Overview of the Financial Planning Process

Before diving into each step, it’s important to understand the financial planning process as a whole. Having a clear picture of the purpose, structure, and intended outcome of the process will make the detailed work that follows far easier to navigate.

1. Self-Discipline + Your Relationship with Money

If you don’t have discipline in your relationship with money, you will struggle to reach your goals. That’s why we begin our work together with a conversation of honesty, transparency, and (most of all) understanding.

2. Share Your Financial Planning Goals

Our purpose here is to help you accomplish your financial goals. Before we start inundating you with recommendations or advice you didn’t ask for, we’re going to sit down together and listen to your vision of where you want to go, what you want to build, and what you believe is standing in your way.

3. Align Your Goals + Plan with Your Values

We marry your financial plan with your values. Your values are used to bring clarity to the financial decisions, from how and where you invest your money to the types of charities and organizations you support.

4. Documenting Your Financial Starting Line

Next, we audit and document your assets, liabilities, income, and spending. You can’t chart a course for where you want to go if you aren’t clear on where you’re starting from.

5. The 4 Steps of Personal Finance

Every financial planning professional should clearly define how they build and adjust your financial plan. Our process focuses on four core areas of personal finance:

• Cash flow and income planning — reviewing earned, passive, and business income
• Risk management — protecting assets and ensuring your portfolio stays balanced
• Estate planning — creating and updating a plan to transfer wealth according to your wishes
• Tax planning — coordinating with your CPA to optimize savings and reduce liability

How we prioritize each area depends on your financial data and goals. Our approach is shaped by decades of experience across wealth management, retirement planning, and business ownership.

Financial planning is a journey, not a one-time event. The steps above are designed to help you create a foundation that adapts to life’s seasons. When you’re ready to take the next step, explore how our Financial Planning Solutions can provide the structure and guidance you need.