about
I graduated from law school in 2016 with over $60,000 in student loan debt. I knew so little about personal finance and as someone with 20 years of education, I felt ashamed I didn’t know more. It seemed like everyone else knew what to do. I didn’t know how to manage money, how to pay off the debt I had accrued, and I didn’t know what decisions to make to secure my financial future. But, how would I know? I never had taken formal classes on financial management and having debt and spending money was such a normal part of my culture. (Turns out a lot of people are in this situation!)
Early in my law career, I had an epiphany. The way we were living and the amount of debt we had meant we were going to be trapped in an ongoing cycle and wouldn’t be able to forge the life we wanted. My husband and I teamed up and paid off over $90,000 of debt in a matter of 26 months. I learned everything I could about budgeting, paying off debt, living debt free, and having a solid financial plan to create the life I envisioned for my family.
Through this process, I discovered the freedom of living debt-free and the importance of creating financial stability and practicing mindfulness around money. I also learned that the way I spend money represents what I value, and have been able to create an intentional lifestyle around my goals, values, and passions.
By combining my passions of financial literacy, mediation, and teaching, I help my clients have difficult money conversations, adopt a practical budget, and find the framework to afford a happier life.
I became a financial coach because of the impact learning about finances had in my own life. I wanted to make the same financial education accessible to anyone else seeking it.
Aside from financial coaching, I’ve found great joy in practicing and teaching mediation. I teach mediation three times a year at the University of New Mexico School of Law. Mediation deeply informs my practice as a financial coach, particularly when working with couples and those in business partnerships.
Hannah Bell, JD, AFC®
In college, I majored in economics. I was fascinated by this behavioral science that allowed us to explore why people made the decisions that they did. This same curiosity helps me guide my clients through exploring why they are making the financial decisions they are and how those decisions impact their future.
FINANCIAL COACH
I’ve worked with dozens of individuals and couples, teaching how to manage money, how and why to live debt free, and creating a plan to accomplish all of their financial goals.
FINANCIAL MEDIATOR
Some of the most important money conversations happen between partners: romantic partners and business partners. Those in relationships need to have discussions about all partners’ values, goals, and how to create a budget that acknowledges those shared values and goals which takes everyone where they want to go.
When I started becoming more aware of money and personal finance, I started hearing conversations I hadn’t heard before. I heard professionals around discuss being stuck in careers they didn’t love because of money. Acquaintances were worried about whether they could afford to buy a home because of money. Friends expressed hesitancy about having children and figuring out how to add the expenses of children to their already thin budget.
I also witnessed conflicting uses of resources keeping a lot of these people trapped in the situations they were in. I saw, and knew from experience, that it could be different. I wanted desperately for others to learn what I had learned so that they too could have this experience and be in careers they love, purchase a home if they want, and have children if that’s what feels right.
When I started working with people and talking about money, I learned that there was a lot of shame around money. Most people had never learned about how to handle money or what steps to follow to get where they wanted to go financially. A lot of people expressed shame around having a professional degree but still living paycheck to paycheck. I heard multiple people describe their financial situation, despite being high income earners, as robbing Peter to pay Paul - constantly borrowing money and trapped in the cycle of debt.
I found that financial information is often obscure. It’s big and broad - save, invest, buy this, buy that, finance this finance that, pay off your debt. It gets confusing. On top of that, we are constantly marketed things that will make us happier, better, and more fulfilled. Learning to manage your resources should be simple. It shouldn’t be confusing or complex.