What is Financial Planning?

Financial planning can be a life-long process that assists you and your family in taking control of your financial future.  By setting financial goals, developing and implementing financial strategies, and monitoring progress on a regular basis, the likelihood of achieving your results is greatly increased.

We suggest there are usually five steps in the preparation of a professional financial plan:

• An opening interview to assess your current financial situation and to identify your priorities and concerns.
• Gathering information to develop a profile of your current situation including a review of your financial information and relevant documents.  We will analyze this data to be certain we understand your unique situation and how to address it.
• Presenting the planning analysis during a strategy session allowing you to understand where you are in relation to where you want to be in the future.
• Using the plan as a blue print, develop an implementation schedule and identify specific products and services to help you reach your goals.
• The last step in the process is the periodic review of your financial situation.  At a minimum, we recommend you assess the need for any changes annually.  Even the best financial plan must be monitored on a regular basis to make sure you are continuing in the right direction.

Why develop a financial plan?

Most people find that managing their finances is a challenge.  We face many opportunities, obstacles, and hazards along the way. We struggle with anxiety relating to our personal financial circumstances.  Further, many families are too busy dealing with the challenges of day-to-day life to think about next month; let alone retirement, which may be twenty years or more into the future.

By developing a financial plan, you and your family:

• Will have a better understanding of your current financial situation.
• Determine attainable retirement, education, insurance, and other financial goals.
• Review goals, funding strategies, and alternatives where goals have to be compromised.
• Have the necessary financial resources set aside to fund your goals as they occur.
• Reduce the effect of unexpected events, such as disability, premature death, etc.

A Final Thought!

Remember to maintain a long-term focus with your plan.  Do not expect to anticipate every curve in the road, but be prepared to adjust your plan when necessary.  Your financial plan is not a single event but a journey that may cover ten, twenty and thirty years or longer.