Everyone Starts off with a Plan
Working with a financial planner is like having your own personal Financial Fortune Teller. They can see where you are now and where you are headed, for better or for worse. Instead of looking into a crystal ball to reveal your financial future, you and I use software collaboratively to paint a picture of where you are now and where you could be with some forward thinking and preparation. A comprehensive and on-going financial plan serves as the foundation for every recommendation I make, and can serve as a framework for your major life decisions.
The initial planning consists of 3 meetings spread two weeks apart. You will have unlimited call and email access to me, forever access to financial planning software, and concludes with a detailed analysis of your financial life and written actionable recommendations.
The Process
Meeting 1: Let’s Organize!
Do your financial papers live in a shoe box? A plastic bag under your bed? Do you have accounts all across town, some with online credentials, some not? That’s okay! The majority of my clients come to me secretly wishing they had all of their financial “stuff” orderly, labeled and stored in an easy to access location, but we turn that wish into a reality! Not only will your documents be sorted and labeled, we also get your online accounts credentialed (creating a user name and password) and in check. We will create reference lists so you know where everything is. You’ll have a system for keeping your financial life in order. You will leave that meeting feeling like a money hero.
Meeting 2: Primary Need and Beyond
Rarely does someone roll out of bed and think, “I think I’ll get a Financial Plan today!” Nope. Something has happened or will happen soon that creates urgency, lots of questions, and the need for good advice. We address your primary concerns but also delve deeply into all aspects of your financial life. Be ready to discuss your income, savings and investments, cash flow, taxes, debt, risk, pending financial milestones and everything in between. We will also explore the future and get crystal clear on the financial outcomes you dream of for you and your family.
Meeting 3: And now, the Plan!
Together we go through a detailed compilation of your financial life and discuss the why and how of every recommendation. Sometimes the outlook looks good. Sometimes a good outlook requires some tweaking. Either way, I deliver my recommendations in an empathetic, direct, and non-judgey way. My clients with the best outcomes are open to advice and see recommendations as an opportunity. My measure of success is seeing my clients grow in confidence and empowerment over their personal financial situation and future.
At our final meeting, we also discuss how it makes sense for us to continue our work together going forward.
My fee for a comprehensive financial plan starts at $2,000 and can vary depending on complexity. You’ll know that number before we engage in the process. Worth. Every. Penny.
*We charge separately for investment management because both financial planning and investment management have value.
Investment Management
We create custom portfolios based on your:
- Comfort with risk
- Investment time horizon
- Preferences towards socially responsible investing
- Tax Situation
We custody our assets with TD Ameritrade, which means your accounts ‘live’ at TD Ameritrade. TD provides your statements, tax documents, makes sure your investments are valued properly, and gives you access to your accounts from their website. I use TD Ameritrade’s trading platform to manage the investments in your account. Once you create your online credentials, you can access them here from my website
Our annual advisory fees are tiered, meaning when you reach the next level, the next dollar is charged at the lower rate, creating a lower blended rate. Annual fees are charged on a quarterly basis, meaning that every 3 months you will be charged 1/4th of the fee directly from your account.
Our investment management fees are charged separately from our planning fees because both have value.
We have access to thousands of ETFs and Mutual Funds to help you reach your financial goals. I create tailored portfolios after we have thoroughly discussed your needs and the risks and rewards involved in investing.
Hourly Project Work
If you have a very specific need for advice that does not require a comprehensive plan, I am available for hourly project work. Here are some examples of how I have consulted in this capacity.
A woman who was receiving monthly alimony got a letter from her former spouse asking if he could pay her a lump sum to effectively ‘buy her out’ of his lifetime alimony agreement. We helped her evaluate his offer, highlighted additional issues to take into consideration, drafted a counter-offer and helped negotiate the final outcome.
A couple with a kid in college and another about to start sought college funding advice in light of their various "pots of money”. I helped them optimize their assets for a better FAFSA outcome, explore various student loan options, and created a tuition payment timeline with the most efficient spend-down order by account type.
A retired woman in her seventies sought advice about the tax implications of dissolving a trust and wanted general cash flow and budgeting help to maximize her remaining assets. I helped her be more intentional with her spending and set up systems to keep her financial documents organized.
A young woman that owned a production company received a large upfront payment for a project and wanted help evaluating the best use of the cash in light of her various debts and upcoming financial obligations. She followed my recommendations and improved her credit score in the process.
My consulting fee for hourly projects is $175 per hour.