Every financial situation is unique. As you travel through your financial journey, your specific needs and concerns may alter the questions you ask, but there are some universal themes that we keep consistently see.
You’ve worked hard to build up assets and are ready to use them.
It’s never too early to start counting down the days until you can transition out of full-time work! Navigating the change from saving for retirement, to preparing for retirement and then safely arriving at living in retirement is a daunting task. The benefits of working with a financial planner during this time are endless, but more than anything, it may give you just enough encouragement to finally commit.
Our comprehensive financial plan was originally crafted to help people navigate their final years of work and transition into retirement. We don’t hold anything back during this process, we’ll explore what retirement means to you and translate how that impacts your financial picture. The most impactful topics at this stage tend to be around savings, debt, strategies for income, taxes, adjusting investment risk, estate planning and gifting.
The ‘Retirement Era’ comes with a lot of decisions. Some of them are straightforward, others not so much. Where do you pull money from first?; When should you start Social Security?; Do you need to choose a survivorship option on your pension?; and How much cash should you keep on hand are just a handful of the questions you might be asking yourself. In addition to making the decision, you also have to think about how that decision impacts your taxes, estate planning and ability to leave money to family or charity.
A comprehensive financial plan is the perfect tool to help you answer those retirement planning questions. Topics like income, budget and long term care are particularly heightened during this time. Once we check the long-term sustainability of your plan, we can start exploring things like optimal tax strategies, charitable giving and estate planning.
With the endless resources and educational tools available on the internet, investors can easily go at it alone. If you are hesitant about trusting another person to prioritize your best interest or pay someone that only calls you once a year, it’s tempting to forge your own path. But the discipline it takes to manage your own investments and objectively look at your big picture with strategic planning in mind is hard.
Nothing about what we do is rocket science, but we live and breathe financial planning every day. Being a responsible steward of your financial future requires a lot of research and intentionality. Our planning team has accumulated a lot of knowledge and has the ability to see your financial picture clearly as an objective third party. Even if you have the confidence to do it alone, having an accessible advisor to help you oversee your finances and give you input on decision making is something worth exploring.
You are working hard to build up assets and want to make sure you are on the right path.
Starting to have questions that advice from your favorite news app or podcast doesn’t cover? Balancing all the things that demand your time (and money) during this stage requires intentional focus while managing a lot of moving parts. You may start to question if you are saving enough for college tuition, or if you are on track for retirement. A huge theme in this stage of life is perseverance, but you don’t have to do it alone! If you have questions about how much you should be saving, what your budget should look like, what you should do if you have extra income, or if you are trying to make a life changing decision, we can help!
Even if retirement isn’t part of your daily vocabulary, it doesn’t hurt to look ahead and make sure you are on the right track. Even when things are on autopilot, there are always adjustments that can help in the long-term. We’ll look at every angle and make sure you’ve got your bases covered. The most impactful topics at this stage tend to be around retirement savings vs emergency savings vs debt reduction (aka how to prioritize your income), insurance coverage, taxes, investments and making sure you have your estate planning documents in place.
It might be hard to think about planning when situations pop up unexpectedly. There are a few common themes like new career opportunities; parents needing more assistance as they get older; or a loved one leaving you an inheritance. Trying to think through a decision or big life change can be overwhelming. What questions should you be asking as you think about a career change? How can you make sure your parents are set for the next stage of their financial journey? What should you do if you receive an inheritance? These are all questions we can help you explore.
Depending on the change (and its financial impact), this a great time to complete an initial plan or start a focused planning session. The most impactful topics at this stage tend to be around Savings, Debt, Cash Flow, Insurance, and Estate Planning.
This question has crossed everyone’s mind at least once. (If it hasn’t, shoot us a line and tell us what you do for a living!) At first glance it might seem out of reach, but with some investigation we can show you what that scenario might look like. When you have a lot of goals for your dollars, working with a financial planner may seem like a luxury or an unnecessary line in the budget, but it could also be the thing that makes your dream a reality.
If retiring early is your question, a comprehensive financial plan is your answer. We will ask you what your vision is for retirement, look at the impact of different budget ranges, and ultimately let you know the risks involved if you decide to retire early.
You’re building a solid foundation for the long-term.
Children open a whole new arena of planning opportunities (and add many lines to the budget!) Questions about how to adjust your cash flow will undoubtedly start to pop up. How do you prioritize living, college and retirement with a growing family? What happens to your children if something happens to you? Setting goals early helps maximize the amount of time you have to save for all these competing goals.
Working with a planner during this stage might seem unnecessary, but getting a solid understanding of your blind spots and learning how to navigate all the competing demands can set you up to have a smooth ride until college decisions roll around (at last from a financial clarity standpoint, we make no promises about anything else!) Focused planning sessions are great for young families because it gives you the opportunity to ask questions and get customized feedback for your situation without committing to (another) ongoing expense.
Couples with no kids can easily find themselves with surplus cash flow each year. After a while, that surplus cash flow can build into excessive savings that make you question if you are doing the right thing. Having extra money doesn’t sound like a problem to most people, but incorporating good strategies that set you up for the future doesn’t happen by accident. Working with a planner can help you envision what you want your money to do for you in the future and create a roadmap to get you there.
When questions about what to do start piling up, it’s a great time to complete an initial plan. We’ll look at every angle and make sure you’ve got your bases covered. There are a lot of impactful topics at this stage, such as savings, debt, cash flow, investment options, insurance coverage, minimizing taxes, estate planning (and even considering other investment opportunities like rental real estate!)
Owning a business comes with an endless supply of questions: What happens to your debt or business if you unexpectedly pass away? Do you have enough insurance? How do you make sure you’re on track for retirement? How does being self-employed affect Social Security? Tax planning questions alone could keep your plate full. How do you decide on an exit plan? All of these questions (and more) are fair game when you are self-employed.
Working with a financial planner to address your questions and help you be proactive about the future can be a game changer. During the initial plan we’ll look at how your personal finances intertwine with your business and ultimately impact the initial questions and goals you share with us. An ongoing relationship is definitely worth considering as well. We’ll monitor your blind spots and stay in touch with proactive planning opportunities so you can focus on managing the day-to-day.
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380 East Market Street
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
540-246-0122
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Disclosure: Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. Fixed insurance products and services are separate from and not offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®.
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