Melissa Babyak Norwicke
Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA®)
“Prepare for Tomorrow – Live for Today”
Investments, Insurance, Financial Planning, Pre/Post-Divorce Planning
Who am I? For me, this is one of the easiest questions to answer. I am my father’s daughter. I am a lifetime legacy of Precision Financial Services, a 50-year-plus company started by my late father, Michael Babyak, Jr. The benchmark of his teaching is the cornerstone of my outlook. “A reputation is earned by doing the right thing time and time again, and should never be taken for granted.”
My process starts with working with our clients as a partner to form the proper financial plan for them. After determining current financial position and prioritizing your goals, we discuss potential roadblocks to ascertain the appropriate risk management plan. The combination of budgeting, investing, planning and risk management, in a written plan, provide my clientele with the basic reason I have been in this industry for over 20 years. I know my clients lay their heads down at night confident in the knowledge there is a plan for their financial future, and should the unexpected occur, their loved ones will be taken care of.
My empathetic nature was ignited in 2014 after assisting friends paralyzed from divorce. Until then, I was ignorant to the extent women were financially unaware of the long-term ramifications of agreements being made in settling their divorces. Now, as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, I assist attorneys in determining possible financial distribution structures which best fit a client’s need. I also work with clients, post-divorce, in making the financial transition. This includes QDRO work, separating out retirement accounts, determining new budgets based on alimony, and working with attorneys to update estate documents. In addition, I am a leader of “Second Saturday,” a not-for-profit organization started by Wife.org, providing affordable divorce workshops for women contemplating, or in the beginning stages of divorce.
Education comes in many forms. As a planner, education comes not only from courses we are required to take, but more often from our life experiences and those of our clients. As the parent of a child who survived cancer, I know the value of having a plan. The lifetime of education I gained from my father, along with having the right resources, allows me to continue on his legacy of knowing, “I am a wealth of information, looking for a problem.”
