Melissa Walsh
CFA®, CFP®, AIF®
Clarity Financial Design LLC
Founder and President
Melissa Walsh
CFA®, CFP®, AIF®
Clarity Financial Design LLC
Founder and President
As a fee-only financial planner, my focus is to offer unbiased financial advice to help you achieve your life goals. - Melissa Walsh, CFA®, CFP®, AIF®
We help women across the country dream big, plan carefully, and stay focused on their financial purpose so that they can walk their path with clarity.
Melissa Walsh is a Sarasota, FL fee-only financial advisor serving clients locally and across the country. Clarity Financial Design LLC provides comprehensive financial planning to help women organize, grow and protect their assets through life’s transitions. As a fee-only, fiduciary, and independent financial advisor, Melissa Walsh is never paid a commission of any kind, and has a legal obligation to provide unbiased and trustworthy financial advice.
Hello there, I'm Melissa Walsh!
My mission in everything I do is to make a positive difference in the lives of the people I serve. I aim to enthusiastically help my clients to achieve their goals and to be a trusted partner every step of the way.
I see each day as a new opportunity to enhance the lives of those I serve- my clients, my family, and my community. This intrinsic feel for what’s truly important in life helps to fuel my drive for the work I do both here at Clarity Financial Design and beyond.
I am a life-long learner; constantly seeking out new ways to increase my knowledge base for the benefit of those I help. I am profoundly interested in learning about the people I serve so that I can communicate, recommend, and plan strategies that are both impactful and implementable for them.
I am most satisfied in life by finding injustices and righting them. I think this is why a career in finance initially appealed to me; the industry has widespread and systemic problems related to conflicts of interest, gender inequality, and lack of transparency. I’ve made a commitment to improving my industry as well as my clients’ individual lives by providing fiduciary, fee-only, transparent advice. I am, and will always remain, fiercely independent in my advocacy for my clients and my profession.
I’ve been working in finance for my entire career, and have focused on independent women for the last several years. I graduated from The University of Michigan with a degree in Organizational Studies- a major that explored the intersection of economics, psychology, and sociology. I’ve always loved the complicated dynamics between money and behavior, and call myself lucky to be able to focus in this area every day in my practice
Melissa Walsh is a Member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors - highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
NAPFA members live by three important values:
- To be the beacon for independent, objective financial advice for individuals and families.
- To be the champion of financial services delivered in the public interest.
- To be the standard bearer for the emerging profession of financial planning.
We specialize in helping women like you dream big, plan carefully, and stay focused on your financial purpose so that you can walk your path with clarity.
Whether you are approaching retirement, experiencing a life transition, or just starting out on your journey as an entrepreneur, Clarity Financial Design is here to help you.
We design and implement customized financial solutions for women like you.
We meet you where you are and walk alongside you on your financial journey. During our typical client relationship, we advise on retirement planning, investments, estate planning, taxes, insurance, and charitable giving.
We are also experts in helping clients navigate the cash flow, tax, and legal complexities of being an entrepreneur.
Fee-Only, Fiduciary, Independent: Three Important Criteria to Consider When Choosing a Financial Advisor.
Specialties
- Comprehensive Financial Planning
- Retirement Income Planning
- Investment Management
- College Education Planning
- Tax Planning
Ideal Clients
- Retirees and Near Retirees
- Growing Families
- Business Owners and Executives
- Sudden Money Situations
- Novice Investors
Working Together
- Complimentary Initial Consultation
- Virtual Meetings
- Clearly Defined Fees
- No Product Sales
- Regular Meetings
Professional Designations & Affiliations
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Melissa Walsh is a NAPFA-Registered Financial AdvisorThe National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) is a leading professional association of Fee-Only financial advisors—highly trained professionals who are committed to working in the best interests of those they serve.
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Melissa Walsh is a Member of the XY Planning NetworkThe XY Planning Network is the leading organization of fee-only financial advisors who are focused on working with Generation X and Generation Y clients. Our mission is to connect consumers with best-in-class financial advisors who specialize in working with clients just like you.
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Melissa Walsh is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional - Click for VerificationCFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can use the CFP® designation.
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Melissa Walsh is a holder of the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation
The CFA Program is the most respected and recognized investment management designation in the world with less than 200,000 charterholders globally.
This advisor has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation (CFA® charter) by passing all three of the CFA exams and gaining relevant industry experience, demonstrating their mastery of the investment analysis and decision-making skills most needed in the global investment management profession.
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Melissa Walsh is a Member of the CFA Institute
The CFA Institute is a global, not-for-profit organization comprising the world’s largest association of investment professionals. With more than 170,000 members and 150 regional societies around the world, the organization is dedicated to developing and promoting the highest educational, ethical, and professional standards in the investment industry.
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Melissa Walsh is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF)Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) training empowers investment professionals with the fiduciary knowledge and tools they need to serve their clients’ best interests. Advisors who have earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary designation have gone through training, met the qualifications, and passed the exam allowing use of the AIF designation and they are immediately able to demonstrate the added value that they can bring to both existing and prospective clients.
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Melissa Walsh is Quoted on The Skimm: "Should I Wait to Have Kids Until I Can Afford It?"
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Melissa Walsh is Quoted in Sound Dollar: "Why Women Make Good Investors"
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Melissa Walsh is Quoted in Forbes: "Is It Too Late To Contribute To An IRA For 2021?"
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Melissa Walsh is Quoted in MarketWatch: "3 Ways Practicing Gratitude Can Help Your Financial Well Being This Holiday Season"
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Melissa Walsh is Quoted in Real Simple Magazine: "How to Lower Your Monthly Bills: a Checklist"
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Melissa Walsh is Quoted on FinancialAdvisorIQ: "Former Commonwealth FA Launches RIA Aimed at Women"
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"Melissa Walsh, CFA, CFP®, AIF launches independent financial planning firm focused on women" as Featured on Cision PR Newswire
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Melissa Walsh is Quoted in US News and World Report: "8 Ways to Give More to Charity This Year"
Contact Melissa Walsh
Office Locations:
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205 N. Orange Ave
Suite 306
Sarasota, FL 34236 -
941 W. Morse Blvd
Suite 100
Winter Park, FL 32789
