THE FULL STORY

 

There is another Key Reason Why You Should Choose to work with Sylvia M. Singleton, CPA. 

 

You should work with Sylvia because of her unwavering commitment to client service. She is sure that you have heard this before, only to be let down every time you need guidance from your financial adviser.  You email or call your adviser and do not get a response for days or even weeks on end.  When you work with Sylvia, you have a partner who is there for you when you need her.  No more getting stressed out or roaming Google trying to find answers and hoping you have the correct information necessary to make crucial financial decisions.

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To truly understand what sets my firm apart from CPAs at other local firms and the large, nearly on every block, type of tax preparation centers, it is essential to understand why I decided to open the firm. 

 

I started my career working in the corporate sector. After a few years, I decided I wanted to work in a role where I could help individuals and businesses achieve their financial goals and a position in which I could help people with tax problems. 

 

So, I decided to transition into the public accounting sector and became a  Certified Public Accountant (CPA). 

 

I worked for several years as a public accountant preparing tax returns, developing strategic tax savings plans, representing clients being audited by the IRS or a state taxing authority, and helping business owners establish and grow their businesses by providing financial and strategic planning support. 

 

Then, I realized there was one critical service needed to ensure the firm was providing our clients with the comprehensive financial advisory services that would help them secure their financial future; the firm needed to add personal financial planning services.

 

I spent years at the firm advocating for adding financial planning to our list of services but could not get partner buy-in.  This lack of support at the firm, after working eighty-hour weeks, leading the team in billable engagements, and the vast praise received from firm clients, served as a humbling reminder that as a woman and a person of color, my ability to influence change was nonexistent in a firm where only men held executive level positions.

 

So, I decided to pursue a new role that would allow me to work with clients in a full financial advisory capacity while still employing my tax expertise and business acumen in serving individuals and businesses.

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I secured a role as a Financial Advisor at a wealth management firm where I worked with high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners. Although this was rewarding work, I realized that I wanted a role in which I could actually make an impact on my clients' lives.  So, I traded serving multi-millionaires for what has become the most fulfilling part of my career, serving clients who, because they are not wealthy, have been denied access to expert personal financial advice.  Financial advice which could truly make a significant impact in their lives, helping them achieve their dreams.  

 

On a personal level, my decision was guided by my upbringing.  My father was a brilliant man who could have become anything he wanted, but he chose to become a minister. He chose the noble calling because he believed that a career comprised of a life in service to others was the most rewarding career of all.

 

So why did I establish the firm? I did it because service is in my DNA.  I am no longer helping clients plan to purchase their 15th collectible vehicle, a 4th vacation home, or a bigger yacht than the one their friend just bought; not that I am dismissive of those goals, kudos to them for working hard to earn it.

 

But now I get to help clients realize their dream of purchasing their first home, sending their kids to college, starting a business, and planning for their retirement, amongst other life goals.

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 Here at Singleton Wealth, every client matters and is treated like a member of my family!