Debra is a Fee-Only CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with her Master’s Degree in Retirement Planning. She holds the Accredited Estate Planner designation and has 40 years’ experience (yes it was child labor 🙂 ) in personal finance.

Debra founded Empowered Retirement, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), which is held to strict fiduciary standards, coinciding with how Debra & her firm have always provided service. Each client’s interests are not only primary, the client’s interests are Empowered Retirement’s objective, period. She strategizes with clients to either accumulate wealth or, once retired, enjoy a sustainable lifetime income stream by effectively managing the sequence of return, longevity & inflation risks.

An International Motivational Speaker, Amazon Best-Selling Author & Certified Grief Coach, Debra has helped hundreds of clients face and conquer their money fears and attain financial security.  She uses humor and every-day analogies as well as her financial prowess in breaking down complex financial concepts into bit-sized nuggets.

Armed with over 4 decades of experience working with couples, widowed folks & singles nearing retirement, she has authored 3 books, Ms. Morrison’s Dictionary of Useful Financial Investment Terms, Common Sense Money Guide For Women, and My Husband Died, Now What? A Widow’s Guide to Grief Recovery & Smart Financial Decisions.

Debra’s special personal attributes, coupled with her wealth of wise experience, have given her such credibility that she has been featured on CNN, ABC, MSG’s Metro Money and CNNfn, as well as being quoted in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Nation’s Business, Ladies Home Journal, Business Week, Family Money, Garden State Woman, Investment News, Dermatology Business Management, Journal of Financial Planning, Money, CNN Money, Financial Advisor, America Online’s Moneywise, The Star Ledger and Reader’s Digest. 

Debra is the recipient of Marquis’ Who’s Who Women of Influence Award. She is listed in Marquis’ Who’s Who in Finance & Industry, Who’s Who of American Women, as well as National Register’s Who’s Who in Executives and Business.

In 2008, Debra was named one of New Jersey’s Best 50 Women in Business as well as Women’s Fund of New Jersey, Extraordinary Woman in Finance, and 2011’s Leading Woman Entrepreneur & Business Owner of New Jersey.

Debra’s passions include world travel, scuba diving, golf (don’t worry, her handicap is very low), skiing, boating & photography.