Amber McNeil
Amber McNeil is originally from the garden state, New Jersey and has lived in California for 7 years. Amber has a Bachelors and Masters degree from Rutgers University. Prior to her career in financial services, Amber had a 10 year career in higher education, where she worked closely with college students and began to see a need for educating the future generations and community members on personal finance. In 2021 Amber left her career in higher education to pursue a career in finance with one of the top wealth management and insurance companies in the United States, Northwestern Mutual. As an award-winning advisor at her firm, Amber’s mission has remained the same, “to empower her clients through financial planning”.
(Not) All About the Benjamins: Financial Prep for the Inevitable
Join us for "Not All About the Benjamins: Financial Prep for the Inevitable," a hands-on workshop focused on essential financial planning for life's expected and unexpected events. Dive deep into practical steps like understanding life insurance options, exploring long-term care solutions, and creating a solid estate plan. Equip yourself with the knowledge and tools to safeguard your future and your loved ones—because being prepared is the best investment you can make!
What was the catalyst for you stepping into this work? How did you end up here, at this moment, doing what you do?
This work actually found me! In my first career as an administrator at a university so may of my students wee graduating, getting great jobs and then asking me finance questions. I also started to realize that many of the students I worked with were first generation college students and first-generation wealth builders. I saw myself in their stories because I too did not know how to manage my check or what it meant to invest. I started bringing in financial experts to do financial literacy workshops and it grew from there. Eventually I started leading the workshops myself and I fell in love with the life changing and generational impact of good financial planning. The pandemic gave me time to think critically about the impact I wanted to have on the world, and I realized this was my purpose. Something that once seemed so foreign and challenging become an inspiration.
What do you hope people get from working with you or interacting with your services?
I hope people get that it doesn’t matter what financial mistakes they made in the past, it’s not too late to course correct, it’s not too late to put a plan in place, and that there’s no such thing as starting “too small”. The most important thing is to start. We fear what we don’t face. My hope is that they leave with the courage and enough understanding to act. Knowledge is not power, action is power.
What do you wish was different about the way we are supported when dying, grieving, and navigating end-of-life in general? What would you change?
I wish that families actually talked more openly about their wishes. I wish it was not so taboo, especially in the Black community to talk about death as it relates to the cycle of life. We are only guaranteed death in this life, and it would be amazing if there were more resources to support that dialogue as well as planning for the inevitable. I wish bereavement pay was more than just 3 days. Lastly, I would make sure each child received a $100k whole life insurance policy at birth.
What would you say to someone who is nervous about attending events about death or grief?
Knowledge empowers you to act. We have all experienced death or will experience it at some point. Learning how to cope, how to prepare, and what to do next can help you protect yourself and your family.
If someone meets you at the resource fair - what's a question you invite them to ask you?
How can I continue providing for my family even when I am gone? How can I protect my legacy?
