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Goal-Based Planning

We approach financial planning with a system based upon client goals.   Whether your goal is to retire at a specific date, fund a charitable foundation you have been dreaming about, or travel to distant lands, we can help you get there, or tell you what it will take to maintain your goal throughout your lifetime.

What-If Planning

Alternatives are important means to judge what can happen under varying circumstances.   "What if I don’t receive a particular investment return or what if inflation is higher than expected?"  Suppose you need to support a parent in his/her later years, or decide to retire earlier than your normal retirement age - what will it take to get to that point?

Risk Management Protects the Plan

Your assets may be exposed to the risk of the stock market or interest rate changes, but early death or health problems could be even worse.  You should not overlook insuring your human capital.  We can show you how to protect yourself and your family with analysis for
life, disability and long-term care needs.

Stress Testing Helps Evaluate Uncertainties

The real world is not a linear path from point A to point B.  Can your goals be met when events turn against you?  We can stress test goals against the uncertainties of the real world.  For example, we can back-test a similar asset allocation of your portfolio to historical performance of market returns to see what impact prior markets have experienced with your financial planning needs and how that might affect your future goals.

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Monte Carlo Simulations

Wouldn't it be great if every year investors received the same average return on their investments?   This would surely relieve us of the uncertainty of market returns.

Unfortunately, the real world isn't that neat and tidy.  In fact, returns will vary every year and that’s the normal volatility of market returns.  Properly understood, volatility is not necessarily harmful - excessive volatility is another story.

Monte Carlo simulations are multiple results based upon the variation in rates of return each year.   The specific sequence of returns (are we lucky, or not so lucky) is important for planning purposes, not the average return.  This repeated simulation of random annual returns (Monte Carlo) is the latest state-of-the-art financial planning tool, and it allows us to test the probability of achieving specific goals, thus illustrating whether planning is successful, or needs some re-adjusting.

Estate Planning

We work with a number of highly-skilled attorneys, who specialize in estate planning.
We help analyze and suggest the most appropriate estate planning techniques to achieve your goals.  While taxes are certainly an important part of any estate plan, we always want to focus our attention on the core values and goals of the client, as well as tax savings.  Clients need to spend some time reflecting on their legacy and how they would like to distribute their wealth - not how the government will mandate their legacy.

Philanthropic Issues

Client’s interested in leaving a legacy to a charitable organization have a variety of options available to them.   We have expertise to help clients with tax-appropriate strategies to accomplish charitable intent.  We can also help with the types of assets most appropriate for wealth transfer and integrate their estate planning goals into their total financial plan.