Build it in the right order.
You lay the foundation first, then raise the walls, add the structure, and finish with the roof. When one layer is weak, the whole house is at risk.
The Foundation — Protection
Income protection comes first. If the earner is gone, every other plan collapses without it. The foundation is life insurance, disability income, and health coverage.
20× Rule: aim for ~20× your annual income in total death benefit. Coverage Gap = Recommended − Current.The Walls — Stability
The walls hold the day-to-day together: an emergency fund, manageable debt, the mortgage, and a plan for college. They keep short-term shocks from cracking the structure.
Reinforce with: 3–6 months reserves + a college plan (~$110k per child for a 4-year state school).The Structure — Retirement
The structure is what you live in for decades — your retirement income. It's built from savings, contributions, and time, measured against the income you'll actually want.
4% Rule: you need ~25× your desired annual income saved. Gap = Needed − Projected trajectory.The Roof — Estate
The roof protects everything beneath it. Without a trust, assets pass through probate and minor children can inherit outright — the opposite of what most families intend.
Without a trust: probate runs 12–24 months and costs roughly 3–8% of the estate.
Financial Educator
Sierra Richey is a Wealth Strategist and financial educator. Her conviction is simple: true financial freedom is built on understanding, not products.
She helps families build a complete Financial House — Income, then Protection, then Wealth, in the right order — so nothing collapses under pressure. She turns the number above into a plan a family can actually live by, with clear guidance and no pressure.
Most hardworking families aren’t failing financially — they’re earning income without ever building lasting wealth, because no one taught them how money actually works. Sierra helps families and business owners change that: build wealth in the right order, protect what matters, and stop guessing about the future. The order is everything.
What She Helps People Do
Core Focus
Professional Philosophy
Sierra believes most people do not need more information. They need clarity. They need confidence. They need someone willing to look them in the eye and say:
“You’re closer than you think — but you need a plan, built in the right order.”
The Philosophy That Guides Everything
The Mission
Families who win, communities that grow stronger, and a legacy that outlasts us all. Because Sierra knows the truth: build it in the right order, and it holds.