Process
I am happy to meet with anyone for a free consultation on the phone or in person to discuss my services in more detail, answer any questions, and determine if my services are appropriate and beneficial for you.
I am very flexible in how I work with clients. The following is an example of the most common method, and the typical steps of the financial planning process. However, I want to accommodate clients who wish to operate on a different schedule, or choose to focus only on a certain area. All meetings are by appointment only. Please contact me via phone or email with any questions or to set up a time to meet to determine if my services can be of benefit to you.
Initial meeting - Defining goals and objectives; taking financial inventory
After the decision has been made to work together, at the first meeting we will take note of your current financial circumstances by looking at documents that you provide, such as investment statements, insurance declaration pages, pay stubs, tax returns, etc. We will also define financial goals with regard to retirement, survivorship, cash flow, education funding, estate succession, etc, as desired and applicable.
Creation of the plan
Based on the information collected in the first meeting, I will create a financial plan consisting of analysis of the current financial circumstances and recommendations to assist you in meeting your financial objectives. My recommendations are based on fundamental analysis, and information from third-party research, prospectuses and annual reports, internet sources, and financial media.
Second meeting - Presentation of the plan
At our second meeting I will go over the plan with you in detail. You are under no obligation to implement my recommendations. You are free to implement recommendations through any broker or company of your choosing. If desired, I will assist you in working directly with a broker or custodian or insurance company, as applicable, to implement recommendations. As a fee-only planner, I do not sell any products or earn commissions, and am not affiliated with any broker or insurance company in any way.
Please see my form ADV part 2 brochure Item 12 for more details regarding brokerage practices.
Review
As desired, we will review annually or more frequently to update the financial plan and make changes, as financial circumstances change.
Ongoing
I encourage my clients to contact me on an ongoing basis with any questions that may come up, or for clarification on any matter. I believe the 'value of improved decision-making' is one of the benefits of a fee-only planner and an annual retainer.