1. A Message from Ellen Cotter on Why I Do What I Do . . .
When I was twenty-two my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer and in six short
weeks she was gone. I was my grandmother’s favorite, to be honest I think all her grandkids say
the same thing, but for me I know it was true.
My grandmother was the most resilient person I knew, she married my grandfather at 18,
right before he shipped out to Germany. She was pregnant when she found out his plane had
been shot down and had given birth to a daughter not knowing if she was to be a single parent or
not. She went to work as a secretary in his absence and to have eight more children upon his
return, losing one to sudden infant death syndrome. She knew deeply the pain of loss. They
moved from her hometown in Iowa only to end up bankrupt and starting over again in California.
They went on to build a wonderful life. My grandfather retired early back at a time when that
wasn’t often done and which, at ninety-two he is still actively enjoying.
What I remember about my grandmother was she was strong, independent and smart, all
things I admire greatly in others. But what I also remember was she refused to learn how to use
an ATM, she didn’t handle any of the household bills, or insurance, anything to do with the house,
taxes, or finances were classified as items my grandfather was responsible for.
I remember her telling me a story shortly before she died about an aunt she had who had
been widowed and didn’t even know how to write a check and the struggles she faced adjusting
to a life without her spouse.
So here I was at twenty-two graduating from a reputable university with a degree in
business, saying goodbye to my grandmother, and thinking about what would have happened to
her if it had been my grandfather who had passed away first. I realized in that moment, that I
wasn’t any more prepared to handle the complexity of my financial world then she would have
been to handle hers’ or any more than her aunt had been facing hers’.
It was then and there that I knew I wanted things to change. I began to dedicate my
efforts to creating a place where women could find answers and develop the knowledge and tools
they needed to handle their financial circumstance, no matter what. The culmination of those
efforts is Stratford & Company LLC, Financial Life Planning.
~Welcome, I’m Glad You’re Here