My Services
I consider myself a financial tradesman, if you will, because you can be assured that my practice is licensed, bonded, and insured. My financial tool box includes 23 years of professional financial services experience, financial calculators, programs, and software, Registered Financial Consultant(RFC) designation from the International Association of registered Financial Consultants(IARFC), and also the Certification in Long Term Care(CLTC) designation from the Corporation for Long-Term care. You may rest assured that you will work with an advisor that stands behind his work and will be there for you to provide the service you need after the initial business is accomplished. The following is a summary of professional financial services provided:
Financial Planning:
This entails a comprehensive process that involves an analysis of your entire financial position, and then provides detailed feedback for you so that we may navigate toward your future goals. Regular follow-up and tracking is included to help ensure we stay on the right path. This involves the use of professional software that takes your current financial position and shows us the possible future outcomes. This way we can make the necessary adjustments.
Estate Planning:
I have worked closely with local estate planning attorneys during my financial career, and this has taught me a lot. Also, during this time, many of my clients now are the children and grandchildren of my first clients. This experience, along with my own life changes have made me look for potential issues on behalf of my clients. I have a formal estate plan that has been written by an attorney.
I encourage others to consult with legal professionals when necessary. I believe everyone should consider the impact of ownership and beneficiary designations of assets and property, powers of attorney for health care and financial incapacity, and living will directives. We shall consider your legacy and make sure it is under your control. I handle the financial component, and legal professionals handle the legal needs. No matter what level of service we engage in, I am always mindful of the legacy issues.
I have and will help you in times of distress. When we lose a loved one, this can present a challenge for survivors at a time when emotions can run high. I will offer you as I do my current clients, the advice on how to contact credit card companies, banks, insurance companies, government agencies, etc. to help you get on with your life when the unexpected happens or disaster strikes. This will help you minimize stress and get your affairs back in order more quickly.
Retirement Planning:
I can help you to take charge of your financial future by maximizing your participation in government or employer-sponsored retirement plans, establishing personal retirement plans, and conducting a thorough investment analysis with you. I use a risk tolerance questionnaire with you to form the foundation of your retirement plan. We analyze your risk tolerance balanced against your retirement goals, your understanding of investing, and your feelings.
The time value of money, scenarios involving assumed rates of return over time, the amount and timing of new money contributions are all factors that we will discuss and consider before we implement a strategy. It is not all facts and numbers, because I will also consider your feelings. I will educate you well enough to be able to be a participant in your own planning, not just a dependent client. The more you know the better you will feel over time. This may take 2,3, or more personal discussions to help you absorb everything. I pledge to listen to you and further pledge to serve your best interests at all times.
Wealth Accumulation:
You will have the opportunity to utilize the knowledge of Cetera Wealth Partners, a region of Cetera Advisor Networks LLC. Through this network of approved business relationships, we will be able to either transact directly to investment management companies or through Pershing, our custodian firm. Pershing, owned by the Bank of New York Mellon, is a firm that can offer you the ability to invest directly in the capital markets to manage your wealth. This makes individual bonds and stocks, ETF's, mutual funds, preferred stocks, and unit investment trusts available to you. Virtually, any listed security is available for investment. For qualified investors, you may have level one options added to your account along with a margin agreement to utilize leverage if you wish. Limit orders may be a good tool to help mitigate the risk of loss and could trigger automatic profit-taking.
A more conservative strategy is to do direct business with established investment management companies. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC maintains an on-going relationship with many reputable and well- established financial firms. With direct business accounts, I act as your advisor and assist you in opening accounts directly with a fund company and then provide on-going financial advice. We have the option to use an advisory account structure as well, where unified managed accounts, investor driven accounts, or advisor driven strategies are implemented with a negotiated annual fee. This strategy can often be one of the cost- effective style for some investors.
Insurance advice:
Any well thought out financial strategy must be consider risk management. Often, this means insurance is indicated to guard against untimely death or provide a shield against disability. There is no universal strategy, so we must analyze your life circumstances versus your ability to afford insurance. We have term and permanent life insurance, long-term care insurance, annuities, and hybrid plans- plans that combine life insurance and long-term care insurance for your needs. I can obtain quotes from insurance brokers and consult with Cetera Advisor Networks LLC to find solutions for you to consider.
Education Planning:
One of the most expensive needs we must consider is the future cost of formal education for your children and grandchildren. We know from our own life experience that the cost of college is very high and going higher at a rate of 5-10% annual cost increases, in some cases. Together, we can figure out how to make a difference for your kids or how to pay for the whole cost, whichever you choose.
There are qualified education savings plans, state sponsored plans that offer tax incentives, UTMA's, and simply saving or investing money that is dedicated for education, for you to choose from. We have the financial tools and software to help you see the projected future costs nationally, so we can make a sound plan.