Meet Stephanie

If I asked you how to get from Boston to Florida, you would probably tell me it’s a lot easier with a map or GPS.

Now what if I asked you how to get from HERE to… RETIREMENT?

Financial planning is a lot like a road map for your future. With a holistic perspective, we dive into your financial situation, identify opportunities for growth and security, and put together a plan to help you realize your dreams. Then, we help monitor your progress, like a financial GPS, as you navigate the traffic along the way (or choose to stop at a few scenic overlooks).

After graduating from Duke University with a math degree, I began my career in corporate finance. But my passion for personal finance was sparked when I discovered that I’d missed a few financial opportunities in my own life. In the early years, between work and building a family, time is at a premium. While my husband and I had interest in managing our financial lives, we didn’t have the time to be intentional about it. Working with a financial professional could have been a great fit, but we didn’t know how to afford it, who to trust, or where to seek qualified advice.

So, I decided to become the person we were seeking. In 2017, I began my pursuit of becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, one of the highest professional standards in the financial planning industry, and, in 2022, I founded Ascend Financial to realize my vision of making good advice accessible.

1. There are no asset minimums required to work with Ascend Financial.

2. While we wholeheartedly believe that insurance can play an integral role in someone’s financial plan, we don’t sell products or insurance. We want you to feel comfortable that if we recommend an insurance product for your plan, it’s because we think it’s a good fit, not because we’ll be making a commission.

3. Higher education is one of the most expensive investments one can make in a lifetime. There are many nuances in the student loan and financial aid programs and Ascend Financial is dedicated to maintaining our competence in these areas to skillfully advise on college funding and student loan planning.

At Ascend, we help clients organize their financial lives, dream about their goals, and analyze the what-if situations that come up. Our goal is to make sure that you see the opportunities that lie ahead, instead of noticing them in the rear-view mirror.

- Stephanie Loeffel, CFP®

Founder and Lead Planner