Judy McNary, MBA, MS

Judy hails from beautiful Colorado, a hotbed of ACA members. Having co-founded two software companies, Judy brings a wealth of business expertise to ACA. "I understand as few others can the resilience and perseverance entrepreneurs need to succeed."

What led Judy to a career as a financial planner? Some negative experiences with other financial advisors combined with an ongoing interest in personal finance. She and her husband were dissatisfied with the service they received from their financial advisor. On top of that, they were frustrated that their advisor's recommendations did not include their various real estate holdings. 

As a result, Judy decided to pursue a career in financial planning to help others in similar situations. At the onset of her financial planning career she had the opportunity to manage an office of 20 advisors. This would have required her to obtain a Series 7 license. While the offer was intriguing, after careful consideration she decided it was not the path she wished to pursue. 

Almost at the last minute Judy decided to attend a NAPFA National Conference in Chicago.  Her conference buddy happened to be ACA's very own Jill Gianola. Jill put Judy in a headlock (figuratively) and sang the praises of the ACA System™.  Judy soon joined ACA and her practice is now in its third year of business.

From the start Judy embraced the ACA System™ and utilized it to the fullest.  One of the aspects that really clicks with her is Functional Asset Allocation and how the model accounts for a client's real estate assets. She feels the ACA System™ sped up the learning curve and helps her better serve her clients.  Judy also appreciates the retainer model of pricing and the fact that it eliminates any conflict of interest. 

Judy has also leveraged the community aspect of ACA. Whether it's an accountability group or connecting with other members in Colorado or across the country, she has taken full advantage of this outstanding resource. 

Like many of our brethren, Judy works from home with her dog and faithful companion, Apollo, by her side.  She plans to keep her practice small to provide the "highest quality personal service." Judy describes her core clientele as, "families facing the dual challenges of college and retirement funding, professional women who want solid retirement plans that don't require compromising current lifestyles, and entrepreneurs passionate about creating successful companies from their dreams." 

Good naturedly Judy mentions that she has made mistakes along the way but has learned from them and is ready to discontinue these types of learning opportunities!  For 2010 Judy wants to hone her practice and further refine the process of identifying her ideal practice.

Like many Coloradans she loves the outdoors - swimming, tennis, skiing, and scuba diving.  She has been married for over 25 years and has three children, a daughter and twin boys, all of whom are students at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Judy has generously given her time to a number of causes, including coaching youth in her community, volunteering at several non-profits, and volunteering as a scuba diving for the Downtown Aquarium in Denver. Swimming with the sharks, rays, turtles, and other creatures twice a month is her "hydrotherapy," Judy says.