James Mwombela, CFP®, CSLP®
Financial Planner
The Hour
- Ask a financial advisor anything about investing in one hour
- No commissions, products, or sales pitch
The Plan
- An 8 week program to achieve a strategic plan for your financial life
- Get an 8+ page financial plan
- $0 due now, pay after your 1st meeting
The Ongoing
- Ongoing support and accountability when you need it
- Quarterly video calls & unlimited emails
- Annual 2 page financial checkup
About James
Bio
I usually get to the heart of your financial situation and goals within the first 5-15 minutes of the call. I specialize in helping clients plan major life transitions such as retirement, FIRE and Coast FIRE, career transitions, sabbaticals, going back to school, and starting a family. My other specialty is in the emotional/behavioral side of money. I help you make financial decisions based on your goals, emotions, and values instead of basing things purely on the numbers. I have helped many clients uncover the stories in their head around money, let go of unhelpful mindsets around money, and transform their relationship with money for the better. My goal is to help you balance saving money with living your best life today while making your finances as simple as possible. By the time our meeting is over, you will have gained important financial knowledge and feel empowered to make the right financial decisions!
I Can Help You With
I Enjoy Working With
Personal Stuff
I live in Durham with my wife Rachel, our son Joey, and our very sweet and friendly pittie named Riley. In my personal time I love watching sports, working out, cooking, and exploring the outdoors.
Education & Designations
Experience
Reviews
Clients say
Reviewers mention
- Student Loan Planning
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness
- Income Driven Repayment
- Retirement Planning
- Early Retirement
- FIRE Strategies
- Investment Planning
- Portfolio Allocation
- Tax Planning
- Tax Optimization
- Roth IRA Planning
- Roth 401k Planning
- Knowledgeable
- Thoughtful
- Personable
- Friendly
- Approachable
- Easy To Talk To
- Patient
- Professional
- Kind
- Compassionate
- Nonjudgmental
- Attentive
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Our meeting with James was so incredibly helpful!
Our meeting with James was so incredibly helpful! He really grasped our questions and core issues quickly, and challenged us to define what we want our future to look like more specifically. We booked our session with James because we are 6 months into a loosely-planned sabbatical, and wanted some reassurance that we are still on track for FIRE despite the decrease in income. He helped us view our situation from multiple perspectives, and gave good suggestions for ways to move forward. Our conversation felt like visiting with a well-informed friend, which is quite significant for two neurospicy introverts ;) We will absolutely be booking another session!
A Valuable Conversation for a New Entrepreneur
James was excellent. He took the time to understand my situation as someone who has a full-time career while also building both a for-profit business and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. What I appreciated most was that he didn't just give me generic financial planning advice. He identified several areas that I need to address, including the relationship between my nonprofit and for-profit businesses, potential S Corporation considerations, retirement options for my business, hiring my children, and estate planning. He explained the issues in a way that was easy to understand and, more importantly, gave me specific action items and resources to follow up on. The discussion was valuable because it identified somethings I need to address with a nonprofit attorney. I came into the meeting looking for guidance as a new entrepreneur, and I left with a much clearer picture of the financial, tax, and legal questions I need to address as my businesses grow. I would definitely recommend James to other entrepreneurs or business owners who want practical financial guidance without feeling overwhelmed by the details.
Thank you for the kind review!
I'm glad our session was helpful Shawn!
Good listener, personable, and knowledgeable. H...
Good listener, personable, and knowledgeable. Had a great introductory session and learned a lot.
Financial Guidance Without the Judgement
I had such a positive experience working with James. From the very beginning, he was friendly, approachable, and incredibly easy to talk to. What stood out most to me was that he never made me feel embarrassed or ashamed about my financial circumstances. Instead, he listened without judgement, explained everything clearly, and gave me practical advice that actually felt realistic for my life. He made what could have been a stressful conversation feel comfortable and encouraging. I left feeling much more confident about my finances and the steps I should take moving forward. He was knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely seemed to care about helping me make good decisions rather than just talking at me. I'm very grateful for the guidance he gave me and would absolutely recommend James to anyone looking for a financial advisor who is professional, kind, down to earth, and truly helpful. I will be rebooking with him in January for a follow up!
Very knowledgeable. Very open to each question....
Very knowledgeable. Very open to each question. Shared new thought of investing.
He was willing to listen.
He was willing to listen.
Helpful, insightful and easy to work with - 10/10!
James was really wonderful to talk with. We had great rapport and he instantly made me feel at ease and comfortable getting into the nitty gritty. We were able to do a portfolio review together and he was extremely familiar with the platform that I've been using to manage our finances and plan our financial future. James was even able to show me some areas of the platform that I hadn't dug into and provided some very enlightening insight into my numbers. I had scheduled the call with James to get a second opinion from a different perspective and he absolutely provided me that. He was knowledgable, straight forward, and supportive. I'd definitely recommend James!
Thank you for the review
I appreciate the kind review Kelsey, and I'm glad our session was helpful!
Great advice
James is great! He gave me practical advice and is helping me balance living my life and paying my loans.
A phenomenal experience
James is fantastic! Not only did he answer all of my questions, but he also asked me great questions that helped me clarify what my own goals actually are. He’s attentive to the psychology of money, and he made sure that our plan felt right to me. The notes he sent after the meeting were extremely detailed and thoughtful and added a lot of value to the session. I would absolutely go to James again in the future, and in the meantime I heartily recommend him to anyone looking for financial advice.
Thoughtful, non-judgmental, clear, and concise
He was very thoughtful, non-judgmental, and gave us clear and concise first steps. He followed up with a recap of our conversation and action items. We will definitely continue to work with him
Thanks for the review
I appreciate the kind review Marie, and I look forward to working together further!
Frequently Asked Questions
The Hour: You'll fill out a short intake form so we can learn about you and your goals for our meeting! In your Nectarine account, you can also enter your personal financial information (net worth and budget details) as well as upload files to your Secure File Vault. We also recommend that you have any necessary account login information ready.
The Plan and The Ongoing: You'll get access to a financial planning portal where you can share your numbers, link your accounts, and upload the requested documents (we'll share a list).
The Hour: Yes, you will receive an email summary with important takeaways and resources so you'll know what to do next.
The Plan: Yes, you will receive a 8+ page roadmap on your full financial picture with detailed information on the next steps. Your advisor will be available to help you implement any items.