A Structured Approach to Retirement Planning
Compass Haven Financial works with individuals and families nearing retirement to organize income decisions, coordinate tax-aware strategy and manage risk with discipline – so clients can make confident choices without relying on speculation or short-term market timing.
Why I Built COMPASS™
Retirement decisions are interconnected—income, taxes, investments, risk, and legacy planning all influence one another. Most people do not need more products. They need a coordinated process.
I built COMPASS™ to provide a disciplined framework that brings order to complex financial decisions and helps clients move forward with clarity and confidence.
What You Can Expect
You can expect disciplined thinking, clear communication, and a structured process. I do not chase trends or make reactive decisions based on headlines. Every recommendation is built within a coordinated framework designed to protect income, manage risk, and create long-term financial stability.
Leadership, Strategy, and Financial Stewardship
Heather Ladd founded Compass Haven Financial with a clear conviction: retirement planning requires structure, disciplined thinking, and thoughtful leadership.
A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Human Factors Engineering, Heather served as a U.S. Air Force Officer for ten years, leading national-level manpower and personnel strategies across assignments in Illinois, Washington, Japan, Korea, Alabama, and Colorado. While serving on active duty, she earned her Master of Science in Human Resources from Chapman University, reinforcing her commitment to both leadership and advanced organizational strategy.
In high-stakes military environments, she was responsible for operational planning, resource management, and guiding personnel decisions where clarity and accountability were critical.
Following her military service, Heather served as Human Resources Director for a large electrical contracting firm managing multi-billion-dollar infrastructure projects throughout the United States. In that role, she oversaw workforce strategy, executive planning, regulatory compliance, and large-scale organizational operations within complex financial and operational systems.
She later transitioned into entrepreneurship and financial consulting, where she has spent the past several years helping individuals strengthen financial foundations, improve credit positioning, and implement disciplined long-term strategies.
Across every phase of her career — military leadership, executive management, and entrepreneurship — one principle has remained constant: complex systems require structure. That philosophy is the foundation of the COMPASS™ Retirement Framework.
Retirement planning is not about reacting to headlines. It is about coordinated decision-making, disciplined risk management, and long-term financial stewardship.
A Calm, Structured Approach
Today, Compass Haven Financial serves individuals and families who value thoughtful planning, tax coordination, and long-term financial stewardship.
The focus is simple: bring clarity to complex decisions and build retirement strategies designed to endure.