John O'Callaghan, the owner of Impact Financial Life Planning, LLC, is a Certified Financial Planner™ Professional who specializes in providing personalized financial advice and education to help clients achieve their life goals.
With years of experience working with clients of all ages and backgrounds, John is adept at aligning clients' financial goals with their personal values, thereby enabling them to gain clarity and confidence in their financial position.
Prior to starting his own firm, John worked with a wealth management firm that focused on assisting pre-retirees to and through their retirement years. John is passionate about the discipline of behavioral finance and understands that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to optimizing a client's financial situation and reducing their worry. He recognizes that every client is on their own unique journey through life, with experiences that shape their attitudes towards money. John works with clients individually to better understand their objectives and designs financial plans to positively impact each client’s financial life.
I’m from Severna Park, Maryland, where I grew up surrounded by my family. My childhood taught me the value of family and instilled in me the desire to form meaningful partnerships with my clients. I aspire to be a dependable guide, a trusted thinking partner, or even just a friendly ear whenever a client wants to discuss their financial life. I try to maximize everyday by waking up before the sun rises (to the dismay of my wife, Courtney) and getting in a workout and some reading time before starting my work day. I’m an avid health enthusiast.
I am passionate about improving my life and helping others do the same. This passion led me to start my own financial life planning firm, where I work with individuals and families to help them understand what they want their money to do for them and then help them on their path to achieving their financial goals.
My wife and I adore our dog, Palmer, who graciously takes some time out of his busy day to serve as chief morale officer at Impact Financial Life Planning. Spending quality time with my loved ones is a top priority for me. I also enjoy reading financial literature and following podcasts. My goal is to expand my expertise so that I can continue to disseminate valuable and current information to my clients.
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During my leisure time, I like to be with friends and family, regardless of the activity. Being an ardent sports enthusiast, I closely follow numerous major sports. Personally, the ones I enjoy playing most are basketball and golf. I also dabble in pickleball from time to time! Each evening, I try to decompress by taking a leisurely stroll with Courtney and Palmer, followed by indulging in an episode (or several) of either Seinfeld or Friends.
Courtney and I plan to expand our family by welcoming another golden retriever into our lives later in 2024. Our life intention is to persistently cultivate nostalgic moments by forging new memories and embarking on worldly adventures. One of the primary driving forces behind establishing my own firm was the desire to take control over my time and more actively participate in my family's life experiences, liberating myself from the constraints of being a weekend-husband or weekend-dad. It is my fervent aspiration to aid my clients in attaining a similar harmony between their work and personal lives.
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Let me begin by explaining why I prefer to use the term "financial life planning" over the more traditional "financial planning." I believe that all financial decisions ultimately have an impact on our lives. Whether it's choosing between renting or buying a home, or deciding where to spend our money on a daily basis, these decisions all have an impact on our overall quality of life. Balancing our financial priorities can be challenging, not just because of the complexity of managing money, but because money is such an emotional topic. We are not born with the knowledge needed to manage finances, and unfortunately it is often not taught in schools. Additionally, our early experiences with money and the environment we grew up in can shape our habits and choices around money.
When I discovered financial planning as a career, I knew it was what I wanted to do. However, I was initially put off by the sales-oriented nature of the profession. I decided to start on the planning side of the industry while working towards my Certified Financial Planner designation. My goal was to gain as much knowledge and experience as possible before taking on the responsibility of advising clients on their finances. I truly enjoy financial planning, and I find financial life planning to be even more fulfilling because it brings together psychology and finance, emotions and numbers. Most importantly, it brings me great joy and satisfaction to work with clients who become friends, and to help them achieve their life goals through personalized and diligent planning. My mission is to serve as your personal CFO, providing impactful financial education and planning to empower you to maximize not just your wealth, but your overall quality of life.