Hi, I'm Erik Buatte. At the core of my life is my wife and two kids. We love to get outside on some adventure whether that’s on a local soccer field or on a trail in the mountains searching for a waterfall that's “just one more mile”. We try to show our kids that you can blaze your own trail and design a life that you want by trying to do just that.
Some Backstory
I spent 14+ years working as an engineer testing and developing complex systems ranging from communications systems to aircraft. During that time I was fortunate to have been part of some incredible teams doing great work. During that timeframe I also got a Masters in Systems Engineering and my Professional Engineer (PE) certification.
While trying to figure out our own financial plan, then helping family and friends, I realized how much: A. I enjoyed it, B. The difference financial decisions can make in a family’s overall wellbeing and happiness. At that point I went back to school (some "fun" early mornings, late nights, and weekends), for financial planning to go deeper into the subject. I finally stepped away from my engineering career and jumped into financial planning in 2022.
Passion for Personal Finance and Solutions
I believe that putting Life First is what really matters in financial planning. It’s not about an arbitrary number at the bottom of a spreadsheet, but what you do with the resources (time, relationships & community, talent, health, and money) that really matters.
Too often I've heard versions of optimizing for more $$$ in the financial advice world, rather than trying to get the most out of life’s journey. I love working with people to identify what their unique best life is and helping them solve for how to get there by combining best practices and strategies from finance and engineering and applying them to the challenges of financial planning in the real world.
By iterating and constantly striving for improvements and checking along the way great things can happen.
Favorites
▪️ Food: Rehydrated Chili Mac with Beef; Any meal in Rome (Italy to be clear)
▪️ Adventure: Trekking the Choquequirao + Machu Picchu trail (so far)
▪️ Books & Movies: Lord of the Rings. Yes, I'm a nerd and I'm okay with it.
▪️ Exercise: Trail running. I'm slow, but stubborn.
Achilles' Heel
▪️ Ankles, literally my ankles
▪️ Every root on the trail that looks just like a snake
Professional Designations
Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC)
Affiliations
Fee Only Network
National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
Getting started is easy. Simply click the 'Book Intro Call' button above to schedule an initial conversation. We’ll see if we are a good fit. From there, we’ll work together to develop a path forward for your needs. I look forward to speaking with you.
Offers Investment Management
Yes
About LifeFirst Wealth
Life First Wealth approaches personal financial planning differently. We want to help engineering families enjoy their wealth throughout their lives and “win” not just by an arbitrary amount in an account, but life.
We are focused on integrating all aspects of your financial life and pointing it toward your unique life goals. We leverage technology and full suite of digital tools to make things as easy as possible on you and us to get there.
Financial Planning for Engineers and Tech Professionals
We focus on the unique challenges and opportunities engineers and tech professionals have over their careers. Our approach to put Life First through our agile planning framework allows each client to make the most of their live's time and resources.
Fee-Only
As a Fee-Only Advisor, we are compensated only by the transparent fees that we agree to upfront; no commissions or kickbacks from any outside sources. This keeps our best interests squarely aligned with yours.
Modern and Digital-Forward
I'm located in Huntsville, AL (aka Rocket City), but serve clients across the country. We meet our clients virtually via phone or video chat. In fact, we have found that even local clients often prefer meeting via phone/video to better fit their busy lives.
We use modern technology to maximize convenience and security. Digital account access, virtual communication, and cloud-based portals help you manage your finances quickly and easily no matter where you are.
Education
The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Master of Engineering - MEng, Systems Engineering | Missouri University of Science and Technology, Bachelor's degree, Mechanical Engineering | Truman State University, Pre-Engineering
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