ACHIEVE YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS
WITH BIG PICTURE PLANNING
What is Financial Planning?
Financial planning is the process of creating a comprehensive plan to save and budget money for your future. It involves proactive planning for some of life’s major financial events like funding education, buying a home, starting a business or retirement. Usually, the ultimate goal of financial planning is to ensure you have enough savings to live comfortably when you retire. It requires taking a long-term approach that includes evaluating your financial situation, setting long-term goals and then taking steps to accumulate money through budget-setting, savings, 401ks, IRAs and more.
Why is Financial Planning so Important?
Financial planning is important because it can provide peace of mind and financial security for you and your family. It’s a way of taking ownership of your financial future and leaving less to chance. By educating yourself about money, becoming more aware of your spending habits and patterns, you can wisely manage your income and be more financially independent. Financial planning helps you be better prepared for impactful financial events that often come with related expenses. These events include marriage, having kids, a death in the family, divorce, a recession, starting or selling a business, major health events and more.
Do You Need Help with Financial Planning?
If you need help with financial planning, 360 Financial has an experienced, dedicated team of experts that can help you assess your financial situation, set goals for your future and create a holistic, personalized financial plan that’s aligned with what matters to you the most. We can help you navigate the challenges of impactful financial events such as bear markets with a diversified portfolio of investments built around your risk preferences and personal ambitions. We invite you to schedule a no-obligation consultation to meet with one of our financial advisors to discuss your goals and see if we’re a good fit for you.
FINANCIAL PLANNER VS. FINANCIAL ADVISOR
Although they are often used interchangeably, the difference between a financial planner and a financial advisor is often in the type of service provided and the certifications they carry.
A financial planner typically helps create a holistic plan that addresses all aspects of a client’s finances, including day-to-day budgeting and retirement planning. A financial advisor generally provides management and guidance on specific investments to help clients reach their financial goals. A financial planner may also carry certain certifications such as CFP™ (Certified Financial Planner) or CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst). Both professionals usually work with their clients over a long period of time, periodically revisiting plans and investments to ensure the client is on track to meet their goals.
FINANCIAL PLANNING VS. WEALTH MANAGEMENT
Financial planning and wealth management are both terms that come up when discussing an individual’s financial picture, but they differ in the scope of services offered and the type of client served.
Financial planners assist their clients with improving or maintaining their standard of living through financial services like budget planning, setting savings goals and investment planning for retirement. Anyone can and should utilize financial planning to build a more secure future. Wealth management on the other hand, is broader in scope than financial planning and tends to focus on higher net-worth clients who want a holistic, integrated plan to preserve and grow their wealth through services like investments, tax planning and estate planning.
Financial Planning for Retirement
It’s never too early to begin the process of financial planning for retirement. Simply put, the earlier you start planning and saving, the more likely you are to reach your goals and enjoy a more comfortable lifestyle when you retire. Through the power of compounding, when your investments generate earnings, those earnings generate more interest, creating a snowball effect of growth.
If you need help with financial planning for retirement, a 360 Financial planner will work with you to assess your financial situation, determine your income and other financial needs for retirement, and build a personalized plan help you to reach your goals.
FINANCIAL PLANNING PROCESS
At 360 Financial, our LifeWealth financial planning process revolves around you and focuses on what you can control. It starts with learning what matters to you the most. We look at four areas of your life; Family, Occupation, Recreation, and Money (F.O.R.M). Then we build a LifeWealth plan that’s individualized to your unique goals.
FINANCIAL PLANNING STEPS
At 360 Financial, our LifeWealth financial planning steps include a series of three meetings.
- DISCOVERY. Getting where you want to go financially starts with understanding where you are currently. The Discovery step is all about getting to know you as a person to understand your unique financial situation, as well as your ambitions and dreams for your future. During discovery, we assess things like your income, assets, savings, monthly expenses, debts and any retirement savings you’ve earned so far. We also begin setting budgets and establishing financial objectives to help you achieve your big picture life goals.
- DESIGN. The Design step is where we start to create a personalized LifeWealth plan that’s built around you and your big picture goals. We’ll recommend investments that are customized to your objectives and risk tolerance. Depending on your level of wealth, this plan may include savings, life insurance, tax planning, estate planning, and more. Any good financial plan should also plan for the unexpected. Having emergency savings, insurance to manage risk and the right legal documents in place to govern your finances can minimize the impact of unforeseen financial events like bear markets, disasters, divorce, or a death in the family.
- DEPLOY. Once we’ve created your LifeWealth plan, it’s time to implement it and put it to work. Along the way, we continually track and monitor progress to evaluate whether the plan is hitting key benchmarks. We meet with you annually or bi-annually to review, realign and decide if adjustments need to be made. It’s important to remember that life can change fast, and your goals can evolve over time. When they do, your financial plan should be adjusted to account for those changes. When major life events like marriage, divorce, children, death, or job changes occur, it generally facilitates the need to review your plan and decide if changes need to be made.
FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR BUSINESS OWNERS
Financial planning for business owners requires the expertise of specialists who understand the unique needs and challenges of business owners. Doing what’s right for the business and balancing that with what’s best for your personal goals is an art. At 360 Financial, we help business owners and entrepreneurs create greater synergy between their long-term business and personal financial goals.
Our Services include:
- Business Owner Cash Flow Planning
- Retirement Savings and Tax Strategies (such as implementing retirement plans – 401(k)s, SEP IRAs and SIMPLE IRAs)
- Risk Management
- Succession Planning
- Investments
- Legacy and Estate Planning
BIG PICTURE PLANNING WITH 360 FINANCIAL
At 360 financial, we believe money is a tool. The life it enables you to live is what truly matters. We know you’ve worked hard for your money. We’re dedicated to providing the guidance you deserve to help protect your assets and put your big picture plan to work. Whether you want to travel the world, fund your children’s education, or ensure your estate provides for your loved ones, the 360 Financial team is here to help.
Our staff includes seven advisors with more than 200 years of combined experience as wealth managers, financial advisors, and planners with CFP®’s (Certified Financial Planner™), MBA, CLTC, and fiduciary investment credentials. The team specializes in investment and asset management, cash and debt flow planning, college planning, risk management, insurance planning, estate planning, retirement and income planning, business planning, and tax strategies.
Financial Planning Services You Get with 360 Financial
OUR WEALTH MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES INCLUDE:
- Big Picture Planning To Align Life Goals, Money and Values
- Comprehensive and Long-Range Wealth Management and Financial Planning
- Education Planning and Funding (College Planning)
- Estate and Estate Tax Planning
- Generational Wealth
- Investment Advice and Management
- Philanthropic Planning and Charitable Giving
- Retirement Goals and Planning
- Risk Management
- Specialist Referrals
- Tax Planning and Strategies
Schedule a Call with 360 Financial
If you’re ready to get your financial house in order and develop your LifeWealth plan,
schedule a no-obligation 15-minute call with us to discuss your goals.
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT FINANCIAL PLANNING
What are the three steps in financial planning?
The three steps in our LifeWealth planning process are: Discovery, Design and Deployment. Once the plan is deployed, we monitor performance and adjust as needed, or when circumstances change.
Should I work with a financial advisor or a robo-investor?
This depends on your personal preferences and goals. While a robo-investor may cost less, you may end up receiving more generic, “one-size-fits-all” recommendations, which could compromise the long-term performance of your investments. Working with a financial advisor ensures a more personalized plan that’s aligned with your unique situation and life goals.
What is portfolio management?
Portfolio management is a service where people hire financial advisors to manage their investments over the long term with the goal of maximizing their return. Portfolio managers utilize various investment strategies based on their clients’ goals and risk profiles. They monitor the portfolio’s performance, periodically adjusting and rebalancing investments as market conditions change. In general, portfolio management is for clients who prefer a more hands-off approach to investing and would rather entrust their money to an experienced professional.
Should crypto be part of my financial plan?
In general, cryptocurrencies are an extremely volatile investment. We recommend focusing the majority of your portfolio on a diverse selection of more proven investments. If you do decide to invest in crypto, it’s best to keep it a small percentage of your total portfolio and you should only invest what you’re willing to lose.
How much does it cost to work with a financial advisor?
Most financial planners will charge around 1% of the value of the portfolio. This may not include investment fees and some investments may have costs over and above what you pay for financial advice. We are always transparent with our service and investment fees. We recommend you always ask an advisor about the all-in cost of their services.
How does a financial advisor get paid?
Our financial advisors get paid a fee that’s based on the value of assets under management, also known as an AUM fee.
WORKING WITH AN INDEPENDENT ADVISORY FIRM
VS. A BIG BANK
As an independent advisory firm, we believe we offer a more personalized and objective level of service of than big banks and investment firms. Larger firms often have specific investment products to sell, with quotas to meet and shareholders to please. Because we’re independent, we bring a more pure and unbiased perspective to managing your finances. We’re free to do what’s best for you and your goals. With us, you’re not just another number in a big firm’s sea of clients. We enjoy getting to know our clients like family and building long term relationships with them that often span generations.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A FINANCIAL ADVISOR
Financial advisors offer a range of services to help you manage various aspects of your finances. Some of the things you can expect from a financial advisor include: comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, investment advice, tax planning, risk management, ongoing support and reviews. Because financial advisors are fiduciaries, you also can expect them to act in your best interest, disclose any conflicts of interest, and be transparent about their service and investment fees. Not all financial advisors will offer all of these services, and their qualifications, certifications and areas of expertise may differ from firm to firm.
5 Questions to Ask a Financial Advisor Before Working with Them
• Why should I choose you over another financial advisor?
• What is your firm’s investing philosophy?
• Who owns your company?
• How does your firm get paid?
• What will the all-in costs for your services be?
360 FINANCIAL'S WEALTH MANAGEMENT SERVICES
• Big Picture Planning to Align Life Goals, Money and Values
• Comprehensive and Long-Range Wealth Management and Financial Planning
• Education Planning and Funding (college planning)
• Estate and Estate Tax Planning
• Generational Wealth
• Investment Advice and Management
• Philanthropic Planning and Charitable Giving
• Retirement Goals and Planning
• Risk Management
• Specialist Referrals
• Tax Planning and Strategies
Schedule a Call with 360 Financial
If you’re ready to get your financial house in order and develop your personalized LifeWealth plan,
schedule a no-obligation call with us to discuss your goals.
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