An Advocate for Your Current and Future Self
According to the dictionary, an advocate is “one who pleads the cause of another” or “one who defends or maintains a cause or proposal”. An advocate stands in the gap, fights for or on behalf of another, and supports or recommends a particular policy or plan.
This is exactly what your financial planner should be! And not only should your financial planner be an advocate for you today so that you can experience financial stability and freedom in the here and now, but they should also be the advocate for your future self! The “you” you want to be with the choices you want to have.
Let’s say you’re just getting started. You have your whole life in front of you. So why do you need an advocate? Because the choices you make today, even the seemingly small ones, can have a BIG impact on your future. It’s natural for your “NOW self” to want to spend more and save less! “NOW Self” wants to put off spending time going through all that boring paperwork of employee benefits, life insurance policies, loans, credit cards, tax returns, wills, and banking/investment statements with confusing fees, yields, transactions, and fine print. But today you’re in the best position to make educated decisions and implement strategies that will absolutely alter the course for your “FUTURE Self”.
Let’s say you are mid-career. You have more responsibilities than you have ever had: careers, growing children, aging parents. You need a vacation! You also need a financial advocate. “NOW Self” is extremely busy spinning many plates and has substantial expenses. You may not feel like there’s time or money for an advocate, but the need is pressing. “NOW Self” either has made some good decisions but needs an objective set of eyes and expertise to maximize the potential or has not been able to make such good decisions and needs to make major adjustments so that the journey is smoother, and the destination is where “FUTURE Self” wants to go.
What if you're near or already in retirement? You have more to offer than ever – especially your wisdom and experience! You may be at the top of your game, thinking about retiring soon or maybe never, starting a second career, aspiring to work on the side for a cause that’s close to your heart, or simply relax! “NOW Self” may be in the best financial position of their life OR may regret not making financial decisions earlier and feel like they cannot make new changes. No matter your financial situation, you need an advocate to give you a vision of the possibilities you have with what you have worked hard to achieve. Planning is crucial at this point to take advantage of tax laws, retirement income and social security strategies, and investment portfolio allocation so that “FUTURE Self” can do and be all they ever desired.
A GOOD FINANCIAL PLANNER WILL ADVOCATE FOR NOT ONLY YOUR “NOW SELF”, BUT YOUR “FUTURE SELF” AS WELL, CHALLENGING CLIENTS TO TAKE ACTION TOWARD THEIR BEST LIVES.
One of our most important jobs is to LISTEN. We cannot effectively be your advocate if we do not know you, your unique situation, and what you truly need and want today and in the future. We want to know you and your family, your history and what your dreams and goals are. How else can we help you achieve your goals and get to where you want to go if we do not listen to your story?
Our initial consultation (no cost or obligation) is about listening to why you are looking for a financial planner in the first place, and then listening to hear what YOU want to tell us. Information is powerful. Wisdom to know what to do with that information is even more powerful!
After listening and understanding, we use our knowledge and technical skills to design plans and strategies for outcomes that are in line with what you want to achieve. Our goal is to educate and encourage clients to make the decisions and choices that will improve their financial lives. This includes providing advice and implementation support to make that happen. As your financial advocates we can encourage you to stay disciplined and make choices now and in the future that align with your vision of success.
We do this through evaluating topics like cash flow, investments, retirement, insurance and tax planning, and by providing ongoing professional support. By making you aware of the possible strategies and outcomes, we can guide you to a plan that is tailored to your needs and priorities, helping you be confident in the decisions you’re making now, for now and later!
We want to be the advocate for both your “NOW Self” and your “FUTURE Self”, intentionally helping you create a life you love, full of purpose and financial freedom that gives you choices. So that when you look back, you will have achieved your goals and are living life to the fullest.