WHY FINANCIAL PLANNING?
No one suddenly wakes up one day with the thought, "I need to get started with financial planning!" Usually, the decision is triggered by a new situation or life transition, like getting married, changing careers, expanding your family, or saving for or planning to retire. These issues bring up critical questions that will impact your future well-being. But finding the right answers — or even knowing where to start — is not so easy ... and for good reason.
We're taught history, science, and math in school, but nothing about personal finance. Independent research may make you even more confused because many articles contradict each other, or are broad in nature. The truth is, everyone's situation is unique, and no "one-size answer" fits all.
This is where financial planning could help make your life much easier.
WHY WORK WITH ME?
I believe that financial planning is about much more than just investing.
I focus my practice on comprehensive financial planning, rather than piecemeal services like choosing investments or creating a budget, because one decision often affects every other aspect of your financial life. When I work with you, I consider all facets of a decision to determine the best move on a holistic level.
Your goals are my priority.
From the beginning, my approach to 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 next steps.
I've found that if you establish your goals first, you will gain a greater perspective and meaning on why you do what you do every day and how those little actions fit into the bigger picture.
I make finance understandable and empowering.
Let's face it: finance can feel intimidating. Sometimes, impossibly so. Throughout our work together, my goal is to educate and empower you, so that you'll have the confidence to move forward with peace of mind. (You can get a sense of my style by checking out my blog.)
By drawing on my combination of hands-on client experience and extensive training, I'm able to break down complex situations and decisions into clear, understandable strategies. From a practical 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.
At the end of the engagement, you'll have a clear plan forward with specific and actionable recommendations, across all facets of your financial life.
WHAT TOPICS WILL WE COVER?
Each financial planning engagement is customized to address your unique situation and personal goals. Areas of focus often include:
Through our work together, you will gain recommendations that will help you save, grow, and protect your money.
SavING YouR Money
I'll analyze your income, expenses, and net worth to understand where you are today. Drawing on this information, I'll then help you identify savings opportunities by reviewing expenses, employee benefits, outstanding debt, and previous tax returns.
I'll also create a plan to help you simplify large decisions and goals, such as buying a home, changing careers, starting a business, saving for college, and planning for financial independence or retirement.
GrowING Your Money
With your goals in mind, I analyze your investment portfolio and recommend any necessary changes to 1) what you should be invested in (asset allocation) and 2) which account each investment should be in (asset location) — while helping you minimize investment fees and taxes.
I'll also review any exposure to company stock and other concentrated stock positions.
ProtectING Your Money
Protecting your money is a central step toward achieving your financial goals that is easy to overlook. I will make sure you have the appropriate insurance coverage and estate planning tools in place to protect the money you have saved and grown, so that you and your family can gain true, long-term financial stability.
HOW WILL WE WORK TOGETHER?
Comprehensive Financial Planning
Every comprehensive planning engagement includes the following:
Complimentary Introductory Call (30 minutes): We'll discuss your financial situation and goals, and you'll be able to ask me any questions about the planning process and how we work together.
Initial Planning Meeting (1-2 hours): We'll talk about where you are today and where you want to go. After the meeting, you'll receive a full summary of topics discussed, initial recommendations, and next steps.
Plan Presentation Meeting (1-2 hours): I'll provide a comprehensive, easy-to-understand plan, outlining recommendations and action steps. We will review the plan together to make sure you understand everything. After this meeting, you'll continue to receive email reminders about agreed-upon action items to help ensure successful implementation.
*All introductory calls are done by phone. Initial planning and plan presentation meetings can be done in-person or via phone/video conference, depending on your preference.
Pricing starts at:
$1,800 for Individuals
$3,000 for Couples
ADDITIONAL Planning Support
After your initial plan development, you can continue to work with me in the following ways:
Optional Check-In Meeting (within 3 months of plan presentation): Within 3 months of the plan presentation meeting, we can schedule a 1-hour meeting to make sure your plan implementation is going smoothly and I can answer any questions you may have. The cost for a check-in meeting is $100.
Hourly Check-In Meetings (after 3 months of plan presentation): After 3 months, you can continue to periodically check in with me to discuss questions or situations that arise, at an hourly rate of $300.
Ongoing Planning Support: On a limited basis, I offer ongoing planning support, which includes assistance in implementing your plan, proactive advice, and guidance on ad hoq situations as they arise. Fees for ongoing planning support will be determined after the plan presentation meeting.
Hourly Financial Planning
If you have very targeted financial questions or are early in your career, hourly financial planning may be an efficient and effective option.
Hourly financial planning is $300 an hour and is typically done virtually. A 2-hour minimum applies to in-person meetings.
divorce Financial Planning
For those thinking about or currently going through a divorce, divorce financial planning can help you make sense of your current financial situation, give you an understanding of your future financial needs, and provide you with the short-term and long-term impact of various divorce settlements.
As a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® professional, I can help you organize your financial data, develop budgets for post-divorce scenarios, calculate spousal/maintenance and child support payments, determine the tax consequences of settlement scenarios and asset sales, and ultimately, provide you with the financial information you need to make more informed decisions.
Pricing for divorce financial planning is based on the complexity of your particular situation, and will be determined after an initial 30-minute call.
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
Simply click the link below to complete the initial inquiry form or email me directly at roger@lifelaidout.com, to begin the process.