The best financial plans start with who you are and the life you want to live.

Mike Milligan, CFP and author of The One of a Kind Financial Plan Book joined me on the Get Ready Before Life Happens podcast to talk about how to build a personalized financial plan and retirement strategy that aligns your money, values, and relationships with the life you want to live.

Takeaways

🔹 One-of-a-kind lives deserve one-of-a-kind financial plans.
🔹 Retirement Chi is what you want your money to do.
🔹 A clear retirement vision includes health, community, and impact.
🔹 Understanding your past money experiences helps shape future decisions.
🔹 Diversification applies to life purpose as much as financial risk.
🔹 Community and relationships are powerful predictors of happiness and longevity.
🔹 Financial planning should align money with who you are and how you want to live.

Tony’s Take: Financial planning works best when it starts with purpose. When we define what matters, build a vision for our lives, and align money with our values, our plan becomes more than numbers. It becomes a guide for living well.

 🎥 Watch this episode below: 

🎧 Listen to the podcast below or on your favorite podcast app. 

Connect with Mike Milligan, CFP: 

• Instagram (1.oak Financial): https://www.instagram.com/1oakfinancial/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemilligancfp/
• Website: https://www.mikemilligan.com/ 
• 1.oak Financial Website: https://1oakfinancial.com/

Podcast: 

• Ideas By Mike: https://www.youtube.com/@1.oakfinancial

Resources mentioned: 

• 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History--and How It Shattered a Nation By Andrew Sorkin (Amazon)

Bio: 

Mike Milligan is a purpose-driven financial advisor, educator, and entrepreneur, whose career began in his family’s small business as a boy in North Carolina. Today,

Mike is the founder of Ideas By Mike, and 1.oak Financial, and a leading voice in client-centered, impact-driven financial planning world.

He holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary®credentials and has helped thousands of clients make sense of their wealth, extend their well-being, and live out their goals authentically. Mike uses active listening, health-focused strategies, and decades of expertise to turn financial jargon into actionable steps. His belief in financial wellness comes from real life—helping both clients and students design plans that support their one of a kind lives.

Mike’s teaching style focuses on clarity, empathy, and fun. Students and clients alike benefit from his ability to translate complex strategies into everyday solutions.

Through workshops, courses, and speaking events, Mike continues to inspire others to make a real impact, both financially and personally.

☕ Support the Get Ready Movement.

If these conversations help you think differently about money or prepare for life’s what-ifs, your support helps expand financial readiness education and keep this work accessible.

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