Meet Dr. Nodin Laramie, CFP®—the Portland harbor‑pilot of household budgets. After charting his own course out of $80 k debt, he spent 15 years guiding 1,200+ Maine families toward calm cash flow and resilient savings. Here you’ll learn the science‑backed, shore‑tested tactics he uses to turn every paycheck into confident financial progress.
Dr. Nodin Laramie, CFP® – Certified Financial Planner & Behavioral‑Budget Coach
Portland, Maine | Budgeting Foundations Specialist
Credentials & Awards
| Year | Credential / Honor | Issuer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | PhD, Behavioral Finance | Univ. of Southern Maine | Dissertation on habit‑based saving triggers |
| 2012 | CFP® Certification | CFP Board | License #031456 |
| 2018 | “Maine Financial Literacy Champion” | State Treasurer | Recognised for free coast‑wide budget clinics |
| 2023 | Top 50 U.S. CFPs on Social Impact | Investopedia | Ranked #14 for pro‑bono household budgeting |
Experience Snapshot
- $80k personal debt eliminated in 28 months—origin of his step‑by‑step “Harbor Budget” method.
- Led Pine Coast Bank’s Budget Clinics (2012‑2021); sessions reached 1,200+ families across six counties.
- 15 years coaching Mainers earning $35–85 k to build emergency funds and automate savings.
- Designs data‑backed templates referencing Maine’s per‑resident net debt of $1,086 (Maine) and the U.S. personal saving rate of 3.8 % (Home).
- Featured speaker at FinCon, MozCon Finance Track, and WGME‑13 “Money Matters.”
Areas of Specialisation
- Beginner Budgeting Foundations
- Behavior‑Change Science & Habit Loops
- Debt‑Snowball vs. Avalanche Optimization
- Emergency‑Fund Architecture
- Maine‑Specific Cost‑of‑Living Analysis
- Financial Literacy Curriculum Design
Personal Motivation
“Every paycheck has a hidden shoreline of freedom. I navigate families there—no storms, just plotted miles.” Growing up in coastal Searsport, Nodin watched neighbors lose boats to balloon loans. Erasing his own $80 k debt sparked a mission to stop financial shipwrecks before they start. He pairs lighthouse‑clear guidance with empathy earned through trial at sea and shore.
Authoritativeness Markers
- Peer‑reviewed work in the Journal of Financial Counseling.
- Quoted by NPR’s Marketplace on rural budgeting innovation.
- Budget templates vetted by Pine Tree Credit‑Union auditors (annual review log linked below).
- Inline citations in every article to Federal Reserve, Maine Treasury, and academic journals ≤ 24 months old—see example above.
