I’m Donald Hutson
Personal Finance Coach
Dreaming Tree Personal Finance
Financial Freedom Starts With Strong Roots
Personal Finance Coaching
“Imagine playing monopoly and never buying any assets or investments that generate income. Imagine you just went around the board collecting your $200 giving your money to the rich, and trying to stay out of jail. This is how most people live their lives.” Let’s change that! Dreaming Tree Personal Finance is here to help.
Helping You Achieve Financial Freedom
Let’s get your financial house in order!
Wherever you are in your financial journey, we have the tools to get you to where you want to be and achieve financial independence. Schedule a free call with Dreaming Tree Personal Finance today to explore how we can help!
Planning and Goal Setting
Building a Reasonable Budget
Investing With Confidence
Ongoing Financial Literacy
Goal Setting
A major pillar of our financial success comes from setting achievable and measurable goals. We will work to outline what those are to you specifically and build out an actionable plan. After all, a goal without a plan is just a wish!
Budgeting
Having a budget and sticking to it is one of the easiest ways to financial freedom. A budget should not only consist of outflowing expenses but have allocations for saving and investing as well. Whether you have a budget that needs tweaking or have never had one, we will get you on the right path.
Investing
We are all in different stages of our financial journey, but a critical component to growing wealth and gaining financial independence comes from investing. We will work through your specific comfort level with investing and educate you on how to use investing as a tool to get to where you want to go.
Financial Literacy
Personal finance courses have traditionally not been taught in our schools. We will provide educational resources in the form of a weekly newsletter, social media posts, 1:1 coaching sessions, financial calculators, training classes, and more to make sure you have the knowledge to achieve your financial goals.
What Is Personal Finance Coaching?
Who is Coaching For?
Personal Finance coaching focuses on understanding each client’s specific needs, goals, and general skill level when it comes to the subject of finance. We’re all in a different place in our overall financial journey and our goal is to define that and make our clients feel more comfortable with their personal financial situation. This is a judgement free zone and all of our conversations are strictly confidential.
Individuals who feel overwhelmed with finance
The thought of dealing with money, building a realistic budget, or managing debt can be extremely overwhelming for some. We will take time to understand your specific needs and situation to create a realistic and easy to manage plan moving forward to get you in a better place and make finance your new favorite subject.
Individuals who don't know where to start with Investing
Investing is an absolute necessity if you want to achieve financial independence. Inflation was at 9.1% in 2022 and is still hovering around 4%. That means your dollar is losing massive value every day you don’t put it to work.
Parents who want their children to have a better understanding of finance
Personal Finance education has traditionally not been taught in schools. We are putting together a curriculum to get the younger generation up to speed on how to manage their finances and the importance of investing and budgeting.
Individuals who need assistance creating a financial plan
If you fall into this category, we will explore your specific goals and where you want to be 10, 20, 30 years from now. This could encompass a retirement plan, a plan to start a business, or a plan to make sure your children are taken care of. Whatever the goal may be, we can work with you to put a plan into action to achieve it.
Individuals who need help balancing or creating a budget
In my experience having a realistic budget that you can stick to is one of the most basic ways to ensure financial freedom. Not just budgeting for your expenses, but also for saving and investing. This is a crucial step in our overall coaching methodology.
Couples who are trying to get on the same page financially
Roughly 54% of American couples argue about money and the best way to use their resources. We all come from different backgrounds when it comes to what we were taught about money and what our expecations are about money. If you and your significant other need help getting on the same page with finances, we can help. A couple who is on the same page financially can absolutely crush their goals.
About Me
My name is Donald Hutson and I am a Charleston SC native and graduate of Clemson University with a degree in Business Management. I am a husband, and father of 3 beautiful children. Over the course of the last 20 years, I have worked in the fundraising and financial software industry helping Nonprofit Organizations, Higher Education, and K-12 schools utilize technology to raise more money for their mission while streamlining their business office and administrative processes, but my true passion has always been finance. Growing wealth and security for my family while experiencing the world and all it has to offer has become something that I truly enjoy. When I was younger, I was always taught to work hard and save money, but outside of that I had no real direction in school or from my parents on how to make money work for me. As a family of 5, the amount of expenses and unexpected costs that come up from day to day and month to month in our household are infinite. We’ve had to implement a solid financial strategy to allow for peace of mind, asset growth, basic needs, and life fulfillment. I hope to help my clients build a strong financial foundation and improve on basic financial literacy through coaching/consultations and educational resources, while helping to grow a stable financial picture for them and their family.
Testimonials
“Before scheduling 1:1 sessions with Dreaming Tree, money always made me anxious. We have a clear plan now and are on our way to accomplishing our money goals.”
“We had mountains of credit card, student loan, and home debt that was so overwhelming. We didn’t know where to start. Now we have been able to aggresively pay down the debt while also investing for our future!”
“I admittedly was terrible with managing my finances. I had no budget in place and was putting nothing towards savings. I had no real understanding of the basics of finance. I now have the confidence I’ve always wanted with money”
“The Intangible benefits that money provides are far more valuable than the tangible”
Yes it’s true. Money can buy us all the “stuff” we want. It can buy us a huge house, a brand new car, and the latest tech. It can take us on lavish vacations and allow us to see the world.
But the true value of money provides what we can’t see. It’s time. It’s freedom. It’s peace of mind. Money is simply a tool. Not the goal. Money by itself is the lowest form of wealth.