Phil and I did a 1-hour consult, and it was so informative. He really took his time to answer all my questions and explain the things I didn't understand. His knowledge in this industry is so valuable. The most incredible thing to me was the follow-up email he sent of resources for my next steps and a recap of my personal priorities he and I mapped out on the call. read more

They say that 43% of first time marriages end in divorce and 38% of those marriages end because of money problems. My husband and I got married two years ago and were on the same page for just about everything EXCEPT money. While we had good spending/saving habits (no debt, lived on less than we made). However, things like tracking the budget and deciding what money items were important to our household.... were a mess. I found Julia and Art of Finance from their PBS web series on YouTube, Two Cents and was thrilled to see her vivacious personality and willingness to cut through the BS wasn't just an act for the camera. My husband and I made the financial commitment to sign up for Cash Flow Coaching with Julia and Kara, and while the initial stick price left me questioning, I can say it's the best money we've spent since being married. Art of Finance gave my husband and I a shared language and sense of ownership over our budget and money. They helped to prompt questions and discussions on what we wanted OUR lifestyle and money goals to be as a newly married couple. Because of cashflow coaching, my husband (the nerdy spreadsheets guy) learned to let go of full control of our finances and we were able to work together as a better as a result. And me (the fun person who hates spreadsheets) has learned to take an ownership piece in our finances and use a budgeting software that makes us both feel informed on our money decisions. Regardless of if you're single, newly married, or have been married for years, I would HIGHLY recommend joining up with Art of Finance and making the commitment to get your budget right and stop stressing about your money. P.S. Shout out to Kara who's a tech wiz and fixed all my budget software problems. Even if we hadn't gotten any coaching, she would have been worth the cost of the course herself. read more

Philip and Julia are easy to work with and worthy of our trust and business. My husband and I wish we had found a CFP as soon as we married; we would be much better off financially if we had jumped right into a financial plan and investing versus feeling unsure and stuck. Furthermore, Philip gave us guidance that helped us get life insurance in place, which is key to our financial security. If you're feeling lost or stuck, they can help! read more

One skillset I wanted to learn was simply how to make better investments and as they say make money work for you. Skillsets like these are so vital and yet we continue to still not actively teach them in school. So that's when I sought out The Art of Finance, and all I have to say is thank you, Phillip is such a well informed individual and he really catered our time together for something that would be more fitting of my situation. First I want to start off and say that, this is absolutely worth it. I know that there are many other financial advisors that offer their services for "free", however with that "free" comes a commitment, and I think having the freedom of choice to do what you want with your money is worth the time and price upfront. As far as the lesson and time goes. My time with Phillip was nothing short of spectacular. Coming on a someone whom has only somewhat of an idea of investing, he really broke it down for me in an easy digestible way and gave me some guidance and steps to easily get started. Not everyone whom invests needs to have bookoos of money, but we can all start somewhere. I again cannot thank Philip and Julia enough for the time and effort they put into having a meeting with me, and getting me started on my financial journey. read more

My husband and I have kept a log for years of financial questions we need to figure out but didn't know where to start and didn't want to dive into a fully managed account kind of scenario so were excited when we came across The Art of Finance's fee-based model. We came to our session with a wide range of topics - some specific (like comparing different college fund options for kids) and some more vague (how could we retire early if we wanted to). Philip was a WEALTH of knowledge and provided answers to questions we didn't even know we had and was ready to go with relevant recommendations and probing questions. We have never felt more informed about our finances and are SO thankful to The Art of Finance for helping us break down what felt like big scary questions into manageable steps. If you're looking for detailed, easy-to-understand financial advice from nice, smart people, look no further! read more

My husband and I worked with Kara for financial coaching, and it completely changed the way we thought about money and our whole relationship. Through four months of sessions, Kara led us through the budget app YNAB and helped us to develop a healthy and realistic relationship with our spending. We feel so confident and ready to put all of our finances to work. We highly recommend this coaching program for everyone, no matter what type of work they do or what stage of life they're at. A+++ read more

This program changed my relationship with money. I went from feeling stress and guilt to freedom and hope. My husband and I now have a clear monthly budget without feeling restricted. It helped our marriage and communication about money. read more

Call goes to voicemail. Takes 2-3 days for them to schedule time to meet. I have a more immediate need and have no way of getting a hold of the company without supplying significant amount of info in their contact form. read more

We just finished the The Art of Finance's 4-month Foundations Coaching program and it was definitely money well spent. My partner is a freelance videographer, and during the course I went from an employee to launching an independent consulting practice, so having a team that understood how that would impact the flow of our personal finances was important. The course was well structured and personalized. Our coaches, Erin and Chloé always had solutions and were fantastic to work with. We're both more grounded and on the same page with how to handle finances now that we have a shared budgeting framework that works for us. read more

We were referred to AoF and couldn't be happier with the support and services we received from Philip, Julia, and their team. We have been working with them for a year to organize and get our personal finances as well as our (two) small businesses organized. They took extra care to get to know us and how everything runs to be sure to set us on the right path with the right tools. They genuinely care about their clients and their well being. They are worth the time, effort and cost in the short term to have much more success in the long term. Whatever your financial status is or grasp of your own situation, they will work with you to help you gain a better understanding and control of your financial situation. read more

My husband and I have worked with Philip a few times and each time we come away from our meetings feeling educated on how to move forward with our financial planning and savings. Philip is knowledgeable, thoughtful and is a joy to work with. Helen is super responsive and does a great job of making you feel taken care of! I'm signing up for their Foundations course based on wonderful experiences with the team so far! read more

Starting a business is hard enough as it is, but confronting my relationship with money and scarcity was a whole other beast. Art of Financed helped me every step of the way with learning how to budget, what to save for, and when to save vs invest in my business. Since working with Art of Finance I have been able to feel confident that the choices I make in my business are sustainable, plan for expansion, and know that I can meet the needs of not only myself but my employees. I without reservation encourage you to reach out and book with this company, they truly gave me peace and comfort in a space that has always been chaotic. I had step by step assistance even though I had been in practice several years before. It is never a bad time to stop and evaluate your finances and plan for your future. Working with Art of finance was an investment in me! read more

Where do I even start? Philip and Julia's "foundations" program literally changed our lives. My husband and I felt like we were doing pretty well at business, but couldn't figure out why we weren't getting ahead on our debt (ugh, STUDENT DEBT) and future goals. Did I mention we're both self-employed? His income is a little more predictable and monthly retainer-based, while mine is feast-or-famine commission. Not only did we have to learn how to manage our household expenditures, we had to learn to manage our small business budgets. Budgeting x3. My husband took a little persuading on why this was a good idea. Why are we going to pay these people what feels like a lot of money when we're trying so hard to pay off debt and save money? Now we are finished with the program and agree it's the BEST money we've ever spent, er....saved? Seriously, it has paid for itself. If you think your Excel spreadsheet is good enough, bless your heart. First, Julia helped us get set up with some incredible budgeting software that we're now obsessed with. We had to come face to face with how much more we were spending than making. That sounds so simple, but for so long we were letting our finances control us, rather than controlling our finances. Then, we prioritized and trimmed the fat. Without wading through every detail of the journey, I'll just say that now that we're finished with the program, MY STUDENT LOANS ARE PAID OFF YEARS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE (yes, all caps, sorry not sorry), we're building up a big fat emergency fund, our business reserves are fully funded, and up next is the funding of our lofty hopes and dreams. I've never felt so confident in the state of our financial future. It's been good for my marriage too, now that we speak the same money language and have a clear understanding of our goals and what we'll need to achieve them. Thank you Philip and Julia! If the Art of Finance was a cult, we'd totally be recruiters. I wish everyone could feel so empowered. read more

Philip Olson of The Art of Finance has been my small business financial advisor for 4 years now and I don't think it's possible to adequately describe how instrumental he's been in getting my business into excellent financial shape. The way I handle the finances and budget is completely different now thanks to his guidance and education and, when many businesses are panicking during the pandemic because they aren't properly set up for adversity, I am able to rest easy (for real). He is calm, kind and wise and I trust him completely. I can't overstate the value of working with him. read more

We've had almost 4 meetings now and cannot begin to explain how much we love working with The Art of Finance! We actually look forward to our weekly meetings, which is funny because money stresses me out! We had no idea how to even think about budgeting but with Julia, we leave each appointment feeling confident about our current finances and how to tackle our personal and joint financial goals. My boyfriend even said after our most recent meeting "we can do this"! If Philip is half as awesome as Julia we can't wait to start our second half of our journey with him in January. If you need any sort of help understanding budgeting and meeting financial goals such as defeating student loan debt like us, give them a call. Do it do it do it. read more

Where do you start with a business that feels more like supportive friends from the opening conversation? That friendliness, and lack of judgement, is so critical when it comes to finances, and in our case the controversial relationship topic of money. Who earns it, who spends it, on what, how much should we really be spending on groceries, how to we measure our success as well as remedy our pitfalls. Those are the questions we were pretty unable to answer before Julia & the Art of Finance team. We had been in a relatively unequal financial relationship where it always felt like one of us cared more about money than the other. Pretty normal in reality, however, certainly left room for improvement. That improvement simply hadn't materialized as one party tried to include more of the other party without success. That's where having a fantastic, non-judgemental, partner like Julia made all the difference. Our goals were to make the financial planning (and rectifying!) an equal part of our relationship rather than one of us trying to figure out how to convince the other to login to mint.com and understand their viewpoint. Julie introduced us to a new platform to track our money, she spent the time to not only help us set reasonable goals but also (in a bit of savvy marriage counselling?) balance the strengths and challenges of both parties. Making sure that both parties felt heard and understood. After 6 monthly sessions we just wrapped up our review, going back to our original goals "Both parties want money planning to be a joint effort, but one feels less qualified to contribute" "Save for a house downpayment" "Even out the peaks and valleys of income". It's safe to say it was an unqualified success. While money conversations still aren't easy, the simple strategies that Julia put forth around ensuring both parties have fun money, that the specific savings goals get pulled out before other categories are allocated etc.. really worked for our unique situation. We highly recommend Art of Finance for smoothing out the peaks and valleys of family financial planning (and for the peaks and valleys of marital stress that comes along for the ride!). It's an investment worth making. Love the team and wish them all the success in the world! read more

I began working with Julia and Philip a year ago. I had always been one of those people who had wanted to be better with their finances. Probably like you reading this. :) Working with Julia, Philip and their amazing team has given me amazing peace of mind. We spoke about my long term goals, my short term goals. Discussed my final estate, including a will and similar best practices. We went over how I could achieve "Pie in the Sky" goals, while also preparing for the "Worst Possible Scenario" I would highly encourage you to contact Julia and Philip, to begin fixing your finances. They talk to you like friends. They are empathetic, educating, and overall take a strong fiscal responsibility to help you, however they can without any of the confusing jargon or additional fees and services they don't think you need. Message them today. I know doing so helped me. read more

Updating this review because it's now been over 2 years since initially working with AoF and my husband and I still use YNAB and the process we learned for monthly budgeting from Philip and Julia. I really can't say enough positive things about Art of Finance! My husband and I have definitely had fewer fights because of what we've learned from them. We also both feel way more comfortable when thinking about possible life changes and how that might affect our financial situation. This is without a doubt the best investment we've made for our marriage! read more

Hands down The Art of Finance changed my family's life for the better, and I am so grateful to have been their client this last year. I had been in the search for financial guidance for quite some time, but nothing I found was quite what I was looking for. Philip and Julia and their team provided the exact kind of advice and wisdom I had been searching for, and they are a fun group of people to work with as well. I seriously rest easier now with the budget tools in place and the financial knowledge to make decisions that will positively impact my life. I cannot thank their team enough for the thoughtfulness of the information they shared. In addition, the ease of scheduling meetings and transparency of how the whole process works meant a lot. Philip, Julia, Helen, and Choe- THANK YOU for changing my life for the better and for being awesome professional and insightful people. read more

Good people. Really good people. I highly recommend using their service. They're kind, considerate, funny and wise. They also make entertaining videos which makes them talented too. I especially like their charity / giving back advise. Give them a chance. You'll be glad you did. read more

Calling these guys was probably the smartest thing I did last year. I never felt like I had enough money for financial advising and I was really unsure about the value of paying for help. Art of Finance was worth every penny. Julia and Philip quickly helped me gain a real understanding of my income, debt and spending habits. Initially I felt a little intimidated opening up about such a personal aspect of my life but they were always non-judgmental and easy to talk to - it made the process pain free. It's now almost six month after my last budgeting session with them and the difference in my finances (and stress levels) has been amazing. The skills and techniques they teach are invaluable to anyone struggling with debt and living paycheck to paycheck. I highly recommend them and I look forward to working with them again when I'm ready for help with investing. read more

I had a wonderful experience working with the team at Art of Finance! I worked through their foundations program and for the first time in my life, I'm on a budget! I've recovered from avoiding my bank account balance and I am in total control over my money. They also helped me get a plan in place for all the life stuff moving forward. The accountability was key for me and I'm a YNAB convert. Thanks Chloe and Julia! You guys are the best. read more

Philip and Julia at The Art Of Finance have not just helped me transform my finances and budget. They helped me understand the financial planning process every step of the way through their patient educational counseling. They take their business seriously, but they make their clients feel like close friends. This was important to me because I wanted someone I could trust who would also make me feel secure in the financial counseling I was getting. Being a small business owner, I have plenty of things to worry about on a day to day basis. When we first got started with Philip's process I was worried that financial planning would take too much of my time. Philip, Julia, and their team are so well organized though that it was painless and efficient putting together my financial profile and budget. More than that though they helped me really define realistic goals for myself and my business. I had abstract 1,3,5, and 10 year goals for myself and the business, but through working with Philip and The Art Of Finance I have been able to make those abstract goals into specific and achievable plans. I would recommend The Art Of Finance to anyone who is looking to get serious about planning out their current and future financial goals and planning. read more

The Art of Finance offered us a wealth of valuable information using stunningly simple terminology. They also happened to rescue us from quite an unfortunate situation with a previous financial advisor. Several months ago, we had met with this previous financial advisor that boasted that even though he had a massive team and unlimited resources, he would treat us like, "family" and would not only set us up for the future but also secure a future for our children and our children's children. Of course. In the course of 7 days, on 7 different correspondences ranging from forms that we needed to sign to general follow-up conversations, this advisor boasted a 100% error rate. That's right. Whether it was an incorrect social security number, a misspelled name, an incorrect address or just wrong amounts and quotes, he made a mistake at every single turn. Needless to say, we severed ties thinking we needed to go with one of the big houses and were willing to sacrifice that "family feel" for well...competence. Luckily we found Philip and Julia - who provided not only the family feel and the competence but superior understanding of our situation and the nuances of financial planning. They not only outlined a plan for us, they gave us SPECIFIC numbers and percentages and amounts and put it quite simply. There was no guess work. There were no errors. Just professionalism and now we have the security and peace of mind we need. read more

Philip and Julia have changed my life for the better 3 times. The first time was just meeting them - they are wonderful, caring people. The second time was when they set me up with life insurance. As a stay-at-home-mom at the time, getting life insurance took away some worry and a huge weight off my shoulders, and protected my financial future. The third time was when they taught me how to budget with YNAB. And - wow - that's a big thing! Seeing exactly where your money is going, and learning how to make it work for you is truly life-changing. Next on my list: IRA's and investing. I know that planning for retirement is crucial - but very daunting! Thank goodness I'll have Philip and Julia there to help me every step of the way. Philip is the best listener I've ever met, which is so, so important in his line of work. Julia, well, she's just got that "something". They are both patient and kind, but most importantly knowledgeable and truly passionate about their work. Sharing your finances is very personal, but they are both completely non-judgemental and just put you at ease. They're fantastic! read more

Simpy put, Philip and Julia are amazing. My husband and I reached out to Philip and Julia after we were tired of feeling stuck in this swirl of trying to get some of our debt paid off and never fully being able to do so. We'd make progress but then step backwards and couldn't figure out where we were going wrong. Working with Philip and Julia helped us get control of our monthly budgeting (with a system that actually, truly WORKS!), align on our major financial goals and set a plan to truly (finally!) get rid of that debt for good. I was very nervous when we first met with them because popping the hood on your financial situation with a total stranger is well, uncomfortable. They made the entire process easy, enjoyable and without a hint of judgment. They're fun to talk to, knowledgeable and it's clear they're passionate about what they do. We looked forward to our meetings with them and genuinely enjoyed our time together. I can't recommend Philip and Julia enough. You won't regret giving them a call. read more

What a great investment! First of all, The Art of Finance makes getting financial help smooth and easy. Philip and his team listened to my situation; set me up on a track that was right for me; and guided me through each step with warmth and ease. It's obvious these folks are pros: always prepared and always able to answer my questions. However, I never felt talked down to or intimidated by financial jargon. Instead, in an approachable and down-to-earth way, Philip uncomplicated the job of managing and investing my money. He showed me the areas that would most benefit me to focus on, and he took time to make sure I understood what to do and why. In fact, one of the reasons I most appreciate The Art of Finance is that the whole business is structured to make sure you get the help you really need. They sell no products. They get no kickbacks for referring you here or there. No incentives to push something on you that won't help you. I paid a flat fee, and Philip showed me what's best for ME. Really. Refreshingly simple. I had my first session with The Art of Finance a week ago, and already I've taken steps that are transforming my finances for the better. Clear, easy, actionable steps I could take right away. If you've never worked with a financial planner and you're standing on the fence, I can't encourage you enough to go ahead and do it. The investment is tiny compared with the huge benefits you'll reap now and way down the road. Your future self will thank you big time. And when you do decide to get a financial planner, I'd recommend The Art of Finance in a HEARTBEAT! read more

I have been so impressed with The Art of Finance. As a child of intellectuals who struggled with money and never taught me basic budgeting skills, I'd always felt less-than-competent about being an adult in our money-driven world. And although I'd been running my own private practice since 2007, I had always considered myself to be a service provider, not a "real" busines owner... What I love about working with Philip and Julia is that they are such good listeners and teachers: open, non-judgmental and great at explaining complex topics in a way you can understand. They drove home the point to me that if you don't take steps to be in control of your money, your financial situation will eventually control you! I also recommended their services to a long-time client of mine who works in Finance herself. She messaged me immediately after meeting with them to say, "Philip is the real deal! So impressed with him and Julia." Do yourself a favor and set aside some time to talk with these two... Not only will they NOT try to sell you anything, they'll also do their best to teach and empower you. read more

Philip Olson or Doctor Phil (a name my friend coined for him) is truly a therapist for finances. Utilizing the talented Art of Finance team was one of the most important decisions of my adulthood. They have gifted me something priceless- Peace of Mind. I credit Philip for helping me break through stagnation around my small business and bring clarity to future goals. I can see my small home business evolving with their support. It is amazing what this kind of work does. It has been the best medicine and I am empowered to step up and achieve more in my life! Oh and budgeting, It was always a struggle in the past and now I am confident and actually enjoy (surprising, but true!) using the budgeting software. I see Philip as a friend and confidant, a brilliant listener and mentor and cannot thank him and his team enough! read more

Working with Julia + Phillip, and their team (Chloé and Helen!) has gifted me with financial empowerment. Ten years into running my own business in the creative industry, I found myself weighted down with debt, confusing tax laws, budget mysteries and the guilt and shame connected to all my little finance 'failures.' The Art of Finance is exactly that: these humans artfully posture financial issues in a way that is tangible, accessible and inviting. Logistically, they offer assessment and planning, and set their clients up with access to an app (that syncs to all devices) and monthly digital check-ins via video or at their beautiful offices in the Domain in Austin. Working with them also gives you access to quick and succinct email responses to whatever range of financial questions that might arise between monthly check-ins. This team has mastered the art of supporting and empowering financial transformation in a way I truly cannot describe. They offer customized approaches that work for real people struggling with real issues who are ready to do the work. Dismantling unhealthy financial habits (like ignorance, overspending, mis-prioritizing, unnecessary debt) takes TIME. Six months ago I would hear buzzwords and phrases like 'financial freedom', 'legacy' and 'robust investment portfolio' and assume those goals would never apply to or be reachable by me, but having just completed their introductory Foundations Coaching, I can honestly say I feel financially free, I have full knowledge and control of where every single dollar is going, and for the first time in a long time I feel hopeful and prepared for my future. Do not hesitate to work with these incredible people; it will be one of the most valuable investments of your life. read more

Very thankful for the art of finance. I knew getting my financial life in order and up to speed on a budget was important though it seemed just less important than painful. They made the process easy, helped me and my wife get on the same page with minimal friction, and helped answer just about every question we needed to know for how to live in a financially responsible manner. In addition to getting on a monthly budget that effectively prevents day to day stress and interpersonal conflicts, they helped us develop strategies for: retirement, insurance, home buying, credit score boosting, etc. It was nice for me to pay for financial advice directly as opposed to the weird commission salesperson who wants my friend's contact info. Oddly, I feel more comfortable reaching out to them for free advice than I would with a traditional person. Thanks to our super team for getting our financial house in order - Chloe, Helen, Julia, and Philip! read more

It's obvious from all of these reviews that to know Philip and Julia is to love them. But aside from that, I now understand money and budgeting in a way I never could before I invested in their services. And that's exactly what it was - an investment - and one that I got a large return from. When everything was broken down in front of me, it completely shifted my focus and made me see the bigger picture. It was like stepping back from a painting I had been standing too close to. I had about $24K in student loans when I had my first appointment with them 10 months ago. As of last week, my balance is $8K. It has been a big goal of mine to have zero debt by 2019 and I will absolutely achieve that goal. It's all because of these two! If you are trying to get your ducks in a row and take control of your financial future, and want some phenomenal people to lead the way...you found them. read more

So, it took me a while to get my act together to actually get this scheduled, but it was 100% worth it. It started with sort of a discovery call to see what sort of help I actually needed. I was just trying to set up my retirement through my job... and I was at a complete loss of how to even begin. Philip suggested just doing an hour conversation and going over any questions that I might have. We literally walked step by step through everything, and he went into enough detail that I could do the maintenance on my own in the years going forward. I had some extra time, so I got to ask some really interesting financial questions that have always been burning in my brain. Also, the entire meeting was done remote. I didn't even have to leave my house, just turn on my computer. This was the best of all worlds. He didn't try to sell me anything, didn't tell me what I should or shouldn't do (though he had recommendations which I appreciated!) and in the end I learned a lot! When I first saw their yelp rating I sort of thought it was fake, but nope. I really think these folks are worth all 5 stars. Phenomenal. read more

Oh man - Philip and Julia are UH-MAZ-ING. My husband and I are both creatives, both not great at financial anything, and totally new to discussing money as a couple. Over the past 4 months we've gone from dreading any discussion having to do with finances to not being able to wait for our next First of the Month Finance Meetings. They took the time to get to know us, understand our fears and hang-ups, and help us understand each other, then gave us a philosophy and tools ease us into budgeting, paying off debts, and saving for the future. Today we were able to pay 10K on a credit card, put a month worth of savings aside, and have enough left over to celebrate our progress with a trip to the movies. And best of all - that dread in the back of my head every time we spent money - gone! We know exactly what we have, where it's going, and can enjoy splurges because we planned for them. IF you are a creative - or just a human being - AND the thought of figuring out budgets and student loans and 401k's is terrifying - I can't recommend these guys enough. Put in a little money now and love how easy it is to be financially responsible for the rest of your life! read more

My husband and I were *constantly* arguing about money. Whether we had it, or didn't, we had the most terrible arguments that left us feeling completely polarized from each other. We couldn't agree on how to save for vacations, which debt to pay off first, when we should buy a house... the list goes on. Honestly I was terrified to reach out to Philip and Julia because A) I was embarrassed about where we were financially, and B) I was worried that the situation with my spouse might get WORSE (if that is even possible!) They immediately put my first fear to rest by approaching the whole sometimes-very-personal subject of money very matter-of-factly. These are just numbers and they are what they are. No one is judging you. We started working backwards from what our big goals were to the small things we needed to start doing now to get there. They introduced us to YNAB (You Need A Budget) and lovingly/patiently encouraged us through the struggles we had with the program to make it work for us. I was able to separate out my business from the house expenses (which was huge for me in my first year as an entrepreneur) and we now set budgets (and mostly stick to them) in every part of our lives. I very much appreciated how they helped us identify what each of us liked (and were good at) in our financial lives, and made it a team sport, with monthly big meetings and weekly check-ins to keep us on course. Working with Philip and Julia on our finances has 100% changed our lives. I feel confident that moving forward, even when we don't have the answers, we have the tools to be a united front with our finances. They taught us how to communicate and navigate money, jobs, loss, business, savings, giving, etc and I am forever grateful. If you are on the fence about calling them, I highly recommend you call them right now. You won't regret it. read more

Not only did Philip and his team help us get on track financially but he kindly and patiently helped my mother in law understand where she is and what her options are moving forward! Philip is knowledgeable, compassionate and truly cares about his clients! read more

We are small business owners, and my husband is a finance guru. So, we were investing here, buying life insurance there, etc. and we thought we were set. However, after meeting with Philip, I realized we needed so much more! As small business owners, we wear many hats, and during the chaos of day to day activities, we didn't give the necessary attention to our current finances, business and personal, as we should have. So this was the first "eye-opener" when meeting with Philip. In our first meeting, he asked us, "What do you want to do in 5, 10, 15 years? Where would you like to be financially?" Me, the dreamer not the finance guru, said, "I want my son's med school paid for and I want to live in Europe." I was taken aback when Philip smiled and said, "We can make that happen!" My husband, yes, the finance guru, said, "We have to plan for retirement, and blah, blah, blah, finance talk, talk, talk." It was then that Philip starting explaining, in my terms, our options to make our financial goals and life dreams happen. Maybe my son won't go to med school, and maybe I'll never take up residency in Europe, but I now have peace of mind that my family can live without financial burdens. From a personal standpoint, Philip is a stand-up guy. He is no pressure, no bull, just honest and genuine. I feel like he truly wants to see his clients be happy and successful in life, whatever their income, goals and dreams are. read more

I've been avoiding writing this review because putting in to words how empowering, enlightening, enjoyable and straight-up life changing our experience has been working with Philip & Julia over the past year is a daunting task. Perhaps more daunting, however, was our financial situation before Philip & Julia came into our lives. I had let my law school student loan debt snowball out of control for over a decade while my husband and I spared no expense living it up paycheck to paycheck in NYC. Just as we were moving to Austin I received a one-time bonus payment that amounted to more than my past five years' salary combined. With student loan debt coming out of our ears and no savings, retirement funds or financial ambitions to speak of, this enormous influx of pre-tax cash was obviously a blessing, but at the same time it drudged up so much of our own baggage that it also became a serious source of stress. After our first meeting with Philip & Julia I instantly felt a huge sense of relief - I was no longer crippled by the thought of assessing the damage caused by years of being fiscally irresponsible and all the major life-altering financial decisions we faced suddenly seemed manageable. Rather than simply telling us what we should do with our money/debt, Philip & Julia listened to us and learned what made us tick, what we valued in life and what we wanted for our future. By asking the right questions they helped guide us to the answers that made the most sense for us. Of course, they had plenty of practical tips and technical know-how to impart along the way (which it's worth noting has put us on very sound financial footing to handle whatever the future has in store for us), but what we've learned from Philip & Julia about how to approach not only financial planning but decision making in general as a couple is arguably more valuable than any financial gains we could ever have realized from savvy money management. It's pretty awesome that in just a year's time we've put in place a fully functioning budget (shout-out Chloe!), retirement fund, respectable emergency savings safety-net and have substantially whittled down our student loans...but the comfort that comes with knowing that money never has to be a source of conflict in our marriage - that's pretty much priceless. read more

Philip and Julia are two people that I admire as human beings and, perhaps more important to this review, as financial advisors. Philip is a fee based CFP (very rare- he won't try and sell you any products or ever show up on your doorstep to cold call!) They truly have hearts of gold which I think IS really important when you entrust someone with something as personal and important as your financial future. If you are looking for some help achieving *any* goal there is probably money involved, and they can definitely get you there (as long as you play along!), no matter how impossible or far off that goal may seem. My friends are probably sick of me singing their praises, but I just think everyone should see The Art of Finance and get on track for the future, no matter what stage of life you're in. read more

Philip and Julia, who are The Art of Finance team dynamo, are fulfilling their true calling in life! Their creative approach to masterfully guiding clients through the art of budgeting (and whoa, is it an art!) raises awareness and carefully designs and instills good habits that I hope last me a lifetime...But that part is on ME! I felt truly heard and kindly counceled through discovering a new way to approach planning to spend money. The information they present is invaluable in changing the way you see finances, which I believe is so important in a society that does little to educate children and adults on responsible financing practices. The dwindling BUCK stops here. Take control of your money and live more freely! read more