ABOUT MICHELE RICHTER, CPA
Experience & Practice
Michele earned her CPA (Certified Public Accountant) designation in January 1992 from the state of New Jersey. During that time, those three little letters required three big milestones. First, completing the undergraduate business program at the Rutgers School of Business in New Brunswick and securing her Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Next, passing a four-part monster CPA examination that was three days long. She did so in the top 3%. Lastly, she met the experience requirement by "cutting her chops" at a small satellite office of a large regional CPA firm for two years. She spent several more years there gaining the knowledge and managerial skills needed to do it all on her own.
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Michele's tax practice began in October 1996 upon the birth of her daughter. Her dream had always been to have her own business working from home. The goal of building her family and her practice together was achieved. Over the years, Michele has assisted and advised hundreds of clients. Now that her daughter has recently launched from the nest, Michele is ready to greet the next stage.​
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After investing 25+ years as the on-call consultant, Michele has learned she is a big believer in BALANCE. Balance not just with numbers and money, but with life. Financial security and life fulfillment share the ride. YourDrive is a map that balances both to your comfortable route and pace. Your plan will change as you develop balance awareness and determination's drive along the road of growth. I'm looking forward to continuing my own YourDrive journey by helping you bring dreams into focus and remaining your independent source of drive support for the long way round.
MICHELE'S BIO
Michele's first job was working in her father's auto body repair shop, along with blue-collar guys who nicknamed her "Scooter Crunch" after the ice cream popsicles she bought on summer days. It was there that she caught the small business and accounting bugs. She prepared her dad's books, learned customer service, and instilled a strong work ethic by watching her mother. That time nurtured a deep desire to run her own business someday.
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Volunteering is another big part of her story. She has played piano for children and the elderly, as well as performed piano accompaniment for choirs from her high school days through today. Professionally, she helped start a credit union and has been elected Treasurer more times than even she can count. Serving in other board positions in two writing associations developed her blogging skills. She's still working on a science fiction novel and a fantasy/fairy tale, hoping to finish them in retirement while volunteering for Make-A-Wish. She is especially proud of her eight years volunteering as a pit crew roadie moving instruments and props for her daughter's high school marching band. Loading the front of an 18-wheeler truck was her joy, and she misses parkouring between shelves and her nickname of "Xena."
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Michele enjoys singing, Doctor Who, and is a Disney World fanatic. Her home office is a salute to Disney's Beauty and the Beast, which is what taxes can be without proper advisement. She lives with her CFP® husband and a Labrador Retriever in Central New Jersey.