Financial Planning
Creating clarity and confidence for your financial journey
Education
Home & Career
Growth & Wealth
Retirement
Legacy
Comprehensive Planning,
Complimentary Service
We offer comprehensive financial planning services, provided free of charge to our investment management clients, including participants in the 401k plans we advise.
For us, financial planning isn’t just an optional add-on—it’s often the starting point of our client relationships. We recognize that investments must align with your unique goals, risk tolerance, and financial outlook.
“We are not salespeople who send info to others to derive glossy and imminently stale reports. We are analysts who use our acumen to help our clients effectively achieve their goals.”
— Our Planning Philosophy
Our Planning Approach
Complimentary service for investment clients
Personalized strategies for your unique situation
Direct work with experienced financial analysts
Comprehensive approach to your financial life
Our Planning Services
We provide expert guidance across key areas of your financial life
Retirement Planning
Planning for retirement is a significant endeavor that requires careful consideration and strategic foresight. Whether you’re envisioning an early retirement filled with adventure or a leisurely one spent with loved ones, we’ll help you navigate the complexities.
Learn more about our approachEducation Funding
The pursuit of education has become increasingly expensive, often presenting a significant financial burden for families striving to support the dreams of their children and grandchildren. We’ll help you navigate these complexities.
Learn more about our approachEstate Planning
Often difficult to bring up, estate planning is important. We will all pass, and those who survive us will have to deal with our ‘stuff’. To the extent we wish to provide direction and create a legacy, we should make arrangements.
Learn more about our approachAd Hoc Analysis
If a decision, plan, or project involves finance and math, we can help. From refinancing mortgages to choosing between investment options, we provide customized support to assist with important decisions.
Learn more about our approachSecure Your Retirement Future
Planning for retirement is a significant endeavor that requires careful consideration and strategic foresight. Whether you’re envisioning an early retirement filled with adventure or a leisurely one spent with loved ones, we’re here to help you navigate the complexities and perhaps discover possibilities you may have prematurely ruled out.
Our Retirement Planning Process
Assessment of Preparedness
We’ll analyze your current financial situation and determine whether you’re on track to achieve your retirement objectives. This includes reviewing your current savings, investments, anticipated expenses, and expected income sources during retirement.
Gap Analysis and Solutions
If we discover any shortfalls between your retirement goals and your resources as currently projected, we’ll present tailored solutions to help you bridge those gaps. Whether such involves increasing savings, adjusting investment strategies, or exploring alternative retirement dates, we’ll provide guidance to ensure your lifelong financial security.
Tax Optimization Strategies
We’ll introduce and implement tax-minimizing tactics to enhance your overall financial well-being. Leveraging tax-advantaged accounts, optimizing Social Security benefits, and tax-efficient trading in regular accounts are just some of the means we can use to help maximize your net assets and income.
Schedule a Retirement Planning SessionOur mission is two-fold: to empower you to enjoy a fulfilling retirement, and to instill peace of mind, as you move forward free of doubt, assured that your future is financially secure.
Fund Educational Opportunities
The pursuit of education has become increasingly expensive in recent years, often presenting a significant financial burden for families striving to support the dreams of their children and grandchildren. We recognize the importance of education as a pathway to success, and we’re committed to helping you navigate the complexities of funding higher education.
Tax-Advantaged Accounts
We’ll explore the benefits of tax-advantaged accounts, including 529 College Savings Plans, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, UGMA/UTMAs, and even IRAs. Each has distinct advantages and limitations that should be considered in the context of your overall financial plan.
Maximizing Financial Aid
We’ll highlight strategies to maximize financial aid packages, allowing you to take full advantage of resources available through the government, private foundations, and the institutions themselves. The timing and structure of your finances can significantly impact aid eligibility.
Strategic Gifting
We’ll explore gifting strategies that avoid common pitfalls and maximize the impact of your contributions – and perhaps the contributions of others – toward education and/or training expenses. Properly structured gifts can provide educational support while potentially offering tax benefits.
Minimizing Loan Costs
If loans are necessary to fund education expenses, we’ll help you minimize borrowing costs. In addition to various education programs like Perkins, Stafford, and PLUS, we can evaluate home equity loans or even credit lines on assets under management. We’ll assess your options and help you choose the most cost-effective solution.
Education is a valuable investment in the future
We’re here to help you reduce its impact on your financial resources while maximizing opportunities for your loved ones.
Preserve Your Legacy
Often difficult to bring up, estate planning is important. We will all pass, and those who survive us will have to deal with our ‘stuff’. To the extent we wish to provide direction, and/or create a legacy, and/or make things easier, we should make arrangements. Thankfully, this need not require much time. We can help.
Procedural Planning
We can go through a checklist to minimize administrative headaches for you and your loved ones:
- ✓ Account beneficiaries: Ensuring all financial accounts, retirement plans, and insurance policies have properly designated beneficiaries.
- ✓ Updated wills: Reviewing and updating your will to reflect current wishes and family circumstances.
- ✓ Powers of attorney: Setting up various powers of attorney as might be appropriate for financial and healthcare decisions.
- ✓ Life insurance: Evaluating whether life insurance is needed to provide liquidity or support for heirs.
Operational Planning
We can steer assets in a manner that minimizes taxes and maximizes wealth:
- ✓ Gifting strategies: Implementing effective gifting approaches during your lifetime to potentially reduce estate taxes.
- ✓ Trust creation: Establishing trusts to support heirs and/or charities according to your specific wishes and under appropriate conditions.
- ✓ Tax credit utilization: Maximizing usage of the unified tax credit and other tax benefits available under current estate tax laws.
- ✓ Basis step-up planning: Strategic handling of gains and prospective basis step-up to minimize tax implications for heirs.
Effective estate planning isn’t just about distributing assets—it’s about creating a lasting legacy that reflects your values, minimizes burden on your loved ones, and ensures your wishes are carried out with clarity and care.
Start Your Estate Planning
Custom Financial Problem-Solving
If a decision, plan, or project involves finance and math, we can help. We like solving problems, especially if they involve finance.
How We Can Help With Specific Financial Questions
Our clients often face important financial decisions that don’t fall into standard categories. We excel at analyzing these unique situations, providing clarity and confidence. Whether it’s a major purchase, investment opportunity, or complex financial scenario, we’ll apply our analytical expertise to help you make informed choices.
Some Issues We’ve Helped Clients With
Housing Decisions
- Refinancing mortgages
- Buying or renting a home analysis
- Vacation home purchase evaluations
- Funding for home improvements
Retirement Accounts
- Roth vs. traditional IRA analysis
- IRA conversion strategies
- 401(k) withdrawal options
- Retirement account consolidation
Major Purchases
- Vehicle purchase vs. lease analysis
- Private investment evaluations
- Major life decisions with financial impact
- Business equipment purchase analysis
Financial Planning
- Short and long-term budget analysis
- External portfolio evaluations
- Debt consolidation strategies
- Cash flow optimization
Career & Benefits
- Job offer comparisons
- Employee benefit optimization
- Stock option analysis
- Retirement package evaluations
Insurance & Protection
- Insurance needs analysis
- Policy comparisons and reviews
- Long-term care insurance evaluation
- Risk management strategies
Have a specific financial question or situation you’d like us to analyze? We enjoy solving these unique challenges and providing clarity to help you make confident decisions.
Discuss Your Financial QuestionsOur Financial Planning Philosophy
“Our mission is two-fold: to empower you to enjoy a fulfilling financial life, and to instill peace of mind as you move forward free of doubt, assured that your future is financially secure.”
Have Questions About Financial Planning?
Contact our team to learn how our planning services can help you achieve clarity and confidence in your financial future.