Darla Serrano

I am a hard working fun loving Financial Counselor and serial entrepreneur with a crazy addiction for investing! I work everyday to teach people the keys to financial success.  My primary goal is to teach 20 to 30 year olds how to grow, control and protect their wealth.  I worked like crazy to build my life to the way I wanted it, I went to school full-time at UCLA, worked full-time,I was married, I thought I had it all… then I was divorced and it was all gone. I had only a few dollars left to my name, determination, and a will to learn. I had to rebuild my life from nothing into a multi-state property portfolio, extensive market trading operation,  and a Financial Counseling career. I could not have done any of it without the skills I developed and the education I received.

My  Story:

As a Financial Adviser, Entrepreneur, and Investor I look back on my journey seeing all the hardships, pitfalls and mistakes I made and I want to help others avoid taking such a hard journey.

Growing up my parents taught me that the way to financial security was to go to school, get a good job, and work for that company for 40-50 years of my life.  I wanted to be successful so I listened to their advice.  I went to UCLA and earned a Bachelor’s Degree, married at age 20, and landed that “dream job.”

When I was married, my husband handled all the money.  My parents never taught me anything about how to manage the finances, so I just let my husband handle it.  All I ever saw growing up was the nice new cars that my parents bought, the designer clothing my mother dressed in, and the nice restaurants they would eat at.

My husband and I followed that same lifestyle that our parents had lived.  We didn’t budget our money, we overspent and went into credit card debt of over $80,000.  That doesn’t even include our student loans or car loans!  As you can imagine, the financial stress had a major impact on our relationship.  We started having marital problems and we eventually divorced in 2006.  I was on my own at age 25 not knowing how to handle money.  I didn’t know how to figure out how much rent I could afford to pay, what kind of car I could afford to drive, and I didn’t know anything about investing or saving for retirement.  I didn’t even have a 401(k)!  I had to move back in with my parents for a while until I was able to get back on my feet.

Because of the divorce and my complete ignorance of money management, I started educating myself about money.  I read a lot of books on money, I attended seminars, and I even started investing despite my fear of losing it all.  I learned how to invest in real estate, stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments.  I also learned how to manage and minimize investment risk.  My very first real estate investment cash flowed $500 per month!  I decided to take action on my newly found enthusiasm for financial planning by enrolling at UC Irvine to earn a certificate in Personal Financial Planning.  I finally found a career that I am passionate about and allows me to help others. A few years after my divorce I regained my financial footing. I know I can help others in the Millennial and Generation Y age groups discover the secrets to investing, growing, and protecting their wealth.

Don’t be like me at age 25, broke, divorced, clueless about money, and unprepared for a life altering event.  Even if you’ve experienced adversity such as I have, you can still gain control of your finances and increase your wealth for a successful, happy and prosperous future.  Let me show you how!

You can Find me on: