The Money & Meaning Journey: A Guide to Clarity, Financial Confidence, and Joy
“I’ve had a successful career, and I’m financially comfortable—but it still seems like something is missing.”
You’re not alone. Jeff Bernier has seen countless people in this situation—they seem to be living the American Dream, but they find themselves missing out on joy and a sense of purpose. In The Money and Meaning Journey, Bernier imparts some of the wisdom he has gained from over thirty-six years of being a financial advisor who understands that the goal of financial planning should not be to outperform the market, but to fund your dreams.
This book outlines a goal-focused and evidence-based process that focuses on the rate of return you need to fulfill those dreams. Sure, you’ll read about risk management, retirement planning, investments—but more importantly, you’ll receive guidance on discovering the larger, more significant purpose that all of these subjects serve.
This is a new kind of finance book: one that doesn’t separate your bank statement from your inner life, your spiritual quest from your material needs, or your money from your life’s meaning.
About Author Jeff Bernier
Jeff Bernier, CFP®, ChFC, CFS is the Founder and President of TandemGrowth Financial Advisor, LLC in Alpharetta, Georgia. He is married to his wife of 30 years, Ashley, with whom he has two children, two grandchildren, two dogs, and a cat—all living under his roof!
His debut book, The Money & Meaning Journey: A Guide to Clarity, Financial Confidence, and Joy seeks to guide those who want the financial freedom to pursue their unique vision for a meaningful and purposeful life.
His father, the president of a small-town bank in the town where he grew up, had an enormous influence on Jeff and taught him what it meant to serve clients with excellence. After working with a large financial services company for seventeen years, he felt there was a better way to serve clients. He started his own firm in 2003, committed to a holistic, fee-only coaching process to serve his clients’ best interests.
In 2013, after a successful 10 years in his own firm, he attended the Halftime Institute where he committed to helping late-career families go from “success to significance” in the second half of their lives.
After 36 years serving clients, he felt called to share his perspective and passion for helping others find, as Howard Thurman put it, “what makes their heart come alive,” and put a plan in place to make the “second act” of their lives the best act of all. Although he advises families in the wealth management profession, he realized that true wealth is made up of things money cannot buy and death cannot take away. He believes we were all created for a purpose, and that sound financial planning can help create the freedom to become all we were uniquely created for.
The first half of The Money & Meaning Journey combines spiritual encouragement to help readers discover their “true selves” as well as in-depth exercises to help them find their purpose, second act stage (context), and create a margin that gives them the freedom to pursue that purpose. The second half of the book provides a holistic wealth management “toolbox” to help the reader obtain and manage a lifelong income. He is enthusiastic about sharing his experiences and wisdom on finding a second act “calling,” evidence-based investing, and counseling on healthy investor behavior.
All great literature has a hero with a problem who finds a guide that helps them through the trials ahead. The hero in Jeff’s story are late-career business professionals who reach their “artificial finish line”. For the later chapters of life to be fulfilling, the hero needs enough purpose to get out of bed and enough money to sleep at night. Jeff coaches on these psychological hurdles and the six financial challenges of retirement as they transition to their next act.
Find out more at: Jeffbernierauthor.com