Independent financial advisor with a female focus (purchase, college)

[VSB]

Have any women here used an independent financial planner/advisor? By that I mean an advisor who charges a fee for his or her services but who does not sell any products and earns no commission based on your investment purchases.

When I used the search engine on the Financial Planning Association's website and specifically looked for fee-based planners with a focus on women's finances, there were only three results:

Allison M. Berger, CFP
Holly K. Nicholson, CFP (writes the "Ask Holly" column for the N&O)
Scott Batchelor, CFP

Any opinions or experiences? Alternatives?

Looking to purchase a planning session for my wife so that she can get comfortable with our numbers and our financial direction (or lack of one).

[don6170]

Just curious - what is a "female focus" is with respect to financial planning?

Here are a couple other resources
Garrett Financial Planning is often mentioned as a resource for fee-only planners
Garrett Planning Network - Fee-Only, Hourly Financial Planning and Investment Advice

Ric Edelman has a good article on questions to ask potential planners.
Article | Ric Edelman

[goldenncmom]

I have been to Holly several times and she is very good. She is expensive, probably because she has a law degree in addition to the CFP, but she really knows her stuff. She also has life experience. She has been through a divorce and remarriage, and has put children through college, so she knows about financial issues that effect women in these areas.

Because of her pricing (fee only around $200-250/hour, I think), make sure you go in there with all of your information and questions at your fingertips so as not to waste time.

Also, she doesn't seem to be interested in minor issues like helping you with your family budget. She's more big picture. But if you have a child who will be going to college in 18 years or 3 years, her insight into the financial aid process is valuable.