She shares how she started investing young, spent time in corporate finance, and then made the leap to build her own practice, because she wanted the freedom to serve clients on her terms.

We also get honest about misconceptions in the financial services industry and why, in Joanne’s view, the middle class often gets overlooked. Her take is simple and practical: you have to do a little homework to find someone who represents you well. We talk about what “fit” really means, why she’s upfront that she’s not for everybody, and her best advice for choosing a financial advisor: interview several people, the way you’d interview a therapist, until you find trust, clarity, and alignment.

Then the conversation widens into something you don’t hear every day in a financial planning chat. Joanne explains her “Natural Born Red Head” persona, her love of writing, and her calling to “spare grief and sustain joy” by helping people laugh at their hardest moments. She shares how she’s focusing on live and Zoom seminars, plus the personal transition of relocating to the Poconos after caregiving and losing her mom. We close on her belief that community equals humanity, and that science and spirituality, math and finance, are connected.

If you enjoy real talk about investing, choosing an independent financial advisor, and the emotional side of money, listen now, share this with a friend, and leave us a review so more neighbors can find the show.

Joanne Secky, Financial Advisor, Registered Principal. joanne.secky@lpl.com, 272-252-0580. Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC