About Us

Travis Hornsby is a finance expert and entrepreneur who is passionate about helping highly educated professionals and their families navigate the complexities of student loan repayment, take charge of their finances and achieve their goals.

As the Founder and CEO of Student Loan Planner®, Travis has consulted on a staggering $800+ million of student debt, more than anyone else in the country. With his Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations, as well as a license to sell insurance in all 50 states, Travis has the expertise to guide his clients toward financial security. He loves writing about student loan repayment strategies, physician mortgages, investment strategies, and personal finance. Travis is particularly adept at assisting people who have a range of $50,000 to $1 million in student loan debt, finding that 90-95% of his clients save thousands of dollars on their student loans long term after having had a consult with him.

Before he started Student Loan Planner® in 2016, Travis retired in 2015 at age 25, and traveled to three dozen countries to further educate himself on all things finance, blogging, running a website, and more. Travis was also a bond trader for one of the world’s largest investment companies, Vanguard, managing municipal bond mutual funds.

In addition, he authored two books on financial independence and money management, Managing Money in Your 20s and 30s and 25 IS THE NEW 65: How to “Retire” Outrageously Early and Do Whatever the Heck You Want.

Travis now lives with his wife and two kids in Chapel Hill, where he’s doing his best to survive the preschool years and chasing toddlers around. Despite years of football ineptitude, he cheers on the Florida Gators and also loves hiking and camping with friends.

Conor graduated from the University of Arkansas after studying agricultural economics and originally began a career as a commodity trader before realizing his passion lay in financial advice.

He enjoys helping those early in their careers find the right path to their goals through comprehensive financial planning. Seeing the confidence manifest in clients who know they are on track and making the right decisions is what drives him day in and day out. His prior work as a planner and investment adviser allowed him to help many families through countless different complex situations.

Outside of work, he can either be found spending time with his wife Isabella and their black lab Lucy or off skiing through trees somewhere.

Hello hello! I’m Meagan McGuire, a Partner and Certified Student Loan Professional® at SLP Wealth. I graduated from Kennesaw State University with a B.B.A. in Finance and immediately found myself working in financial planning.

I started a financial coaching practice in 2017, helping folks with the basics: budgeting, debt management, student loans, and saving! I love helping young professionals maximize their income and tackle student loan debt!

I met Travis Hornsby from Student Loan Planner in 2019 and joined the team as a part-time consultant while running my practice. The rest is history! We officially joined forces and started SLP Wealth in 2023 to help folks that are under-served (or not served at all) in the financial planning space: Folks with lots of student loan debt.

Student loans will not be a barrier to your financial success! I can’t wait to help you achieve your financial goals!

I live north of Atlanta in a suburban city called Canton with my husband, Kelly! My favorite activities outside work include CrossFit, cooking, hosting hang-outs with friends and family, and long walks with our springer spaniel puppy, Boone.

Hey y’all, I’m James, a financial planner with SLP Wealth. I graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 2014. During my senior year, I learned everything I could about personal finance and financial wellness in order to have an antidote to the financial instability I experienced growing up.

Before I received my first paycheck, I had a financial plan for myself, which allowed me to enjoy life at the time while also saving money for my future. Those savings allowed me to leave my job at an insurance company after about a year and take some time off. After this valuable opportunity to reflect, I realized that my calling was to become a financial planner and help others experience the same freedom and peace of mind that I experienced.

I worked for several independent financial planning firms and earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation in 2018 before starting Mwombela Financial Planning in 2021. I wanted to focus on providing high-quality service to the clients I want to serve without pressure to attract clients who are already wealthy, pressure to grow as quickly as possible, or pressure to sell financial products to clients.

I met Travis and joined the Student Loan Planner team in 2022 as a Student Loan Advisor part-time. I earned the Certified Student Loan ProfessionalTM designation so I could properly advise clients with six-figure student loan balances who are trying to figure out the best strategy for handling their loans. When Travis told me that he wanted to start a financial planning firm, I merged with him and the rest of the team because I knew we could accomplish more together than we could as individual practice owners.

I have a passion for helping professionals of color and first-generation wealth builders. I live in Durham, NC, with my wife, Rachel, and our dog Riley. In my free time, I like to go to the gym, do yoga, learn about history, play basketball, expand my music library, and explore the outdoors.

Hi, I’m Dan Rooker, a Partner at SLP Wealth. I graduated with a B.A. in Physics from Kenyon College in 2012 and began as an assistant for a financial services firm later that year. My entire financial planning past is on LinkedIn, so if you want to see that, check it out!

For me, financial planning is a series of conversations and decisions with a client that leads to habit-stacking their financial knowledge and accomplishments within their personal financial situation. The opportunity to positively impact someone’s life through their finances is an everyday possibility that keeps me engaged.

Between calls, in the evenings, and on weekends, I spend as much time with family as possible. I have four younger siblings and a father living their lives on the West Coast. We call each other weekly, catch up on what’s happened since the last call, and reminisce on memories of our mother. She was our core competitor, pushing each of us kids to swim through college, and today I credit most of my ever-competitive mindset to her. In Chicago, Quetzi (spouse) and I have a couple of plus-sized furry animals we love and care for on the property. We’ve lived here since 2016 and call this city “Home.” It’s a wonderful place to spend summers, and (IMO) it’s a legitimate city to wear a pea coat in winter.

Favorite Response:
Me: “Grandpa Charlie, why do you wrap trick-or-treat candy in dollar bills and give it away?”
Charlie Taylor (decd. ‘06): “What else am I gonna use it for?”

Hey there! I’m Sim Terwilliger, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and Certified Student Loan Professional with SLP Wealth. A Philly native, I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2013 with a B.A. in Modern Middle Eastern Studies and minors in Political Science, History, and Nutrition. I consider myself a lifelong learner and intellectually curious.

While working for my alma mater’s financial aid office after graduation, I was also planning my wedding. I spent more time in my spreadsheets figuring out the financial pieces of paying for my wedding as a young 20-something rather than the day’s logistics. Circumstances conspired, and I decided to go into financial planning.

I’m a passionate advocate for my clients in all stages of their financial life plans. Whether it is empowering you to take that sabbatical, helping you figure out how soon you can retire, or how much house you can afford, I’m with you every step of the way. These choices are personal, so your plan should be too.

Outside work, I enjoy spending time with my twin boys and husband, Paul, hiking, traveling, or cooking. My guilty pleasure is watching reality tv, and I am also an avid reader.

Meredith Jones is a Certified Student Loan Professional (CSLP®) and an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC®). She holds a FINRA Series 65 license and is working toward the Certified Financial Planner designation. Prior to becoming a student loan consultant and financial planner, Meredith worked as an emergency veterinarian for over 12 years. She became a “money nerd” while making a plan for her own student debt. She is the co-founder of Veterinary Financial Summit and the admin for the Debt-Free Vets Facebook group. She also hosts the Veterinary Financial Podcast. Meredith has a passion for helping professionals navigate their student debt and incorporate their repayment strategy into their overall financial plan. At SLP Wealth, she focuses on financial planning for veterinarians.

Outside of work, Meredith loves traveling, hiking, and spending time with her husband, silly pit bull mix, and spicy senior cat.

Ben Lacomis is a Certified Student Loan Professional (CSLP®), consultant to Student Loan Planner since 2022, and financial planner at SLP Wealth since 2023. His niche specialty is working with physician-households to design student loan repayment and financial plans that align with their lives during career and family transitions. With a deep respect for the medical community and other impact careers like teaching, Ben found that student loan planning has been the best path to help people who help others! It’s his way of giving back.

When he isn’t working with someone to crush their student loan debt, Ben enjoys his time outdoors in Pittsburgh with his Australian shepherd Pippin and golden retriever, Piper.

Scotty McDonald is a Certified Student Loan Professional (CSLP®), holds a FINRA Series 65 license and is a Candidate for CFP® certification. Scotty has a  great passion for helping others realize the peace of mind that financial clarity can provide.  He has a deep empathy and curiosity for each individual’s circumstances derived from his wide range of life experiences as a small business owner (commercial photographer) and Environmental Scientist in the public sector. Scotty has firsthand student loan expertise from community colleges, private and public universities and specializes in helping public servants achieve Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness.

When not helping folks with student loans achieve financial freedom, Scotty is very likely going on long trail runs near his home in Santa Cruz, California.

Samantha (Sam) Silberstein, CFP®, CSLP®, EA is an experienced financial consultant. She joined the Student Loan Planner team to be able to combine her financial planning background and experience of working with clients burdened by student debt in education, research, medical and government related fields. She works one-on-one with clients to provide guidance and a path forward on navigating the complexity of student loan debt, while balancing other long-term financial goals. She is passionate about working with individuals and organizations that come from communities who may have been historically underrepresented and may have had limited access to competent and ethical financial guidance. Sam is an advocate for building a financial life that is both sustainable and compatible with one's own values and desires.

Jake Courtney is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) Professional and a Certified Student Loan Professional (CSLP®). He is passionate about helping people put meaning behind their money decisions.

His passion for student loan planning stemmed from personal experience, helping his mother, who is an educator, qualify for public service loan forgiveness. He also realized how much stress, anxiety and confusion came along with discussing student loans with financial planning clients. He realized that developing a deep understanding of student loans could genuinely improve the lives of countless borrowers that are balancing so many other priorities for their families.

Jake joined Student Loan Planner in 2023 as a consultant, and later that year joined SLP Wealth as a Financial Planner.

When he’s not nerding out on financial planning topics, Jake enjoys working out, playing golf, watching football and spending as much time as possible with his wife, Melanie, and two labrador retrievers, Otis and Rosie.

Jared approaches financial planning from his background in mentoring and coaching. After time spent in the nonprofit world working alongside families experiencing homelessness and first-generation college students, Jared pursued financial planning to combine his passion of helping people identify, prioritize, and reach their goals with his passion for personal finance. With years of experience working with working professionals, business owners, and retirees, Jared aims to help clients align their finances with their values to live a fulfilling life. Navigating student loans with his wife, a pediatric resident physician, Jared immersed himself in the research and strategy of optimizing federal student loan management to help others incorporate efficient student loan planning into their financial life.

Jared lives in West Hartford, CT with his wife, Lauren, and black lab, Wrigley. When Jared and Lauren aren’t going on family walks in their neighborhood, trying a new international recipe, or soaking up live music, they pursue their wanderlust together, enjoying extended time in Ghana and Rwanda, among many other adventures elsewhere around the world.

Kathleen Boyd is a financial planner who holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER Professional™ (CFP®), Certified in Blockchain & Digital Assets (CBDA), and Certified Student Loan Professional (CSLP®) designations. Kathleen has worked in the financial services industry for over 10 years, having started her career in private wealth managing investment portfolios for institutional clients and working in boutique advisory firms providing comprehensive financial planning services for individuals. She is a proud first-generation college graduate and understands first-hand what it feels like to be saddled with education debt, having financed her own college education with student loans.

Kathleen lives in Southern California and loves to spend her free time enjoying everything the city has to offer, from the beautiful sandy beaches to weekend festivals and the occasional California burrito. Kathleen is also a faculty member in the Graduate Department of Family Financial Planning at Oklahoma State University.

Angie spent over a decade in education as a high school teacher and career advisor for undergraduate and graduate students. In addition, she spent a year teaching English in the Palestinian Territories and has worked closely with non-profits and service organizations all of her adult life.

Angie fell in love with personal finance while her family paid off $280,000+ of debt from graduate school. Her husband, a pediatrician, had gone to medical school on a partial scholarship. However, even with a modest amount of loans, by the time he finished residency, the loan balance had ballooned to a quarter of a million dollars. This, plus Angie’s graduate school debt, made them feel like they could not think about any other life goals — financial or otherwise — until the loans were paid.

In the process of figuring out how to pay the debt, Angie discovered the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) movement, where she binged on financial podcasts and blogs and developed a financial strategy to pay off their debt. She felt empowered by what she learned and became passionate about equipping others with the same knowledge. She decided to change careers and become a fiduciary financial planner to help Gen X, Millennial and Gen Z clients with the unprecedented financial issues affecting these generations, like student loans.

Angie enjoys spending time with her husband and their five children in the Monterey Bay area of California, where they live. She swims with her local Masters swim team several times per week, just completed her first marathon, and is actively involved in her church. She also enjoys travel, backpacking, reading and giving back to the community.

With an extensive track record of managing over $250 million in customer investable assets, Hermes has served as a Senior Financial Advisor at various firms including Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, AXA Advisors, and Citigroup. During this time, he realized that the conventional Wall Street approach to advising fell short in helping clients achieve their financial goals. Hermes is passionate about the fact that clients must always be the focal point of the advisor-client relationship, and no conflicts of interest should compromise the quality of advice. Furthermore, he advocates that everyone, including himself, should have a well-defined financial plan.

Beyond numbers and charts, Hermes loves life's adventures. Whether he's conquering mountain trails on his bike, enjoying sunny beach days with his family, or finding peace through Transcendental Meditation, he brings the same passion to finance as he does to his life.

Looking for someone with an extensive background in Wealth Management, who’s on a mission to simplify finance? Reach out to Hermes – he's here to provide clarity and strategies to tackle your financial challenges head-on.

David Aizuss is a seasoned financial professional dedicated to helping individuals navigate the intricacies of student loans. With a background as a commercial real estate appraiser from 2017 through 2020, David developed a sharp eye for financial nuances and honed his analytical skills.

Since 2021, David has been making a significant impact as a Mortgage Loan Officer. His journey in the mortgage industry showcases his commitment to guiding clients through the complexities of financial decisions, solidifying his reputation as a trusted advisor.

As a student loan advisor, David brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. His experience in both commercial real estate and mortgage lending uniquely positions him to offer comprehensive insights into financial planning.

What sets David apart is not just his technical proficiency but also his ability to communicate complex financial concepts in a clear and concise manner. Clients can trust him to demystify the student loan process and provide a roadmap to financial success.

Connor Pierce is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Certified Student Loan Counselor (CSLC®). He is a student loan consultant for Student Loan Planner, a paraplanner for SLP Wealth, and also the founder of After the DPT, where he partners with Universities and Businesses to educate their students and employees on student loans.

Connor’s expertise in student loans began with figuring out his own situation when he married his wife, who is also a DPT. As married DPTs, they get to enjoy double the debt, which is not exactly double the fun. Connor has taught at physical therapy and occupational therapy graduate schools around the country on handling student debt after graduation.

Most of his spare time is spent enjoying life with his wife and two kids. He loves working out, reading (or listening on Audible), and playing pretty much any sport (in college he played NCAA Division III basketball and football).

Ashley holds a Bachelor of Music (BMus) in Classical Music Performance and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communications from the University of North Carolina.

Certifications:

Candidate for Certified Student Loan Counselor (CSLC®) Certification

Logan Foltz is a psychiatrist who discovered the magic of investing and personal financing as a medical resident. Over the following ten years, what started as a quest to retire early transformed into a labor of love. He now enjoys helping other high-income professionals use financial literacy as a tool to create the life they want. He is a candidate for CFP® certification, and he enjoys helping with taxes because tax planning is integral to all aspects of effective financial planning. In addition to providing tax services at SLP Wealth, he volunteers as a tax preparer with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA).

When not crunching 1040’s, you can usually find Logan on the pickleball court or a mountain bike trail.

Samantha (Sam) Silberstein, CFP®, CSLP®, EA is an experienced financial consultant. She joined the Student Loan Planner team to be able to combine her financial planning background and experience of working with clients burdened by student debt in education, research, medical and government related fields. She works one-on-one with clients to provide guidance and a path forward on navigating the complexity of student loan debt, while balancing other long-term financial goals. She is passionate about working with individuals and organizations that come from communities who may have been historically underrepresented and may have had limited access to competent and ethical financial guidance. Sam is an advocate for building a financial life that is both sustainable and compatible with one's own values and desires.

A native Chinese speaker fluent in Japanese, Ting holds the CSLP (Certified Student Loan Professional) certificate and is a CFP® exam pass with the Certificate of Financial Planning from Boston University. With a decade of teaching experience, Ting noticed a gap in financial education and is committed to leveraging her language skills and financial knowledge to benefit the Asian community.

Passionate about helping others, Ting initiated a personal finance curriculum at her school, conducted seminars for first-generation immigrants, and provided assistance to friends and coworkers in areas such as employee benefits, taxes, and retirement planning. Transitioning from education to personal financial planning, Ting is an active member of the FPA Long Island chapter’s pro bono and NextGen committees, dedicated to simplifying complex financial decisions.

Notably, Ting received the FPA DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) scholarship for her outstanding efforts, supporting immigrants and fostering financial literacy in underserved communities. In her spare time, Ting enjoys hiking, playing tennis, hip-hop dance, rock-climbing, and traveling, reflecting her adventurous spirit and love for exploring new horizons. Currently, Ting dedicates her spare time to working for a nonprofit in Chinatown, NY, contributing to helping Chinese immigrants navigate financial challenges.

Carrie Nicholson is the HR & Business Manager for SLP Wealth and has been with the team since 2018, as one of the first team members hired. She has over 12 years of experience in the finance industry as an accountant and tax professional. Her previous experience includes working as a tax specialist for H&R Block as well as an accountant in the oil & gas industry in Texas. When Carrie is not attending team meetings or helping clients, she enjoys cooking with her chef husband and trying new foods. She also loves being outdoors in the mountains near her home in Colorado.

Andrew holds a B.S. in Personal Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.