Tessa Elrod is a CFP® and Series 66-licensed advisor with 15 years of industry experience. She is currently with Next Step Financial Transitions, where she has worked since 2020, following six years at Strategic Financial Advisors and Proequities Inc. Elrod also owns a divorce financial analysis firm, Next Step Divorce Solutions, which provides financial expertise to couples during divorce proceedings, and designs products sold through Amazon under her sole proprietorship. Next Step Financial Transitions serves individual and high-net-worth clients with tailored investment management and financial planning services, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis within a Modern Portfolio Theory framework. The firm also operates a specialized divorce financial services business and employs third-party manager programs along with client-specific investment policy statements.

I am Lance Elrod – co-owner of Next Step Financial Transitions. I believe that most financial planning concepts have become overcomplicated; my goal is to declassify these concepts into conversational terms and educate you enough so that you understand and feel comfortable with any decision you make. We founded our firm with a focus on helping families navigate financial transitions, no matter the stage of life. Most traditional advisors like to focus solely on your investments, we do things a little differently by taking a holistic approach to financial planning. This means the first thing we do is get to know you – your values, your goals, and your personality. It is not until we fully know you as an individual or family that we can begin to build out your financial plan to serve as a roadmap for your future, because you can’t take your next step until you know where you are going. I hold a BS in Personal Financial Planning from Texas Tech University and am a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner. Like many new graduates, I began the early part of my career trying to discover my place and passion within my industry. During that time, I worked short stints with United Capital Private Wealth Counseling, which now comes under Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management Umbrella, and May and Barnhard, P.C., which recently changed their name to Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell, P.C… Although I enjoyed financial planning, I felt compelled to take a brief detour as a Mud Engineer because Oil & Gas is what you do when you move to Houston, right? In 2015 I rejoined the industry, where I dug into my career and recognized my desire to serve individuals and families in the under-served, early stage of life. Read Lance's blog here: https://nsfinancialtransitions.com/blog/