Donna S. Cates, CRPC, CDFA - Money Matters Wealth Solutions

Donna S. Cates, CRPC, CDFA - Money Matters Wealth Solutions Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Donna S. Cates, CRPC, CDFA - Money Matters Wealth Solutions, Financial Consultant, Birmingham, AL.

Women's Wealth Builder | Investment Advisor | Divorce Financial Strategist
Helping women claim their seat at the financial table
Because hope is not a financial strategy Welcome to Second Saturday: What Everyone Needs to Know About Divorce, the critically acclaimed workshop and community founded in 1989 by nationally renowned advocates/wealth managers Candace Bahr and Ginita Wall. Birmingham Secon

d Saturday is a workshop offered the Second Saturday in every month to help women become financially and emotionally independent before, during and after a divorce.

Read that again. 💜Your settlement can be 100% legal, signed, sealed, enforceable, and still quietly work against the lif...
07/20/2026

Read that again. 💜

Your settlement can be 100% legal, signed, sealed, enforceable, and still quietly work against the life you're trying to build.

Legal means it holds up in court. Financially sound means it holds up in your life: the after-tax value, the retirement timeline, the debts, the years ahead.

They are not the same thing. And most women only ever get one of those reviews.

If someone you love is in the middle of a divorce right now, send her this. It might be the reminder that changes how she signs.

💜Join my free Second Saturday Divorce Workshop, register to the link in my bio or in the comments.

Or if you want personalized guidance around your settlement, retirement accounts, and financial future, book a Divorce Financial Clarity Intensive with me.

If you want personalized guidance around your settlement, retirement accounts, and financial future, book a Divorce Fina...
07/19/2026

If you want personalized guidance around your settlement, retirement accounts, and financial future, book a Divorce Financial Clarity Intensive with me. Check the link in my bio or in the comment 🟣

Most portfolios are built from the same handful of building blocks, stocks, bonds, maybe some real estate. But there's a...
07/18/2026

Most portfolios are built from the same handful of building blocks, stocks, bonds, maybe some real estate. But there's a category institutional investors have leaned on for years that rarely gets explained to everyone else.

That's what we're covering July 20.

Join Donna Cates and guest speaker Noah Sanders for Beyond Traditional Investing: Exploring Private Credit Opportunities, the final session in our free summer series with AssetMark.

🗓️ Monday, July 20 | 4:00–5:00 PM ET

🔗 Reserve your spot (select Donna Cates as your Advisor). Check the link in the comment

If you've ever left a financial conversation more confused than when you walked in, you already know why I built this pr...
07/17/2026

If you've ever left a financial conversation more confused than when you walked in, you already know why I built this practice.

I was honored to be featured this week for the work I've done with women navigating divorce, widowhood, and retirement, the transitions where the stakes are highest and the guidance is usually the thinnest.

In my 20 years in wealth management, I saw the same pattern too often: smart women handed a plan instead of an explanation. So I stepped away from the traditional model and built something different, a practice where women get the full picture before they make life-changing decisions.

Because the moment you understand what you're actually working with, the fear starts to lift.

Full feature's in the comments, along with my free Second Saturday Workshop if you're standing at the start of your own transition.



📷 .diary

It's live! I'm so happy to share my conversation on the Divorce Discussions Podcast by the Divorce Support Collective.He...
07/16/2026

It's live! I'm so happy to share my conversation on the Divorce Discussions Podcast by the Divorce Support Collective.

Here's the thing I really want women to hear: a divorce settlement can lookcompletely equal on paper and still leave you financially stuck. Fair and equal are not the same thing. In this episode we dig into the biggest financial mistakes I see women make, the three first steps to getting clarity, and why it's never too late to get the right support as long as you're still negotiating.

Give it a listen, and if you know a woman who is navigating this right now, please share it with her. That's exactly who I made this for.


Listen here: https://www.thedivorcesupportcollective.com/podcast

Where do sophisticated investors put their money once they've outgrown "just stocks and bonds"?Join Donna Cates and gues...
07/14/2026

Where do sophisticated investors put their money once they've outgrown "just stocks and bonds"?

Join Donna Cates and guest speaker Noah Sanders Monday, July 20 (4–5 PM ET) for Beyond Traditional Investing: Exploring Private Credit Opportunities, the closing session of our free summer series with AssetMark.

You'll leave with a clear picture of what private credit is, how it can fit into a diversified plan, and the right questions to ask before considering it.

🔗 Save your spot (select Donna Cates as your Advisor). Check the link in the comments

You didn't fail. The system just never prepared you for this.Nobody teaches us how to rebuild a financial life after div...
07/14/2026

You didn't fail. The system just never prepared you for this.

Nobody teaches us how to rebuild a financial life after divorce, not in school, not from our parents, not from our attorney.

That's exactly why the Ultimate Divorce Toolbox exists: the practical, step-by-step checklists I've used with women for 20 years, so you're not guessing your way through this.

Comment "TOOLBOX" and I'll send you the link.

07/13/2026

In 20+ years and 3 books on women and money, I've heard this same story more times than I can count.

"He always handled the finances. I never had to think about it."

Then life shifts, divorce, widowhood, retirement, and she's staring at accounts she's never seen, decisions she's never had to make, completely alone.

That story is exactly why this mug exists: "A Man Is Not a Financial Plan." A little funny but completely true.

You don't need to become a financial expert. You just need a seat at the table, before life hands you the seat with no warning

☕ Grab the mug and you may aslo book your Financial Clarity Call with me and let's make sure your story goes differently.

Check the link in the comments

07/12/2026

Keeping the house feels like winning. Sometimes it's the most expensive decision in the whole settlement. ⬇️

There's one requirement buried in most agreements that can force you to sell anyway, after you fought to keep it. I break it down below.

Three divorce mistakes I never want you to make when retirement accounts are involved:1️⃣ Assuming the settlement agreem...
07/11/2026

Three divorce mistakes I never want you to make when retirement accounts are involved:

1️⃣ Assuming the settlement agreement is enough.
2️⃣ Waiting too long to file the QDRO.
3️⃣ Using a generic template that gets rejected.

These mistakes can delay — or even permanently impact — the retirement money you’re entitled to.

And unfortunately, most women are never taught this during the divorce process.

That’s why financial guidance during divorce matters so much.

A divorce settlement is not just about “who gets what.”

It’s about protecting your long-term financial future.
If you’re overwhelmed and trying to make sense of retirement accounts, pensions, settlement offers, or next steps, you do not have to figure this out alone.

Join my upcoming Second Saturday Divorce Workshop for education and clarity in a supportive environment.

Or book a Divorce Financial Clarity Intensive for personalized guidance tailored to your situation.

Address

Birmingham, AL

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

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