Amy Young, CFP®, CDFA®, CBDA®, CCFS®

Wealth Manager
(CFP# 282108 AmyJo Young McElfresh)
Amy@AmphoraWealth.com

“Our holistic, fiduciary firm creates a partnership with you that focuses financial planning and wealth management decisions through one lens ~ YOUR best interest. It’s that simple.”

Educating and empowering others has been a theme in Amy’s life. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CERTIFIED DIVORCE FINANCIAL ANALYST®, CERTIFIED BLOCKCHAIN AND DIGITAL ASSETS® and CERTIFIED COLLEGE FUNDING SPECIALIST® she’s known for listening, guiding and inspiring others through a holistic wealth management plan. Protecting and growing one’s wealth, helping business owners seize opportunities, finding additional sources of college funding, generating tax efficiencies are what energize Amy! She understands how to navigate the important topics as one manages life’s financial landscape, including areas such as pre-retirement, long term care, divorce, death of spouse, inheritance and real estate. As a child Amy loved putting puzzles together. Now, she enjoys putting all of the financial pieces together for others. She is also an avid life-long learner and community leader.

Throughout the early years of her career as a bank vice president and later, as a small business owner, she had the opportunity to connect with advisors in specialties such as law, tax, wealth management, estate planning, insurance, real estate. She worked with truly talented individuals, who gave great advice in their respective field. Yet, what was needed was a holistic, integrated approach between all advisors. An idea was sparked and when she opened her own firm she knew that she would encourage clients to bring in all of their advisors to experience an integrated format. When they couldn’t get their team of advisors together, the clients were left getting great advice from each specialty, but the individual advice could at times be in conflict with others. Then, Amy met Eric through a mutual client and witnessed his comprehensive knowledge base. The firm he founded, was holistically integrating an academic, research-based wealth management philosophy and financial planning with his tax, legal and business background. They immediately knew they could join forces and offer their clients even more. The rest, as they say, is history!

Amy’s most important professional inspiration today:

“What inspires me is to empower each client as we collaborate through their unique process. In our practice we call it getting to the “coffee cup moment” where one can be in their favorite place, enjoying a cup of coffee (or tea) knowing these major decisions are behind them. Then, as we focus on the continued planning that arises in their lives, they can focus more of their time on what truly brings them joy!”
“Sadly, however, divorce happens to 50% of us. It can feel as if our roots are pulled up, a tornado has come through our life, and we must learn how to rebuild again. As you navigate unchartered waters and unknown financial realities, you need to have a professional who can help guide you and educate you so that you know what the short and long-term financial consequences are of your decisions as you finalize your divorce. Knowledge is power. Remember, you only have one chance to get it right! Coffee cup moments of relaxation and feeling secure can be on the other side of divorce.”

Community Leadership: Amy brings a “warrior spirit” to all her interests. Based on an encounter with Lyme Disease in 2000, she co-founded Tick-Borne Infections Council of North Carolina, Inc. (TIC-NC.org) to promote education about tick diseases in North Carolina. Recently, she founded With Gratitude, Inc, (With-Gratitude.org) a NC non-profit with a focus on teaching, collaborating, and mentoring professional women. In short, don’t ever tell Amy something cannot be done, unless you’d like to see it happen! Amy gives her father credit for this intense persistence. Growing up, she was never allowed to give up until she had tried 88 times!

On a Personal Note: Amy has children, dear family, and friends across the globe. What she values most is the individual relationship she has with each of them. The latest additions are her grandsons, who bring her enormous smiles! In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, Pilates, real estate ventures, interior design, beautiful flowers, baking, downhill skiing, trying new authentic recipes from around the world and all things related to being on the water!

“Appreciate the moment” were her mom’s last words, and they have become the essence of her life. Somehow, even in challenges and crisis, it is about finding the calm within the storm that helps us navigate it all.

Member of Financial Planning Association
Member of Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts
Member of Association of Certified College Planning Specialists
Digital Assets and Blockchain Certification