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Wealth Management Issues – Building Blocks For Our Holistic Financial Planning Approach

The IAM investment process is a holistic approach that considers your entire financial picture. We customize a portfolio strategy to your situation, implement the strategy, and make tactical adjustments while monitoring the results over time. In this manner we ensure that you remain on track to meet your financial goals.

Investment Management

You’ve probably been bombarded with investment advice from every direction. Whether it’s “financial experts” from the media or on a commercial, it seems everyone is offering an opinion regarding your financial future. Regardless of all these “expert” opinions, as your Advisor, I know your unique financial situation and can offer a recommendation that will truly benefit you.

HAVE A CONVERSATION

First thing’s first. Let me lead you through a conversation to hone in on your unique needs. This will allow me to create an investment strategy designed to meet those specific areas, rather than sifting through the latest trends and investment hype. I can achieve this level of personalization by considering your:

  • Investment goals
  • Comfort level
  • Expectations
  • Tax implications
  • Risk analysis
  • Income needs
  • Family dynamics
  • Time horizon

Are you looking for in-depth investment advice? We can educate you by making recommendations about investments, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, variable insurance, annuities, and trusts.

Cash Flow and Debt Management

As of March 2013, the average American’s credit card debt was $15,266, the average student loan debt was $32,559, and the average mortgage debt was $149,667. Americans need help with cash flow and debt management. As an IAM Advisor, we are well positioned to provide it.

Providing a sound wealth management roadmap begins with understanding your cash flow. It’s impossible to make any sound investment recommendations without having a clear picture of how your money is being spent. While cash flow is a critical component to any plan, there is also another telling indicator to review – debt. Gaining a pulse on how you manage debt will help me devise a plan that factors in your credit history and overall financial decision-making preferences.

LEVELING THE INVESTMENT PLAYING FIELD

By evaluating how you spend your money each month, I may be able to identify opportunities for improving your cash flow. This may include simple tax strategies and debt management solutions such as refinancing, debt consolidation, or changing tax withholdings. By leveling the investment playing field, you may discover there’s more money to invest toward your financial goals than you originally thought.

Family Risk Management

One thing is for sure – life is filled with a series of unexpected events. That’s why it’s important to help you consider potential risks when devising a financial plan. Even the most well intended plans can crumble in a second when faced with a sudden death, disability, or long-term-care need. Part of providing you with a comprehensive plan means knowing the possibilities that could threaten your financial future.

ESTABLISHING A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

Learning more about your situation enables me to identify potential risks and establish plans that will meet your needs now, and into the future. While you may believe your current insurance policy will provide ample security, it may not be enough. By taking a closer look, I will be able to provide you with insights as to whether your current plan is efficient or needs modifications. This approach will be invaluable in protecting your most important asset – your family.

Retirement Planning

With improvements in healthcare, life expectancy is on the rise. The ability to retire
in financial dignity is becoming a top concern for many. In fact, you probably want to know the answers to questions like: Will I be able to retire at my desired age? What will my lifestyle be like? Can I really expect to enjoy my golden years? And what about the growing threat of a dwindling Social Security funding?

TURNING THE DREAM INTO REALITY

The first step in addressing this growing concern is obtaining a clear vision of how you define retirement. In other words, what are you hoping to achieve? Identifying these desires will give me a starting point for determining the level of assets needed to fund that vision. Regardless of your stage in life, I can utilize a leading-edge planning tool that will detail the necessary steps to take in order to turn your goals into a reality.

For many Americans, a comfortable life in retirement is the ultimate financial destination. Yet, there are many equally important stops and decision points along the path to retirement that impact both today’s lifestyle needs and tomorrow’s goals, including:

  • Accumulating retirement assets
  • Managing investment risk
  • Minimizing taxes on investment income
  • Funding a child’s education
  • Establishing or selling a business
  • Paying for healthcare needs in retirement
  • Determining your legacy and fulfilling philanthropic goals

Transferring assets to heirs and beneficiaries in a tax-efficient manner. 
How you structure your investment portfolio will have a significant impact on your ability to pursue each of your goals with confidence while balancing competing needs over the course of your financial journey. 
Navigating today’s complex financial and economic landscape demands tremendous insight and dexterity to adapt to changing and often challenging conditions, but that can be difficult to accomplish without the resources in place to:

  • Properly allocate and diversify your investment assets
  • Monitor your progress and make necessary adjustments along the way

The sooner you start planning for retirement, the better. In addition as you approach retirement, your investment portfolios may need to change. We can provide the customized guidance you need.

Education Planning

With tuition increases outpacing inflation, education planning has become more important than ever.
One of the most neglected areas of personal finance is education funding for children. With media headlines forecasting tuition hikes at exponential rates, the thought of funding a college education can seem futile to many. Considering these facts, it may be surprising to learn that education funding is actually one of the easiest financial hurdles to overcome.

As an IAM Advisor, we can assist clients with 529 plans and education planning.

PAVING THE WAY

It’s without question many parents dream of sending their child to college. Education savings plans can be confusing, and it’s important to have someone who can help you understand how your savings will affect your child’s or grandchild’s ability to qualify for financial aid, as well as the implications for your income, gift and estate tax situation. With the many education savings plans available, I can offer a solution that doesn’t interfere with your other investment planning goals.

Legacy Planning & Estate Planning

One aspect of financial planning that all too often is overlooked until it’s too late is legacy planning. Ultimately a legacy plan is what ensures that your wishes are upheld at the time of your passing. While legacy planning is a complex and emotional subject, it’s one of the most critical discussions to have for a number of reasons.

SAFEGUARDING THE FUTURE

The last thing you want is to leave your family in a position of making important decisions during an emotionally fragile state. I can help you devise a plan to ultimately reduce the stress and red tape associated with the loss of a loved one, and more importantly, keep the government from collecting valuable assets never intended for its possession.

Without having a plan in place, families left behind find the government assuming authority of assets and dividing them as they see fit. To make matters worse, the government is then able to inherit a lofty tax portion of those assets, leaving family members to collect whatever may be left.
By devising a legacy plan now, I can help you minimize potential estate taxes and maximize the funds left to your family. Although this topic may be uncomfortable, it’s a conversation you will be forever grateful you had.

Business Planning

How can you fund retirement for yourself, as well as your employees? How should you prepare to transfer your business when you retire? These are typical issues we are prepared to tackle.

Running a business is no small feat. With countless immediate business needs competing for your attention, it’s no wonder long-term planning falls by the way side. Unfortunately, this lack of preparation places you in a very precarious position. For this reason, it’s important for me to help establish a plan that not only protects your personal needs, but also the future of your business.

PROTECTING VALUABLE ASSETS

The last thing you want is to be faced with the challenges of using your business as a sole means for retirement or lacking protection from a potentially devastating financial loss. I can help alleviate these fears by implementing strategies to protect your business, improve cash flow, taxes, and more.

Special Situations

Life is filled with a series of precious moments, as well as unexpected events. For this reason it’s important for me to help you prepare for any special situation that may come your way. Whether it’s planning a wedding, taking a dream vacation or encountering unexpected expenses, having a plan in place can make all the difference in ensuring your financial future remains secure.

DEFINING A PATH

Unforeseen events, whether positive or negative, will most likely impact your financial house in some way. Sometimes special situations require you to take a hard look at areas of your investments you may be willing to sacrifice. You can trust me to help you make the best decisions by defining a path for whatever financial challenges or opportunities arise.

ARE YOU IN THE KNOW?

People who understand their wealth management issues, set goals and find out what it takes to potentially meet them are more likely to reach their goals or come close.