This is a series that highlights real people who use the Personal Capital Dashboard. How are they achieving their financial goals? Here’s a look into their numbers and motivations, so that you are better equipped to get personal with your money.
Today, we’ll hear from Delyanne the Money Coach, as she shares how she’s grown her net worth to over $1,000,000 through investing and helping others learn how to invest.
Name: Delyanne
Occupation: CEO of Delyanne the Money Coach LLC
Age: 39
Location: San Diego, California
Married/Single: Single
Household Income: $1,000,000
Net Worth: $$1,221,253 ($300,000 in cash, $921,253 in stocks; $0 in liabilities)
Inheritance or Windfall: None at all. My parents divorced when I was 14. I now support my mom financially.
When did you start tracking your net worth?
It was -$50,000.
I owed $150k in student loans and had about $100k in cash.
Why is tracking your net worth important to you?
At first, it was to help motivate me to pay off my student loans.
But once I discovered investing, it turned into something much bigger. I wanted to build wealth while I paid off my loans and tracking it helped me to make those goals concrete instead of just dreams.
What has been the best thing you’ve done to increase your income?
Starting my business! It’s been the biggest catalyst in growing my net worth and at such a fast pace. It was a combination of good timing and preparation.
I started Delyanne The Money Coach LLC three months before the pandemic started and I thought no one would be interested in learning about investing after the market crashed, but that’s when interest really took off.
It was a perfect learning opportunity and I got to be a calming voice for my audience during a turbulent time in the market.
What has been the best thing you’ve done to control your expenses?
Give myself 24 hours to think about a purchase.
I can be very impulsive so just leaving something in a cart for a day is enough for me to really ask myself if I want the item or if I was just being influenced by good marketing.
Why is it important for you to grow your wealth?
I’m changing the trajectory of my life and my family’s life with every dollar I invest.
Without it we would all be working well into our 60s with no end in sight. Investing gives me the peace of mind to slow down, a luxury I never had until recently.
What is one financial mistake you’ve made during your financial journey?
I waited too long to start investing.
I didn’t start until I was 28, and when I did, I didn’t take the time to learn the importance of it.
Thankfully the little bit that I did has compounded and still made a huge difference in my net worth, but I often think about what could have been if I had learned all this a few years sooner.
Related Article: Is It Too Late to Start Investing in Your 30s?
What is one financial hack you think most people don’t know about?
If you’re self employed or have any side hustle income, you can open a solo 401k or SEP IRA.
These accounts will help you invest more money and lower your taxable income.
Outside of building wealth, what brings you the most joy in life?
Laughing with friends and family. I love being goofy and cracking jokes.
The more time I’m able to free up, the more laughter I get to experience with those I care about.
What financial goals do you have for the next 5-10 years?
Reach Family FIRE for me and my mom.
I also want to move to Portugal and buy myself a home and my mom her dream home.
If someone was looking to grow their net worth like you have, what is one piece of advice you’d give them?
Budgeting is the foundation, but increasing your income is how you build your dream life.
Whether it’s moving jobs every 2-3 years or starting a business, find ways to get that income up and then think about investing as much as you can.
Get Started Tracking Your Financial Progress
This is an unpaid endorsement of an individual who uses Personal Capital’s free financial tools. This individual is not a client of Personal Capital Advisors Corporation (“PCAC”). The content contained in this blog post is intended for general informational purposes only and is not meant to constitute legal, tax, accounting or investment advice. You should consult a qualified legal or tax professional regarding your specific situation. Keep in mind that investing involves risk. The value of your investment will fluctuate over time and you may gain or lose money. Any opinions or statements shared by third-party are their own and may not be representative of the experience of others or indicative of future performance or success. PCC and PCAC do not endorse or adopt any content on a third party site that may be linked to from this page.
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