VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Building Community Through Leadership and Connection

For Eden Bowen, MS, CFP^®, volunteering with NAPFA is about creating opportunities for connection and growth. As the South Region chair to the national board, Eden helps strengthen engagement across one of NAPFA’s largest geographic areas—spanning from Texas to Virginia and down to Florida. “This is my fifth year on the regional board,” she shared. “I previously served as the local group liaison for three years before becoming president and now chair.”

Eden is especially proud of how the South Region has reignited local groups that became inactive during the pandemic. “We’ve been intentional about supporting our local group leaders and rebuilding momentum,” she said. “Today, we have more than 10 active local groups meeting regularly across the region, led by a truly engaged group of volunteers.”

For Eden, that success reflects the power of shared effort. “It’s inspiring to see how committed our leaders are to keeping their communities connected,” she noted. “When members feel supported, the whole organization thrives.”

A Path to Financial Planning

Eden originally worked in copywriting for a well-known equine company, and in a pinch offered to help her family in its financial planning firm on what she expected would be a short-term basis. “Once I saw how meaningful this work was for clients’ lives, I knew I wanted to be part of it,” she said.

Now in her tenth year, she continues to serve client families alongside her family members at Fee-Only Financial Planning, LC, where she helps clients align their resources with their goals. “It’s a privilege to do work that makes such a tangible difference,” she said. “I love being a ‘good guy’ in an industry that hasn’t always prioritized clients’ best interests.”

Supporting Families Across Generations

Eden describes her firm as “a family supporting other families.” Many clients have been with the firm for decades, with new relationships often forming as a natural extension of those legacy clients. “We have clients whose children and grandchildren now work with us,” she explained. “We take a highly personalized, hands-on approach and focus on long-term relationships. That’s what makes our work so rewarding.”

Technology plays a vital role in maintaining that personalized service. “We're a three-partner firm with no additional support staff, so we depend heavily on Advyzon to run our practice efficiently,” she said. “It serves as our CRM, client portal, reporting center, and billing system. It’s the perfect all-in-one solution for the way we work.”

Why Volunteering Matters

Eden’s parents were active in NAPFA leadership years ago and encouraged her to join as a student member in 2017. “Having access to so many talented, generous planners has shaped my career,” she shared. “NAPFA members truly want to see each other succeed.”

She encourages other young professionals to get involved. “Volunteering with NAPFA has been the best decision for my professional development,” she said. “It’s helped me grow as a leader, meet incredible people, and build friendships that will last a lifetime.”

Connect with Eden on LinkedIn or learn more about her firm at https://feeonlyfamily.com/.