Comprehensive financial planning means…for all of the areas of your life. One way to talk about this is “retirement planning.” But this is about so much more than retirement. This is about you flourishing.
What is Your Flourishing Financial Future?
Your Flourishing Financial Future involves managing your risks, protecting your loved ones, and planning for large pre-retirement expenses (college, auto replacement, new home, etc.). Let’s put together your plan for now and your plan for later.
You may imagine financial planning to be a dry process in which we crunch numbers and I tell you how much you need to save. I admit that there are certainly some numbers involved. But, the purpose of financial planning is creating a plan for the future life that you want to live. How do you envision your future? Where will you live? How will you spend your time? What matters most to you?
Financial planning is not just about savings and spending. It is about preparing for the life you want to live. It is an opportunity to envision our own futures. So often we focus on today at the expense of tomorrow. We are so busy thinking about the work deadlines or the next vacation that we don’t think about our lives in the context of the bigger picture. Financial planning allows you to really drill down into the details on where you are going. Are your actions today taking you to a place you want to be in the future?
What steps do we take in preparing for Your Flourishing Financial Future?
- looking at your income and spending
- exploring savings options
- exploring your personal values
- developing your financial goals
- reviewing your investments
- making sure that you are financially protected
- ensuring that your loved ones are protected
- helping you chart a course that you are able to follow
- accepting that things will never happen exactly as planned and that is ok
- understanding that you have options
How is this different from traditional financial planning?
We will address the traditional areas of financial planning including cash flow, investments, insurance, estate planning, taxes, retirement savings. But the way we do it is different. I never talk down, I’m happy to hand hold and explain. No bro talk, no jargon. This process is designed to educate and encourage rather than intimidate or demoralize. This means that in addition to a financial plan, you will leave our work with more financial skills and savvy.
We will spend time digging into your goals and values. I am not just going to have you check off your goals on a checklist. Recognizing your goals is much more important than that and I want you to take time to reflect, not just base your future on what is on your mind in a specific moment.
Often traditional advisors assume that everyone’s goal is to accumulate as much money as they can, no matter the cost. As a feminist financial planner, I recognize that money is a very important factor in our lives, but not the only factor. We all have different goals and an important part of my job is to listen to you and understand what is important to you.
You are not required to participate in every single area of financial planning. I will recommend the areas that I feel are important to address. I will explain the reason items are important. But, ultimately, this is your plan and you are in the drivers seat.
Cost
If your anything like me, the first question you have is “how much?” Let’s just put it out there. My goal is for all of us to be more comfortable discussing money and that means transparency.
I charge for my services hourly at a rate of $300/hour. All people have different needs and all situations are unique. A plan will likely range from 10-20 billed hours but, of course, circumstances vary. A more precise estimate will be discussed prior to embarking on your specific plan.
Next Steps
If you interested in developing a comprehensive financial plan and start building your flourishing financial future, the first step is to schedule a 45 minute call to discuss your needs and to determine if we are a good fit. Click here to schedule.
Looking ahead can be a challenge. There are so many unknowns. Who will you be 10, 20, or 40 years from now? None of us really know. But, there are things that you can put in place now to help you grow in the direction you desire. Working together, we can intentionally construct the foundation for your flourishing financial future.