About Joe
Hello. I’m Joe Kesler and I’ve been a student of observing people and their money for over 40 years. I’ve had a ring side seat in my laboratory to pursue my interest in people and their relationship with money because, as a bank CEO for much of my career, my customers have confided in me their financial secrets, fears and successes.
I decided to write Smart Money with Purpose and begin blogging because sometimes money gets a bad rap. I subtitled my book, “Liberating the Goodness of Money in Your Life.” I want to broaden the conversation about money beyond just the hype and predictable promises we get from many financial advisors. It’s rewarding to look deeper into how we can liberate our relationship with money from the stress and anxiety. Readers of this blog will be interested in making money a tool to live the life they are intended to live, full of meaning and purpose.
Published Author and Finance Expert
Many personal finance guru’s offer advice with lofty assumptions such as:
If you invest $500 a month in growth stock mutual funds for 30 years and earn 12% a year you will have $1,747,000.
While this type of advice might be true mathematically, it fails to reflect that life is dynamic. We need more than just slavish adherence to a formulaic system of money management. Humility, a charitable spirit, and focus on what you can and cannot control are just a few of the traits seen in those who have mastered money and will, accordingly, be seen in blog articles found on this site.
My background includes the academic pedigree for writing on personal finance: MBA from Southern Illinois University and passing the CPA exam with high distinction for scores in the top 1%. More important is a successful life handling money with my wife, Nancy, of 41 years, 5 productive children, 3 grandchildren and my dog, Butkus. We live in Missoula, Montana where I blog and serve on the boards of two banks.