Amy Young

(nee Amy McElfresh, Brown, Waheed)

Passion

For over 30 years Amy has shared an unending enthusiasm for educating and empowering others as they navigate financial challenges.  Working in her client’s best interest, being a fiduciary, is one of her highest values.  She cheers and celebrates along with them as they secure their financial future! 

Designations

• CFP®(Certified Financial Planner)

• CDFA® (Certified Divorce Financial Analyst)

• CCFS® (Certified College Funding Specialist)

• Certifications in Digital Assets and Blockchain

Amy’s story

Amy began her financial career in banking (ultimately as a Vice President) and specialized in working with physicians, attorneys, professionals and business owners.  While in Ann Arbor she was a Treasurer on her neighborhood Homeowner’s Association board, volunteered with The Junior League of Ann Arbor and was a board member at her childrens’ Montessori school as well participating in many other volunteering opportunities.  She loved real estate and invested in her first rental property.

A family move to North Carolina allowed her the opportunity to work in a small business, first as Vice President and then as President. Her love of real estate grew and it led her to invest in larger scale commercial real estate on the side.

Sadly, when her oldest child was in high school she was faced with an unexpected divorce.  It was also the middle of the recession, and she knew that college was just around the corner for her two children. She set out to learn all she could about tax preparation, the financial aid formulas, and how to best negotiate with colleges.  (Yes, you really can!) She learned that tax strategies and college formulas often worked in opposite ways and the CCFS® designation taught her there were ways to use both to your benefit! Amy launched a new company and loved educating affluent parents as to how they could face the merging of a recession and college expenses.  Watching students secure outstanding awards, and knowing families’ financial lives were forever changed, filled Amy with immense joy.  She yearned to incorporate more holistic planning so that she could help these same families even more and went to Duke University to earn her CFP® certification. 

As she sought to expand her practice and incorporate holistic financial planning, one of her clients introduced her to Eric Sobocinski. As the founder of Amphora Wealth Management he brought his background as a business, tax, and estate planning attorney to all dimensions that families needed to use for complex planning.  He is one of the most ethical and transparent people she has ever met. They joined forces at Amphora and have never looked back! 

Knowledge is power. Amy’s quest for learning led her to obtain her CDFA® certification. Her goal is to help her clients understand, navigate and ultimately negotiate a successful divorce settlement. As Digital Assets (aka crypto) began appearing in divorces, she set out to be one of the early certificate holders of the Digital Assets and Blockchain certification.

In Amy’s words

• The words “Appreciate the Moment” (my mom’s last words) have become the essence of my life.  Somehow even in challenges and crises, she taught me it is finding the calm within the storm that helps us navigate through it all.  

• In my free time I cherish family and friends, interior design and construction, the arts, skiing, baking, and all things related to being on the water.

• My passion to give back led me to be a leader in creating the non-profits With-Gratitude.org and TIC-NC.org