Get To Know Us
Get To Know Us
Monique Marshall, RMA®, AIF®
President & Founder
My philosophy is simple: “Live a life that you don’t need escaping from; a Life By Design, not by default.”
For more than 30 years, I have had the privilege of guiding individuals and families through some of the most important financial decisions of their lives. Over those years, I’ve come to believe that great financial planning is about far more than investments or retirement projections. It begins with understanding what matters most to you, the people you care about, the life you want to live, and the legacy you hope to leave behind.
That philosophy became the foundation for Life By Design Investment Advisory Services.
My approach to financial planning is holistic and highly personal, bringing together retirement planning, investment management, estate and wealth-transfer planning, family dynamics, and the many financial decisions that accompany significant life transitions. The goal is not simply to accumulate wealth. It is to intentionally use wealth to support a life that feels purposeful, secure, and authentically yours.
Working with individuals approaching or living in retirement is especially meaningful to me. The professional designations and advanced education I have pursued have been intentional, chosen to strengthen my ability to help clients navigate increasingly complex financial lives. I hold the Retirement Management Advisor® (RMA®) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) designations and am a Certified Private Wealth Advisor® candidate. My continuing studies have also included investment management theory and practice through the Yale School of Management, applied behavioral finance, intentional wealth and family stewardship, and conflict resolution and mediation.
That education reflects an important part of how I think about wealth: financial decisions are rarely only financial.
Retirement Management Advisor®
Advanced certification for advisors who want to mitigate clients’ risks and master the retirement planning advisory process, all within an increasingly fiduciary environment
RMA® professionals look beyond managing investments or retirement products and take a multidisciplinary approach to develop a complete framework for your retirement plan
Held by only an elite few advisors, advanced RMA® certification is delivered by the Investments & Wealth Institute®
Accredited Investment Fiduciary®
The first and only industry designation showcasing knowledge and competency in fiduciary responsibility
Signifies a commitment to the highest standards of investment fiduciary excellence and represents in-depth understanding and application of fiduciary practices in investments
Professional Designations & Education
My professional development has included:
- Retirement Management Advisor® (RMA®) through the Investments & Wealth Institute
- Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) through Fi360
- Certified Private Wealth Advisor® Candidate, Investments & Wealth Institute
- Applied Behavioral Finance Certificate, Investments & Wealth Institute, completed in 2021
- Investment Management Theory & Practice, Yale School of Management
- Intentional Wealth Certificate: How Families Build Legacies of Stewardship and Financial Health, Investments & Wealth Institute
- Certified Kingdom Advisor® (CKA®) program through Kingdom Advisors
- Conflict Resolution and Mediation studies through Peace Maker Ministries
- Passed the FINRA Series 7, 63, 66, 24 and 51
- California Licensed Insurance & Long-Term Care Agent, with 30 years of experience
Professional Affliations
Throughout my career, I have remained connected to organizations that advance fiduciary advice, financial planning, and the broader advisory profession, including:
- XY Planning Network, Advisor Member
- Investments & Wealth Institute, Advisor Member
- Financial Planning Association, Advisor Member since 2008
- Purpose Planning Network
- National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors
- Leading Women’s Advisors
Leadership & Service
Service has also been an important part of my professional life. Over the years, I have served in leadership and trustee roles including:
- Chairwoman of the Advisory Council, Financial Advisors of America
- Orange County Trustee, Olive Crest “Strong Families Safe Kids,” 2012–2014
- Orange County Trustee, Kingdom Advisors, 2012–2013
Education & Public Speaking
I have long believed that one of the most important roles of an advisor is to help make complicated financial issues understandable.
Over the years, I have participated in educational speaking programs addressing topics including:
- Advancing senior needs and qualified care services
- Understanding Medicare
- Tax legislation
Community & Charitable Involvement
Giving back is also part of how I define a Life By Design. My involvement has included:
- Inter-city Youth Outreach in Lima, Peru, co-facilitating surf camps in 2006 and 2007
- Alpha K9 Advocacy for U.S. Veterans, including the donation of a trained K9
- Community disaster-relief efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav, helping organize volunteers and resources
- Dana Point Women’s Club
- OC Philharmonic Society
A Life By Design
I am a Southern California native, and establishing Life By Design in Dana Point was itself an intentional life decision. I wanted to create a business and a life that reflected the same philosophy I encourage my clients to embrace.
For me, that means doing deeply meaningful work while still making room for relationships, creativity, adventure, and the outdoors. Outside the office, you’re likely to find me paddle-boarding in Dana Point, rock climbing in the Sierras, enjoying the arts, or pursuing the next adventure.
Those experiences continually remind me that wealth is ultimately a resource. What matters most is what it allows us to experience, create, protect, give, and share with the people we love.
That is Life By Design: designing your wealth around your life, rather than designing your life around your wealth.
We Are Here For You
Our Team
Jason Marshall
Cambria Miller
Sandy Pellegrini
Missy DeWalt
Lauren Patrice Wright
Strategic Partners
Our strategic partners are professionals in their respective industries who we have worked closely and well with before. LBDIAS is not formally affiliated with these individuals or their companies. No promotional fees or considerations were provided or accepted in association with these placements.