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Manny R. Apolonio, CFP: Team

Manny R. Apolonio, MSFP, CFP

Senior Financial Planner, Partner

As a Certified Financial Planner with more than 15 years of financial services experience, Manny has proven to provide value in all of his client relationships. Manny defines a successful client engagement as, "being a part of helping a client achieve all-around wellness. That means financial, emotional, and physical wellness. All of these facets of my client's life matter to me." 

 

With a Master’s in Financial Planning from Golden Gate University and a Bachelor’s in International Business from University of San Francisco, Manny translates academic theory into practice. Manny continually learns from industry leaders to stay updated with best practices through continuing education training. Manny has completed positive psychology coach training from Co-Active Training Institute and is in the process of earning his certification. These skills help Manny help move clients from emotional reactivity around their finances to a gratitude mindset. The approach emphasizes recognition of their achievements and leaves them open to new possibilities and perspectives.

Manny believes that the financial planning process should foster an environment of creative problem-solving, not of one of judgement. “My training and experience allow me to create a safe space that allows for open discussion about sensitive issues. My clients appreciate this approach because it allows them to relax and show up just as they are."  

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For Manny, the science in financial planning appeals to his rational and logical brain, that part that appreciates order, systems, and hard facts. However, the art of financial planning is where he feels most in his element. “I can review numbers and facts all-day, but it’s my job to translate data into an actionable plan, a plan that considers my clients emotions and ultimately motivates behavior changes to get the client on a path towards their goals.”

 

As a self-identified extrovert, Manny enjoys meeting people and learning about them through their stories. He believes that connecting with clients on a personal level allows him to understand their financial fears, histories, intentions, and goals.  “People are complex, they have life-long beliefs, habits, fears, needs, wants, and wishes. Challenging dated beliefs or seeing things through a different lens is hard to do alone.“

 

Manny enjoys reading biographies, editorials, and popular psychology. He loves exploring and is looking forward to future travels. Manny has lived in Munich, Germany and Beijing, China. He is fluent in conversational German and is currently relearning Spanish. Depending on the season, Manny is rehearsing with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus as an Upper-Tenor II and/or fundraising & training for the AIDS Lifecycle, the 545-mile ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. In 2022, Manny raised more than $15,000 participating in the Lifecycle. Manny is a dog dad to a 3 year-old maltese-terrier named Harrison.

I'm NOT Buying Christmas Presents!
16:35
The Weirdness of Money with Manny Apolonio

I'm NOT Buying Christmas Presents!

Want to learn more about financial life coaching? https://tinyurl.com/mapoCoach I have in the past gone into credit card debt to “Make Christmas Happen.” And I think it was driven by a desire to please people. People pleasing, at least for me, is a response to a fear that I will not be accepted for who I am. Who I am, or at least a part of me, chooses not to spend on gifts for the holidays. I am fearful that I will be seen as cheap and selfish. No one has ever validated these fears, but they live in my psyche and have been in the past strong drivers for behaviors that have put me in a financially disadvantaged position. Over-extended spending or spending beyond one’s budget during the holidays might manifest in some different ways, but here are a few scenarios that come to mind; buying presents you can’t afford, putting high-cost travel expenses like holiday flights to visit family on a credit card, and/or hosting an event despite not having the true financial wherewithal to do so in the name of merriment and keeping the spirit of the holidays alive. Now, I’m no Grinch and I like the holidays enough, but for me at different times in my life I’ve felt the financial stress of the holidays. In fact, because of the financial stress I tend to dislike this time of year the most because of the societal pressures to show up in a certain way in a our hyper-consumption driven economy. It starts with black-friday in November and doesn’t end until I get back into the office in January. It’s stressful. In this video I want to share my insights on what might be going on cognitively and how we might re-program our thinking to better cope with holiday induced financial stress and establish new behaviors around this area of spending to please others. Be sure to stick around to the very end where I share what I’ve done personally to change my thinking about the holidays and how it’s once again for me one of the Most Wonderful Times of the Year.
The PITFALLS of MENTAL ACCOUNTING
15:24
The Weirdness of Money with Manny Apolonio

The PITFALLS of MENTAL ACCOUNTING

Join my newsletter! 📩 https://5zk8ai977bw.typeform.com/to/CMknbjLN Want personalized financial life coaching? https://tinyurl.com/mapoCoach What is Mental Accounting? Mental accounting happens when we assign a different dollar value to different categories of spending. For example, it's somehow easier to spend money on a credit card than it is to spend cold hard cash. Your mind plays tricks on you and knowing how to spot mental accounting can help you become a more discerning spender and a better saver. So if you're looking for ways to understand how you've been making decisions with your money, then this video is for you! "Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes And How To Correct Them: Lessons From The New Science Of Behavioral Economics" by Gary Belsky, Thomas Gilovich https://amzn.to/3FhuF5s mannyapolonio.com me@mannyapolonio.com Hi, I’m Manny Apolonio, MSFP, CFP, and I am a Financial Independence Coach and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professional and I help my clients transform their relationship to money so they can live fulfilled lives. Disclaimer Statement: The information contained in this video is provided for general education purposes only and may not reflect changes in federal or state laws. Before taking any action based on this information, I strongly encourage you to consult with a professional financial planner or account advisor about your specific situation. Investment Disclosure: Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: Pursuant to requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Service, any tax advice contained in this video is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for purposes of avoiding penalties imposed under the United States Internal Revenue Code or promoting, marketing or recommending to another person or any tax-related matter. Please contact me if you wish to have formal advice on any matter presented in this video.
When Should You Hire a Financial Advisor?
05:33
The Weirdness of Money with Manny Apolonio

When Should You Hire a Financial Advisor?

Want to learn more about financial life coaching? https://tinyurl.com/mapoCoach Today’s question comes from a friend of mine in San Francisco named Joe S. Joe asked, “when does it makes sense to start working with a financial advisor?” In my opinion, there are many reasons why a person might engage a financial advisor, but I’m going to start with a list of 5 reasons and use them to help me answer Joe's question. Reason #1 - There is more money to manage now than there was before. I have clients that have come into a windfall and this can come from an inheritance or liquidity event with a startup or an initial public offering or IPO. A client can go from living quite modestly to now having millions in the bank. The responsibility required to steward that kind of wealth prudently might be a reason why someone might consider hiring an advisor. It doesn’t have to be millions, it just has to be enough for you to want support and guidance around your money. Note however some advisors have a minimum account balance requirement; however a growing number of advisors are working with accumulators on a project or hourly basis. Reason #2 - You want to achieve certain financial goals and haven’t been able to come up with a plan towards reaching them on your own. Hiring an advisor can help you first by creating a financial plan where you’ll have the opportunity to better articulate your financial goals. For example, if the goal is homeownership. An advisor can help you determine different milestones you’ll need to meet to reach your goal by a certain date. Reason #3 - You have a life and you are ready to delegate the maintenance and management of your investments to a professional. Some do-it-yourself investors really love learning about personal finance and investment management while other folx just find themselves with portfolios that need some care. Now you certainly can continue to manage your investments solo and make all of your financial decisions on your own, but know that you don’t have to. Sure the pool of resources on personal finance and investments are abundant and much of the information is available for free, but despite the abundance of knowledge out there, it’s actually more valuable to you to know what you can ignore and what doesn’t need to be included in your overall strategy. Reason #4 - You’ve been tasked with having to settle an estate or you’ve been asked to manage a family trust. Again, this is in the realm of “it’s become too complicated and now I need back up.” Hiring an advisor can help prove too that you’re being a diligent steward of wealth as you’ve hired outside help to do the work for you. This can help all parties involved feel more at ease. Now, this isn’t legal advice, but if you ever were in a situation where you had to prove you were being a prudent steward of the wealth you were tasked to manage - having an advisor can help articulate the rationale supporting your investment decisions. Reason #5 - You want a thought partner to help you brainstorm and or validate a financial strategy you may be considering for implementation. The idea here is you want to get the objective opinion of a professional who is able to look at your financial life from a 40,000 ft view. This observation should include short-term and long-term projections as well as consideration for taxation. For example, An investor wants help assessing the financial feasibility of acquiring a piece of investment real estate. An investor could easily become mired in a few dozen details, while an advisor can help you see the forest for the trees. As an investor it’s sometimes difficult to see the big picture, because you are so involved in the little details. A good advisor should help you zoom out and look at the meta view to see how this one piece might fit in the larger puzzle of your financial life. These are just a few of the reasons why I think it would make sense to involve a financial advisor. If you’re still not sure if you should hire an advisor, drop a question in the comments section below. If you are ready to hire an advisor, hire one with CFP credentials, because we are fiduciaries and must give advice that is in the best interest of our clients. Hi I’m Manny Apolonio, I am a certified financial planner professional and I’m also a financial life coach. In every video I share insights in the areas of personal finance and personal development. I truly believe that leveling up your relationship with money is the true path to financial independence. It all starts with making an investment in yourself. So let’s dive into today’s topic.
Harry Palm Springs.jpeg

Harrison (Harry) enjoying the relaxed Palm Springs lifestyle.

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