Financial PlanningAnalysis for the decisions that matter
Financial planning at BAM starts with a decision: when to retire, how much to set aside for education, whether a major purchase fits, or how the pieces of an estate plan connect. We analyze the tradeoffs and turn them into practical next steps.
Start with the question, not the report
A financial plan is useful only if it improves a decision. We begin by defining the question, gathering the facts that materially affect it, and showing how the available choices change the likely outcome.
Planning is often the starting point of a client relationship. Because it is connected to investment management, the assumptions used in the analysis can be carried into the portfolio. The result is a set of actions and tradeoffs, not a glossy document that becomes stale as soon as circumstances change.
Included for investment clients
Financial planning is provided at no additional charge to BAM investment-management clients and participants in retirement plans we advise.
Built from current facts
We update assumptions when income, spending, markets, taxes, or family circumstances materially change.
Coordinated with other professionals
When legal or tax work is required, we help frame the issue and coordinate with the client’s attorney or tax adviser.
The questions we help clients work through
Some are long-range planning problems. Others are one-time decisions with consequences that extend for years.
Retirement
Are you on track, when can work become optional, how much can you spend, when should Social Security begin, and which accounts should fund withdrawals?
Education Funding
How much should be set aside, whether a 529 or another account structure fits, how ownership may affect aid, and what role should gifting or borrowing play?
Estate Coordination
Are beneficiaries and account titles current, is sufficient liquidity available, how should insurance or gifting fit the plan, and which issues belong with an attorney?
Specific Financial Decisions
If a decision involves finance and math, we can usually help frame it. Common examples include Roth conversions, job offers, employee benefits, stock compensation, insurance, housing, debt, and major purchases.
Define, model, decide, update
The depth of the analysis should match the importance and complexity of the decision.
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1
Define the decision
We identify the actual question, the available choices, the deadline, and what a good outcome would look like.
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2
Gather the material facts
Income, spending, assets, liabilities, taxes, benefits, family circumstances, beneficiary designations, and existing estate documents are reviewed as relevant.
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3
Model the tradeoffs
We compare realistic scenarios, test the assumptions that matter most, and show which variables could change the answer.
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4
Turn the analysis into action
Recommendations are translated into specific next steps and revisited when circumstances or assumptions materially change.
Advice should end with a usable next step.
BAM can analyze financial and tax-sensitive decisions and coordinate with outside professionals. We do not prepare tax returns or legal documents, and clients should consult their tax advisers and attorneys when those services are required.
What financial question are you trying to answer?
Tell us the decision in front of you. We’ll explain what information would matter, how we would analyze it, and whether the work is included in your BAM relationship.