Pavlov Financial Planning is an independent Registered Investment Advisor located in the Capital region of the USA, dedicated to serving globally mobile professionals and multi-national families.

Learn more and schedule an introductory meeting with our financial planners, Hui-chin Chen and Sefa Mawuli, below.

Hui-chin Chen, CFP®

Principal & Owner of Pavlov Financial Planning

As a first generation immigrant to the US and a globally mobile professional, I know firsthand how much time and energy goes into making prudent financial decisions involving ties in more than one country.

I have felt the pain of not getting the financial advice I needed when I:

• Married someone from another country
• Became a US permanent resident and then dual citizen
• Moved globally for work
• Dealt with family affairs outside of the US
• Returned to the US after living overseas

This is why I dedicate myself to help those who are and will be in the same boat. We have explored the options so I can guide you through them. Together we will structure your finances in a way that will allow you to enjoy global living, and I will be there to support you through your journey.

Since joining Pavlov Financial Planning in 2014, I have developed expertise in guiding globally mobile professionals to simplify, organize, and make good decisions for their complex financial lives scattered around the world. I particularly enjoy helping couples in their 20s to 40s become true financial partners and work together as a team.

Graduated from Carnegie Mellon University and National Taiwan University, I speak fluent English, Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese, and am conversational in Spanish and Japanese. I am able to work with clients that prefer to converse in Mandarin.

As a member of XY Planning Network and The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA), I promise to uphold fiduciary standard and always put your best interest first.

My work was recognized in 2017, when I was named one of the 40 under 40 Financial Advisors by InvestmentNews. I have also been featured in news outlet such as Forbes, CNN, CBS News, CNBC, and Bloomberg. I also write about the intersection of global living and financial planning on Money Matters for Globetrotters.

Sefa Mawuli, CFP®

Financial Planner

• as a busy corporate professional and new US immigrant navigating the US financial system
• as I transitioned from student visa to H1B to green card, then to naturalized citizen
• as I navigated employer-granted equity compensation, home purchase, entrepreneurial pursuits in the US and abroad
• as I sorted through taxes and other administrative details when I moved abroad with my young family
• as I budget for regular and necessary international trips that aren’t exactly cheap
• as I plan for retirement which may or may not happen in the US, and save for my kids who may or may not go to college in the US…
  …you get it.

My practice approach is hands-on and ongoing. I act as a personal CFO: working closely with my clients to manage their overall financial lives – and the various life events that pop up.

I am a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and fee-only financial adviser because I learned the hard way that to get real financial advice that serves your best interest, your adviser should be compensated by only you (no commissions or incentives from insurance companies or brokerages).

Originally from West Africa, I have lived in Papua New Guinea, England and New Zealand. I manage a bilingual (French/English) household with my spouse, Mike and our two children. When I’m not financial planning or volunteering at my kids’ activities, you’ll find me running on the roads and trails around the Washington DC area or checking out a music venue.

If you’re seeking a long-term partnership with a comprehensive financial planner who can guide you through all aspects of your financial life in the US and wherever life may take you, send me a note and we’ll figure out if we’re a mutual fit.