Joanne is extremely independent, so it is no surprise she makes all of her own investment decisions.

Dressed in casual clothes and a low-maintenance hairstyle, Joanne is not polished. There is a sense she received her business sense, not from a textbook but from hands-on experience.

When asked how prepared she is for her retirement, on a scale of one to 10, she says an eight. “My biggest worry in planning for my retirement is inflation, but my mom saw this economy coming. I have my money in an interest-bearing savings account so I can keep an eye on it.”

Unmarried, Joanne and her mother stick together. They are partners in business, where they own a few successful food franchises. While proclaiming to be completely self-directed in her investment planning, Joanne admits her mother’s opinions about fiscal matters do influence her investment decisions.

In terms of how she feels about advisors, she does not feel they offer her any value. “Advisors don’t know any more than me,” she says. “Why would I pay someone to do something I can do for myself?”

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Keeping true to form, Joanne is not too worried about her financial future because she believes she has taken necessary precautions to ensure a comfortable retirement. The areas that concern her are the “what if’s”.

Being conservative with her investments and her choice of financial institutions allows Joanne to sleep at night. “I am more worried about things I cannot control. I don’t mind surprises, but not when it comes to my money.”

The most noticeable trait about Joanne is her enthusiasm about the work she does. Every social opportunity is a networking opportunity and a possibility to gain more customers.

She speaks highly of her product but makes clear her success has not been easy. “We lost customers to the nicer food stores that began to offer comparable products. But because of our superior quality, we won them back.”

Only half joking, Joanne says she currently has no definitive date at which she plans on retiring. “I can’t envision a time when I would feel safe enough to retire completely. Well, maybe if I marry well.”

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Creating Perpetual Wealth provides a periodic glimpse inside the personal lives of the wealthy. The stories of these individuals are true, but all names are changed to protect the privacy of those involved.

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