Spotlight - Megan McAlister, Planting Financial Roots

26 year old entrepreneur and finance educator - Planting Financial Roots.

The First $100K Starts with the First $100. ‍ ‍

Meet client, Megan McAlister. She is the founder of Planting Financial Roots, a personal finance education business dedicated to making money feel less intimidating and more approachable.

Her interest in personal finance began after moving from Washington to California for a job paying less than $50,000 per year. Realizing she would need to be intentional with every paycheck in order to live comfortably while also saving and investing for the future, she began to educate herself using the resources at hand. She was soon immersed in learning about budgeting, saving, and investing. By age 25, she had reached $100,000 in her portfolio.

As she continued applying these principles to her own finances, she discovered they offered more than financial security; they created choices and a greater sense of freedom. At the beginning of 2026, she took an intentional career break and spent four months traveling throughout Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. That experience reinforced to her that the goal isn’t money. The goal is freedom to live life on your own terms, and money is simply a tool that helps us get there.

After returning from her travels, Megan founded Planting Financial Roots, where she now helps individuals, students, and employees build confidence with their finances using practical financial education. Her goal is simple: make personal finance easy to understand, and give people clear, actionable steps they can apply to their own lives.

Visit Megan’s website.