Nexa Wealth Planning

At Nexa Wealth, we believe managing your money is more than just numbers in a bank account – it’s about creating a life rich in choices and free from constraints. 

Here, money doesn't dictate your choices – it amplifies them. With us, you’re not just surviving; you're thriving. We're dedicated to crafting financial freedom for each of our clients, turning dreams into rock-solid plans, and plans into rock-solid reality.

Email: renee@nexawm.com for free consultation

CEO & Certified Financial Planner

Northwestern Mutual

Women are more than capable of taking control of their finances, and I'm here to help them do so. 

I'm passionate about empowering women to take ownership of their finances and achieve financial freedom. 

As a Certified Financial Planner, I help women executives maximize their cash flow, make smart investments, and develop tax-savvy strategies to ensure their money grows and lasts for years to come. 

With my help, women can confidently make financial decisions, assertively create a plan, and reduce their financial worries. 

•	Understand your financial options 
•	Create a forward-thinking financial strategy 
•	Make money decisions with confidence

If you are tired of second-guessing what your money is doing for you, and instead you want a simple roadmap to achieve the results you desire, I invite you into having a conversation.  

DM or email for a complimentary 30-minute Money Strategy meeting
📧 renee.cohen@nm.com

Certified Financial Planner™ for women executives and business owners 

Created financial literacy corporate workshops to inspire employees into financial action & eliminate money anxiety.

Financial Literacy Workshop Facilitator & Speaker

Bixel Exchange

Bixel Exchange is the innovation and tech arm at the second largest Chamber of Commerce in the US, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. Our cornerstone programs include Startup Launch Tech SBDC and Tech Talent Pipeline that combine forces to create an inclusive greater LA technology community.

Advisor

Fox Sports Net

Director, Corporate Partnerships

Big Ten Network

Manager, University Development

Designing Work-Optional Lifestyles for Women & Couples with Dynamic Financial Plans | Financial Consultant for Executives & Business Owners in Sports & Tech | Financial Wellness Speaker

The biggest money secret that not enough successful women know?

Creating financial security for life is actually insanely EASY.

- Dream of retiring by 50?
- Want to cover your kids' big moments?
- Looking forward to luxe vacations without needing an excuse?
- Need an iron-clad safety net for whatever life throws your way?

But it’s not just about the future. It’s about enjoying your life right now.

Financial freedom isn't just for later. It’s about living your best life now, knowing you are crafting your future while relishing today.

This is where I step in.

With all the financial advice out there, you need what works, not just noise. You need strategies that move the needle. You need results, not tasks.

My mission? To make managing your finances the SIMPLEST part of your day.  

I’m here to help you make smart choices that align with your dreams for your family and your future.

You've worked tirelessly for your success. So let’s save smartly and maximize and grow what you have. True financial freedom is more than account balances.  


I’ve partnered with many women and couples like you, creating personalized plans that balance today's lifestyle with tomorrow's dreams. This isn't about strict budgets. It’s about shaping your finances to fit your life today, while maximizing every aspect of your income and assets.

I’m more than a financial planner. I’m your partner, guide, and ally in achieving your financial dreams in the most straightforward and effective way possible.

Every plan is tailored to the individual because your financial success should be as unique as you are.

Ready to make these dreams a part of your everyday life?

Let’s unlock the full potential of your finances together. Because your money should support the life you want, now and in the future.

Send me a DM or email at renee.cohen@nm.com.

This conversation could change everything. ✨

Your journey goes beyond just managing numbers. It involves:

✨ Strategic Cash Flow & Debt Management,
✨ Tax Optimization for executive roles,
✨ Effective Navigation of Stock Options & Significant Financial Events,
✨ Personalized Retirement Planning,
✨ Comprehensive Insurance Solution

Renee Cohen, CFP®

They couldn't talk about money without it ending in silence.

Both earning six figures.
Beautiful house.
Kids in great schools.

And they hadn't looked at their accounts together in two years.

"We just handle our own stuff," she told me. “It's easier that way."

But easier wasn't working.

She was moving money to savings he didn't know about.
He was stressed about money but didn't want to seem worried.
Both were making decisions in isolation.
Both assuming the other had it handled.

I see this more than you'd think.
Successful couples who've turned money into the third wheel of their relationship.

Too charged to touch.
Too important to ignore.

So they danced around it:

She'd quietly pay for soccer camp before he noticed the email.
He'd handle the roof repair without mentioning the cost.
Both adding to their separate savings 'just in case.'

Amazon packages arrived without discussion.
Investment statements stayed unopened.
Tax time meant handing everything to the CPA and hoping for the best.

They could plan entire vacations without mentioning the budget.
Navigate private school applications without discussing the tuition.

Two successful people.
Living one life.
Never actually talking about how to pay for it.

We didn't start with a budget.
(That would've been like handing them firecracker.)

We started with one question:
"What does financial success look like for your family?"

For the first time in years, they heard each other's actual fears.

She wasn't hoarding money.
She was terrified of her mom's story repeating.

He wasn't being careless.
He was exhausted from feeling like the safety net.

Once they could see each other's why,
the how got so much simpler.

Now they have monthly money dates.
15 minutes. One dashboard. No judgment.

She texted me last month:
"We actually high-fived after paying the tax bill. Is that weird?"

Not weird at all.
That's what happens when money stops being a battleground
and starts being something you build together.

→ What's the one win you and your partner have celebrated together this year?

Renee Cohen CFP®

Financial Planner for Women | I bring your financial life together so your decisions feel easier and more intentional | CFP® + Founder, Nexa Wealth

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The $45K question that changed my client’s life 

 

She had $194K sitting in cash.
VP salary.
All the "right" financial pieces.

But she couldn't commit to starting her own business.

"I need another year of savings first."

We ran the numbers.

$45K to launch her consulting firm today.
Or wait another year while that dream compounds into regret.

Then I asked her the question:

"Would 65-year-old you pay $45K to watch 42-year-old you bet on herself?"

She went quiet.

We both knew the answer before I even asked.

Because future you isn't celebrating (all) the extra cash you hoarded.

She's thinking about the business you never started.
The clients you never helped.
The version of yourself you never became.
Wishing she could go back and shake younger you who played it too safe.

The women I work with don't have risk problems.
They have permission problems.

Maybe you've saved six months of expenses.
Maybe it's two years.
Maybe you're still building.

Doesn't matter.

We all wait for some guarantee that says "now it's safe to leap."

That guarantee doesn't exist.

What does exist:
Your ideas sitting in notebooks.
Your expertise waiting to be shared.
Your impact delayed by another year of "preparation."

She launched her firm six months ago.
Hasn’t replaced her corporate salary yet.

That takes time no matter what people promise you. 

But more importantly?

She stopped waiting for permission to become who she already was.

Because 65-year-old you doesn't care about the perfect financial moment.

She cares that you trusted yourself enough to try.

The math already works.
Future you is waiting for you to believe it.

→ What would you start tomorrow if you knew future you already knows the outcome?

Your portfolio doesn't need to be perfect to start living.


I had a client wait three years to book her dream Italy trip.

Three years.

Not because she couldn't afford it.
She had $300K invested and growing.

But she kept thinking she needed "just a little more" first.
Another $50K.
Another year of returns.
Another bonus cycle.

You know what finally changed her mind?

Running the actual numbers.

Not the scary story in her head.
The math.

We looked at what the trip would actually cost her long-term.
$15K today versus $45K in retirement (with growth).

Then I asked her:
"Would 65-year-old you pay $45K to give 40-year-old you this memory?"

She booked it that afternoon.

Because waiting for "enough" is a moving target.

There's always another goal.
Another milestone.
Another reason to wait.

But your life is happening now.
Your kids are only young once.
Your parents won't always be able to travel.
You won't always have the energy you have today.

The women who build real wealth?

They don't wait for permission from their portfolio.

They plan for both:
→ The life they're building for tomorrow
→ The life they're living today

One without the other isn't wealth.
It's just postponed living.

Your money should fund your life.
Not the other way around.

→ Where are you planning to travel in 2026? 🗺️

The biggest money mistakes don’t come from bad decisions.


They come from waiting too long to make one.

From that little voice that says,
“What if I mess this up?”
So you stall. 
You Google. 
You hold.

Not because you don’t care.
But because you care too much.

And when you’re earning more, that pressure gets louder.

Every move (investments, stock options, taxes) suddenly feels like it carries more weight.
More risk. 
More room for regret.

But confidence doesn’t come from knowing everything.
It comes from being in motion.

From creating a plan that moves with you 
so your income, investments, and taxes talk to each other. 

When everything’s working together, you stop overthinking.
You stop waiting for “perfect.”
And, you start leading your money with intention.

Because the real mistake isn’t getting it wrong,
it’s staying frozen in fear of what might happen if you move.

→ What’s something that helps you get past analysis paralysis?

Most people think money problems come from not having enough.

They actually come from not having it connected.

You can earn six figures, max out your 401k, have investments growing...

And still wake up at 3am wondering what you're missing.

Because when your money lives in silos:
→ Your cash doesn't know what your investments are doing
→ Your investments don't talk to your tax strategy  
→ Your tax moves happen in isolation from your income

So you end up with:
Cash piling up while you're scared to invest it.
Investments growing while you pay unnecessary taxes.
Big tax bills because no one connected the dots.

Every account doing its own thing.
Like roommates who never talk.

I see this constantly.
Smart women with all the "right" pieces.
But nothing working together.

One client described it perfectly:
"I have all these accounts but no actual plan."

She was right.

When your money starts working as a team,
when every piece knows its role,
when your income, investments, and taxes actually coordinate...

That's when the noise quiets down.

You stop second-guessing every move.
You stop wondering what you're missing.
You stop feeling like you're working against yourself.

Because wealth isn't built in isolation.
It's built in connection.

→  If your accounts were roommates, would they be best friends or total strangers?


PS - To those who served and their families: your sacrifice created the freedom for all of us to build these lives we're planning. Thank you. 🇺🇸

She sat on $400K in cash for three years.

Watched the market go up.
Watched inflation eat away at it.
Read every article telling her to invest.

Still couldn't do it.

Why?

Her dad lost everything in 2008.

And even though she was earning $250K a year,
even though she knew the math,
she couldn't shake that image of him at the kitchen table.
Staring at statements worth nothing.

Her brain knew better.
Her body remembered different.

It took us six months to unpack that.

Not the investing part.
The trust part.

We didn't start with asset allocation.
We started with what safety meant to her.

Turns out it wasn't about the market at all.
It was about control.

So we built a plan that gave her both:
→ Ten months expenses in cash (not the six everyone recommends)
→ A 5 month CD she could see and understand
→ Index funds portfolio but only after she felt ready

The first investment was $15k.

She texted me that night:
"I keep checking to see if it's gone."

It wasn't.

Three months later, she moved another $50K.
Then another.

Now she's fully invested with a plan that makes sense.
Not because I convinced her.
But because she convinced herself.

Sometimes the smartest financial move
isn't following the perfect strategy.

It's honoring where your fear comes from
and building something you can actually stick with.

→ Fill in the blank: 'My parents always said _____ about money, but I've learned ____

Most people focus on the wrong part of wealth.


You’ve probably been told to:
→ Earn more
→ Find the “perfect” investment
→ Chase the next tax hack

And sure, those things matter,
but they’re only half the game.

The other half?
Getting your money to work together.
(That part’s closer to 70% of the game.)

When it doesn’t, here’s what happens:
→ Cash piles up without purpose
→ Tax time becomes surprise season
→ Every decision suddenly feels heavier than it should

But when everything starts talking,
your income, investments, and taxes
you finally see what’s working, what’s not,
and what to tweak before it snowballs.

That’s when money stops feeling chaotic.
It starts feeling led.

Because earning more without direction isn’t wealth.
It’s just juggling with nicer props.


💰 Right now, do your finances feel like teamwork or more like a group project gone wrong?

Sometimes the worst time to travel is exactly when you should.

Had a client text me her photos yesterday.
Barcelona with her family to visit friends instead of their traditional Thanksgiving plans.

Six months ago, she almost canceled it because her husband had been laid off.  
"Maybe we should wait until things are more settled."

They'd saved for this trip for two years.
Between their emergency fund and his severance, they had enough.
Not perfect "sleep-like-a-baby" money.
But enough.

The thing is, when life feels uncertain, "enough" never feels like enough.
You want to hoard every dollar.
Just in case.

But, they had the funds.
They had the time.
They had everything except permission.

I asked them one question:
"In 10 years, will you regret going or regret waiting?"

They went.

Her text yesterday:
"The kids are already asking when we're coming back."

Some moments can't be recreated.
Some windows close.
Some "next years" never come.

Your accounts will never give you permission.
That's not supposed to come from a spreadsheet.
That comes from you.

As we head into December, maybe it's worth asking:

What have you been putting off that your future self would tell you to do today?

→ What's your "Barcelona" that keeps getting pushed to next year?

"I'm tired of being my own CFO."

She said it on our intro call last week.

VP at a tech company.
Two kids.
Six-figure income.
Doing everything "right."

And exhausted.

Not from her actual job.
From her second job: managing money.

The Sunday account login sessions.
The 11pm Googling "RSU tax strategies."
The group texts asking colleagues what they're doing.
The constant feeling that everyone else has it figured out.

Sound familiar?

You're running a household, killing it at work, raising humans...

And somehow you're also supposed to be your own:
→ Investment advisor
→ Tax strategist  
→ Estate planner
→ Risk manager

All while making dinner and answering Slack messages.

I see this all the time.
Brilliant women treating their finances like another project to manage.

Building spreadsheets that impress their team.
But still feeling behind.

Because being smart doesn't mean you should do everything yourself.

You wouldn't perform your own surgery.
You wouldn't represent yourself in court.
You wouldn't cut your own hair.
(Well, 2020 aside.)

So why are you trying to be your own financial team?

The women who build real wealth?

They don't DIY everything.
They delegate what drains them.
So they can lead what matters.

Your time is worth more than the hours you're spending trying to figure this out alone.

Your energy is worth more than the stress of second-guessing every decision.

Your peace is worth more than proving you can do it all yourself.

The $12K question she almost didn't ask. 


She'd been sitting on it for three months.

"Is it too late to do anything about my taxes this year?"

We were on a call last week.
Six weeks left in 2025.
And she thought she'd missed her chance.

(Most people think tax planning ended in April.)

But when we actually looked?

We found $12,000 in deductions and retirement space she hadn't used.

→ Charitable donations she forgot about. Medical expenses that actually crossed the threshold. That advisor fee from January.

She thought she'd maxed out her 401k.

→ Turns out she had $8,000 of space left.

The underperforming stocks in her account became a tax strategy.

→ We sold them to offset the gains from her RSUs.
(The tax savings alone made it worth it.)

Those last two December paychecks became an opportunity.
Perfect time to fix her withholdings.

All of this disappears on January 1st.

The question saved her $4,800 in taxes.

I see this constantly in November.
People suddenly realizing there's still time.

Time to use those tax strategies that expire December 31st.
Time to top off retirement contributions.
Time to balance out investment gains.

Six weeks isn't the end of your financial year.

It's actually when some of the best moves happen.

→ You checking your stuff before year-end?

P.S. - Want to know what moves you could still make? Reply with 'MOVES' and I'll send you what I'm telling all my clients right now.

Having someone manage your investments isn't the same as having a plan.

I hear it constantly:
"I already have someone."

But then they follow it with:
"I still handle all the tax stuff myself."
"I'm not sure if I should exercise these stock options."
"We never talk about anything except the portfolio."

You have someone managing one account.
Not your financial life.

When April brings a surprise $20K tax bill, when RSUs vest with no clear strategy, when you're running private school numbers alone?

That's not in their department.

I see this all the time.
Smart women with "help" still playing CFO.

Still coordinating between:

Still coordinating between:
→ The person who handles investments (but not taxes)
→ The person who handles taxes (but not planning)
→ The estate attorney (from 2019)

Everyone managing their piece.
No one managing the whole picture.

One client put it perfectly:
"I have a team but no quarterback."

She had all the players.
But she was still calling all the plays.

Real planning connects everything.

Your investments know about your tax situation.
Your tax strategy considers your equity comp.
Your estate plan actually reflects your life today.

Because you shouldn't need a spreadsheet to track who handles what.

You need one person who sees it all.
Who connects it all.

That's the difference between having investments managed and having your life planned.

→ What would you do with your time if you weren't playing financial coordinator?

"Are we missing something?"


I hear this from people who already have financial "help."

They've got investments. They've got someone managing things.

But that nagging feeling won't go away.

Had a client come to me with $2.5 million in an annuity.
She'd put in $325k twelve years ago and $40k every year after. 

"It's been fine," she said. "I just haven't looked at it much."

Twelve years.
Her whole life had changed.
New job. Kids in college. Different dreams.

But that money was still sitting in 2013.
Stuck in a product someone sold her once and forgot about.

When we looked at everything?

That annuity hadn't made sense for her in years.
Nobody was handling her taxes.
Her ex-husband was still on her estate plan.

She had money. She had investments. She had "help."

Spread across seven different logins she could barely remember.

What she didn't have was someone looking at how it all worked together.
Someone asking "what else could this be doing?"
Someone who'd catch what everyone else missed.

We restructured the annuity to actually work for her current life.
Found $32K in annual tax savings she didn't know existed.
Got her ex-husband's name off everything.

She texted me last week:
"For the first time in years, I'm not wondering if I'm doing this wrong."

That's what my clients pay for.
To stop wondering.
To know someone sees everything.
To trust that the important stuff isn't getting missed.

Because the real cost isn't what you pay for planning.
It's living with that constant question mark.

→ How many passwords did you have to reset this year?🙋‍♀️

Stryker Coaching & Communications

Transformational life coaching and executive coaching.

DISC-based communications, leadership development and team trainings.

Communication training.

Motivational and educational speaker.

Owner and Founder

Carowinds

Responsible for strategic development and execution of integrated communication/marketing plans to support brand strategy and drive consumer demand. Oversee all public/media relations, social media, website/blog content, mobile app., email newsletter and digital marketing. Primary spokesperson and crisis communications lead. 

Manage full-time and seasonal staff with a focus on results, continuous improvement and personal development. 

Develop results-based annual communications plans supporting clear business objectives comprising media outreach, social media strategy, content marketing, events and community relations. 

Lead large-scale media/VIP events promoting new attractions and events, resulting in widespread media and social media coverage. 

Manage budget for large scale events and media activity.

Introduced new community relations opportunities, including a partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library supporting Summer Break and themed on-site OneBlood blood drives. Strengthen and support ongoing relationships with JDRF, Make-A-Wish and other community partners.

Communications Director

Duke Energy Corporation

Hired and managed social media team of top performers. Developed enterprise strategy and governance for high-profile corporate channels resulting in industry leading presence. Trained and supported executives. 

Oversaw content strategy to promote programs and paid campaigns, drive awareness and elevate marketing efforts, resulting in average 40% YoY increases in engagement rate, click-throughs, and leads. Directed development of analytics reporting system to drive continuous improvement and leverage brand building and marketing opportunities.

Communications Manager

Managed brand image through strategic communications planning, media relations, and community outreach. Managed crisis communications and scenario planning.

Developed news releases and announcements, media advisories, social media content, fact sheets, web content and internal communications. Successfully places dozens of positive stories and op-eds.

Senior Communications Consultant

Launched and managed first social media channels, developed brand-building content strategy. 

Developed training curriculums for community managers, content generators, executives and employee ambassadors. Trained hundreds of people, both one-on-one and in large groups.

Social Media Consultant

PRstore

Oversaw copywriting team serving 15 franchises for B2B and B2C marketing, advertising and P.R. Developed web copy, brochures, email marketing copy, case studies, white papers and product backgrounders.

Chief Copywriter

Self Employed

* Assistant editor for Wake Living magazine - wrote, edited and proofread editorial content and ads; assisted in creating editorial calendar, determining and assigning articles, and overseeing freelance staff

* Regular contributor to Charlotte magazine, Greater Charlotte Biz, Charlotte Parent and various other publications.

* Copywriter providing Web content, ad copy, advertorials, print marketing copy and press releases to small businesses.

Freelance Writer

Life coach for leaders. Stop overthinking for good. Raise your confidence to match your position for less stress and greater success. Foodie talk welcome. #UnderThinkIt

⚡ It's time to become the calm, capable, self-assured leader who connects at home too. ⚡

Are you a vigilant and responsible high-performer who:

✅ Always feels like you’re not doing enough?
✅ Starts every day feeling overwhelmed and behind even before you begin?
✅ Is solving work problems in your mind even when your body is with family or friends?
✅ Constantly second-guesses your decisions and analyzes and anticipates everyone’s opinions?
✅ Secretly worries that, despite all your hard work, you’re actually a fraud and will be found out?
✅ Wishes you could feel as successful as people think you are?

I felt the same way. I was the good student, the responsible teammate, someone who always got great performance reviews.

Until I got into leadership. It felt like all the rules had changed but no one told me.

And here’s what I figured out after years of trial and error led me to coaching:

Keeping your head down, trying to solve everything yourself and hoping someday someone will notice and reward you doesn’t work.

You’ve got to manage your emotions, take control of your time, work smarter and advocate for yourself and the team.

Through my D.E.C.I.D.E. coaching program, I help leaders like you stop overthinking, get recognized for their work and feel great in their lives again. You can enjoy your career, feel fulfilled, and relax and recharge in your off hours. 

The D.E.C.I.D.E. framework develops your D.irection, E.nvisioning, C.ourage, I.nsight, D.etermination and E.mpowered action.

Message me or click the link in my profile to schedule a personalized planning session to learn more. It’s an hour to explore what you want and exactly how to get it.

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The Battle

Renee Cohen, CFP®

Lisa Stryker, certified coach, speaker, trainer

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The Battle

Renee Cohen, CFP®

Lisa Stryker, certified coach, speaker, trainer

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