Mary Holland Nader Launches A Different Kind Of A Finance App
by Eddie Roche · Daily Front Row43
The Nader sisters are at it again! Mary Holland Nader has launched Mary & Pip, a new kind of finance app to help make financial decisions easier to understand. The former Deutsche Bank private wealth manager turned entrepreneur, model and star of Hulu’s Love Thy Nader has teamed up with Kara Cooke on the platform to combine personalized financial guidance, investing, and proven behavioral science to help build better money habits. Nader tells The Daily how the idea came together, who they are targeting to use it, and how you can try it out with a DFR discount!
How did the idea of the personal finance app come to you, and what does it do?
A lot of my inspiration came from my unique experience working across two very different industries – finance and fashion. Specifically in the glam chair and on set, talking to the makeup artists, stylists, photographers, and other freelancers who make a shoot happen. They were making good money but kept asking me, “Where do I even start?” Mary & Pip is an all-in-one wealth management app that pairs private-banking-style guidance with behavioral science. You link your accounts, we show you what’s missing (high yield cash, managed investing, or retirement), and then we manage your investments for you. Your Financial Health Score and weekly Money Ritual help turn good intentions into lasting habits. And it looks more like a wellness app than a finance app: no graphs, no jargon.
Who is the app for exactly?
Anyone with money anxiety. Right now we’re seeing mostly young professionals, 25 to 35, who are earning good money but don’t quite meet the minimums of a private bank. They deserve real guidance too, and they shouldn’t have to wait until they’re “rich enough” to get it.
There are a lot of finance apps out there. How do you differentiate yourselves?
We remove the decision paralysis from wealth management. Most apps hand you a hundred options and expect you to figure it out. With Mary & Pip, you don’t have to stress about what to invest in: professionals actively manage and monitor your portfolio for you. Every feature is informed by behavioral science, because we wanted the experience to feel calm, safe, and encouraging. More like a deep breath than a to-do list.
You have a background in finance. Tell us a little about your professional history.
I worked in wealth management for five years before starting Mary & Pip. At Deutsche Bank, I was an investment manager, essentially the investment specialist for the ultra wealthy. I held my Series 7 and 66 licenses and spent all day deep in portfolio construction and strategy for some of the UHNW families. That’s where I learned that the fundamentals of personal finance are the same whether you have $10 million or $10,000. The difference is that the ultra wealthy have someone guiding them.
We’re pretty sure who the Mary is in Mary & Pip, but who is Pip and what’s the story with the title?
The name has layers! It’s a nod to Lord of the Rings: Merry and Pippin were the lighthearted, fun duo of the story, and that’s exactly the energy we want people to feel when they open the app. Money doesn’t have to feel heavy. There are sneakily a lot of Lord of the Rings references in tech, so I took it as a good omen. We swapped in “Mary” for me and shortened Pippin to “Pip,” which is also a little finance Easter egg. PIP stands for Periodic Investment Plan: investing a little bit, consistently, over time. That’s exactly what we want to encourage. We always say wealth building is a practice, and consistency is key, so we built the app to reinforce those habits. On top of that, the name feels human, quietly smart, and chic, of course.
How are you going to be getting the word out?
Community first, always. Our 35 college ambassadors are bringing money conversations to campuses (because “they don’t teach us this stuff in school”), and we host in-person events across the country, since money feels so isolating. Add in my podcast, Growing Interest, and Love Thy Nader, where viewers watched me pitch the idea in Season 1 and will see the build in Season 2!
How much is the app and how can people find it?
Mary & Pip is live on the App Store now! Everyone gets a 10-day free trial to explore before being charged. After that, it’s $14.99 a month or $125 a year, which comes out to about $2.40 a week to prioritize your financial health. We think of it like a gym membership for your money, because that’s really what it is. And for Daily Front Row readers, use code DAILYFRONTROW for 30% off your first year!
What’s been the best part of putting this all together?
Building it alongside our community. It feels so good to hear feedback and be able to act on it right away. Talking to users is honestly my new favorite pastime! We already have a lot of updates planned based on what we’ve heard since launch, and I can’t wait to keep building.
Naturally, Nader launched the app with a party! She and her friends and family came out to Crane Club’s Bar CC over the weekend to celebrate. See the photos below!