Ana Montoya: “If you don’t understand how money works, it’s difficult to move forward.”

From Northwestern Mutual, this Colombian immigrant supports the Latino community in education and financial planning.

“If I can understand a person’s mindset regarding money, I have more options to help them.” – Ana Montoya

By Migdalis Pérez

Ana Montoya arrived in the United States in 2014 from Medellín, Colombia. Her story blends resilience, curiosity, and a deep interest in the well-being of her community. A psychologist by training, she discovered that many of Latinos’ financial decisions are closely linked to emotions, upbringing, and beliefs about money.

“I think we lack a lot of knowledge about how the financial system works in the United States, especially now,” when “the current political situation generates a lot of uncertainty in the community: what do I do with my money, where can I put it if a financial crisis hits; how can I protect what I’ve worked so hard to acquire?” she points out.

Currently, Montoya works at Northwestern Mutual, supporting the West Loop office in Chicago in attracting and developing talent, while also advising the Latino community on financial education. “Education begins with conversations with people in the community who are similar to our clients,” she reflects.

And then she adds, “We want our clients to have advisors who are like them and with whom they can identify. And who better than our team, recognized by Forbes? I personally oversee talent acquisition for our team to increase our presence in the West Loop, Chicago’s most dynamic neighborhood.”

Financial Challenges for Latinos

For Montoya, aside from uncertainty, another major challenge Hispanics face is the language barrier. She maintains that this obstacle “forces many people to seek help from others with their finances, and that’s fine. However,” she emphasizes, “it’s important to know who to turn to when starting a savings project or growing financially.”

Along with misinformation, she believes the language barrier also complicates the understanding of essential concepts.

“Many people don’t understand the world of finance. They see it as a complex, inaccessible world, and they have the perception that if you don’t have a lot of money, that world isn’t for you,” she emphasizes.

In this regard, he believes the key is to get reliable and professional advice. Or, in other words, “to seek out direct sources and the right people, like those at Northwestern Mutual, a company with so many years in the market, a proven track record, and excellent financial advisors.”

Montoya, as a team, underlines that they “don’t discriminate against anyone when providing advice; that is, they have different programs and options to support the community. For example, someone who is just starting to save or who has graduated from college and has the goal of getting their finances in order for a successful retirement.” Also, business owners with their various challenges, such as investing and maintaining liquidity.”

Financial Education and a Vision for the Future

From her role as a talent recruiter, Montoya’s goal for this year is to strengthen the team within her organization and continue supporting the Latino community.

“Our goal stems from the fact that the Latino community represents three trillion dollars in wealth that is being built. We want to have a team that helps Latinos make the right decisions for future generations, creating a legacy around those three trillion dollars.” “And, by the way, our team is the best positioned to do it locally,” she says.

Her plan, meanwhile, is to continue growing within Northwestern Mutual, learning about the institution and, eventually, combining her role with direct client advising, particularly to Latinos; people who, like her, “came to this country seeking better opportunities, but who also understand that perhaps it’s time to change their perspective on being an immigrant in the United States.”

Of course, her experience as a psychologist has been fundamental to her work in finance, because understanding people’s emotional relationship with money allows her to identify patterns and provide tailored strategies. “If I can understand a person’s mental framework regarding money, I have more options to help them move in the right direction,” she points out.

At the same time, she recognizes that financial problems generate stress, anxiety, and emotional difficulties; therefore, her work also consists of educating and supporting the community to prevent these effects. “Money is like a game: if you don’t know the rules,” she concludes, “your chance of winning is limited.” “It will really be reduced a lot.”

Read article in Spanish / Leer artículo en español:

https://negociosnow.com/ana-montoya-si-no-entiendes-como-funciona-el-dinero-es-dificil-avanzar/