We strive to provide you with the best financial planning advice. We want to ensure your financial plans and goals incorporate key elements for financial success. For most people, the key elements include some or all of the following:
- Establishing Financial Goals: Have I created a set of reasonable and worthwhile financial goals for myself and my family? Can I afford the kind of retirement that I’d like to have? Am I protecting my financial assets against bear markets and inflation?
- Investments: Am I making appropriate investments for myself and my family? Am I earning an adequate return on my investments?
- Taxes: Am I managing my money and my investments so that I minimize my annual tax bill? What changes can I make for myself or my family to lower my tax liability?
- Planning and Record Keeping: Do I have a basic plan in place? Do I keep appropriate records for my finances and investments?
- Insurance: Do I have the right insurance for myself and my family? Am I buying too much or too little? Is there unnecessary overlap in my insurance policies?
- Personal Credit: Is my credit score as high as it could be? Can I improve my credit score and thereby lower my credit card or other interest expenses?
- Home: Do I have the best mortgage(s) for my home(s) given my personal financial situation? Should I consider refinancing, extending, or paying-off early my mortgage(s)?
- Education: Am I saving as efficiently as possible for my children’s education? For additional education for myself or my spouse?
- Charitable Giving: Am I donating to my favorite charities in a way that maximizes their potential as tax deductions? Am I doing all I can to ensure my donations have as much impact as possible?
- Estate Planning: Do I have a good plan in place to transfer financial assets to my heirs and to my favorite charities once I am gone? Am I doing so in a way that minimizes estate taxes and fees to banks or other financial institutions?
We work with you to address these issues and others that may be specific to your situation. Of course, as you work toward retirement, your personal situation—your needs or goals—may change, and we want to plan with flexibility in mind. These are all issues we discuss with you as we work together to plan responsibly for your financial future.
