Learn the work
Master the financial tools, responsibilities and details that can materially affect a family’s future.
Shirley Luu · Founder of SLA
She was pushed
to the edge.
She chose to fly.
Before there was a thriving financial organization, two best-selling books or national recognition, there was a mother of three confronting grief, uncertainty and a future she never expected.
Read her story ↓
The moment everything changed
A safety net
that was no longer there.
Shirley’s husband had died—and in tragic fashion. Then she discovered that the life insurance policy she believed would protect her family had lapsed.
At the very moment she was supposed to be grieving, the safety net she thought was beneath her was gone. Loss became financial uncertainty, and uncertainty came with the immense responsibility of raising three children on her own.
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She sat in a McDonald’s with her two daughters and son, the children occupied with their French fries while she quietly considered the chaos that had overtaken their lives.
On the outside, she was silent. Inside, the future of her family—their home, their security, their hopes and plans—felt as though it were in free fall.
The decision
“I chose to fly.”
Shirley decided that loss would not define the rest of her life. She would not merely survive. She would learn, build and create a different future for her children—and help other families understand the protections and possibilities available to them.
From hardship to purpose
The loss became
a mission for life.
The woman who had been hurt by the absence of life insurance chose to make her career in financial services.
Her purpose was deeply personal: help families preserve and strengthen their financial security, and help them understand their options before life forced the lesson upon them.
Teach with clarity
Give people the understanding she once needed so they can make informed, confident decisions.
Develop professionals
Train like-minded licensed associates to lead with knowledge, discipline and genuine care.
Expand the impact
Build an organization capable of serving families, individuals and business owners across the country.
What came after
A family strengthened.
An impact multiplied.
More than three decades later, Shirley’s family has flourished. Her children have grown into accomplished adults, and she is now a proud grandmother.
Her professional mission has grown as well. Shirley has helped families establish financial security, trained financial professionals across the country and built a team of like-minded licensed associates committed to education and responsible service.
Forbes 50 Over 50Investment honoree
Two best-selling booksIUL ASAP and FIA ASAP
Nationwide organizationRooted in McLean, Virginia
What Shirley believes
Understanding creates
the power to choose.
Financial language should never leave people feeling smaller, more confused or less capable than when the conversation began.
Shirley believes people who understand their options are better prepared to make decisions—and that better decisions can lead to stronger families, more confident retirements and more intentional legacies.
That belief remains at the center of SLA.What about you?
Your story
matters, too.
Meet with an SLA licensed professional to talk through the people, responsibilities and goals you want your financial plan to support.
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