WHY FINANCIAL PLANNING?
No one wakes up randomly one day thinking they need a financial advisor. There's usually some trigger or life transition, whether it's getting married, changing careers, expanding your family, or saving for or planning to retire. All of these key milestones bring up critical questions to answer. Unfortunately, it's typically not so easy to find the right answer or even know where to start...and for good reason.
We're taught history, science, and math in school, but nothing about personal finance. In the back of your head, you may think since you got an 'A' in math class, you should be able to tackle your finances, because after all, numbers are numbers.
You may even start trying to figure out how to answer your questions by doing Google searches and reading articles from various media outlets.
Pouring over article after article, you realize most are broad in nature, some contradict each other, and a lot of the time, they only cover a sliver of what you're interested in and don't quite pertain to your particular situation.
After doing some research, you're even more confused than before, may now be suffering from analysis paralysis, and decide to give up for now, leaving your questions for another day.
This is where financial planning could help and make your life much easier.
WHAT FINANCIAL PLANNING CAN DO FOR YOU
From the beginning, financial planning is about you. I partner with you to understand where you are today, figure out what's possible for the future, and envision, structure, and plan for your great life.
At a high level, that means helping you solidify your goals. I've found that starting with establishing your goals gives you greater perspective and meaning on why you do what you do every day and how those little actions fit into the bigger picture.
From an immediate and day-to-day perspective, that means helping you get a handle on those large unanswered questions, simplifying what you need to know and drowning out the noise of extraneous details, and giving you specific and actionable recommendations, across all facets of your financial life.
My mission is to ensure your hard-earned money is working in a way to give you the best chance to reach your goals.
WHAT FINANCIAL PLANNING COVERS
Each financial planning engagement is customized to a particular client's needs and goals. Topics covered often include:
HOW WE WORK TOGETHER
- Introductory Call - The financial planning process starts with a free 30 minute call that allows us to get to know each other better. We'll discuss your financial situation, goals and objectives, and the ways we can work together.
- Financial Planning Packages - Based on our initial call, we'll jointly determine the best way for us to work together. I offer two financial planning packages:
Quick Start Planning
Comprehensive Planning
Overview: Comprehensive planning provides a full and thorough review of your finances. This package could be structured as a one-time or an ongoing engagement, depending on your needs.
Overview: Quick start planning is a one-time session that addresses your most pressing financial topics.
What's Included:
- 1.5 hour meeting to discuss questions and goals
- Follow-up email with recommendations and an action plan
Pricing: $500
What's Included:
- 1-2 hour discovery meeting
- 1-2 hour plan delivery meeting
- Comprehensive financial plan
- Client dashboard*
- Quarterly meetings*
- Unlimited email support*
- Proactive guidance*
Pricing: $1,000-5,000 upfront; $100-500 ongoing*
*Ongoing clients only
MY FINANCIAL PLANNING PHILOSOPHY
A good plan starts with understanding your goals.
At the heart of a solid financial plan is knowing where you are today and where you want to go.
Financial planning is about much more than just investing.
Investing is just one of the many tools available to help you reach your goals and is often over-emphasized.
Everything is connected.
One financial decision often affects every other aspect of your financial life. When I work with you, I take into account all facets of a decision to determine if it's truly the best move for your entire financial life.
Costs matter.
Taxes and fees can materially impact your net investment return. I take special care to help you minimize these costs.
Regardless of how much you make, your spending is also important.
While increasing money coming in (e.g., salary) matters, keeping a good handle on how much is going out is equally important.
I don't believe in budgeting, but I do emphasize knowing where you spend your money and I help you understand the trade-offs between current spending and achieving future goals.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Everyone has a different situation and what's best for one client may not be best for another. I develop custom plans and recommendations tailored to your specific situation and goals.
You are not a spreadsheet.
While I love spreadsheets, I understand that what may be optimal from a math perspective may not give you the most peace of mind. Rather than looking at just the dollars and cents, I take into account the overall impact of a recommendation to help you determine what would be best for you.
Achieving your financial goals requires hard work and commitment.
Even with a financial planner, achieving your financial goals will take hard work on your part. Only those truly committed to reaching their financial goals should proceed.
TAKE THE FIRST STEP
If you're ready to get started, please contact me to set up an initial call to discuss your goals and needs. I look forward to helping you take control of your finances and ensure you're on the path to reach your personal and financial goals.