My husband, Jon, has spent more than 25 years helping families protect their futures. A few years ago, two losses made that work deeply personal for me.

We lost a longtime friend suddenly, at just 55. In the middle of her grief, his wife told us they had never put a plan in place. No living trust, no will, no life insurance. She asked Jon if there was anything he could do. He wanted to help, but the protections she needed were things that had to be arranged before her husband passed away.

Not long after, the sister of a close friend died from a sudden illness. She was young, successful, unmarried, and had no children. Without an estate plan, her family faced a long, costly probate process while they were still grieving.

Those experiences stayed with me. I saw how much harder an already heartbreaking situation could become when a family didn’t have a plan.

Jon was already helping families, but with so much on his plate, the living trust and estate planning side of his work needed someone who could give it focused attention. My background is in accounting, and I’ve always been comfortable with details and organization. Our children were getting older, and I was ready to return to working with people. This felt like work I could bring both my skills and my heart to.

That’s what led me to create The Trust Factor: helping families understand the process, get organized, and take the steps they’ve often been putting off.

Partnering with Five Pathways Financial felt like a natural fit. Their reputation and the care they put into helping their clients reflect the same values that brought me to this work. Through a dedicated estate planning partnership, we can work together to help families protect what they’ve built and prepare for the people they love.