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Whether working from her log cabin office in Washington or sunnier South American locales, Nancy Nelson's nearpaperless support system gives her the flexibility she needs.
Technology helps independent financial planner Nancy Nelson lead a simpler life close to nature. She and her husband, Dan Fender, live 10 miles from the nearest town, Olympia, Wash., in a log cabin they built. And Nelson works 100 feet away in a "high-tech cottage." Fender, who does financial research to support her business, Nancy C. Nelson & Associates, also handles all the technology, including customized business software.
Using Schwab as her back office, Nelson designed her fee-only, almost paperless practice for flexibility so she can spend up to four months each year in what she calls a "remote office," far from the dark, rainy Northwest.
Two years ago, the couple went to coastal Chile, and last year, Puerto Vallarta. This year, they will head to Costa Rica for two months. Next summer, she plans to celebrate her 50th birthday by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
Except the jaunt to Africa, these trips aren't vacations. They're more like retreats during which she reads and develops new business strategies. All year she puts aside...