What Real Financial Planning Looks Like

The Four Elements of Real Financial Planning

I could spend hours explaining what the process of real financial planning is... but here is an introductory framework to start to understand where the value is.

Technical Expertise

The numbers and the know-how. Includes tax strategy, retirement math, insurance design, estate planning, and cash flow modeling, and dozens of others. These are the tools, and you need great tools... but tools and the expertese how to use them are rarely the whole solution.

Human-Focused Planning Process

Your values, habits, and emotions matter. We connect your money to what matters most: your purpose, fears, relationships, and goals. But the plan itself is just a reminder, the process of planning is how you readjust for life.
It is not a one time thing and done, the people that sell plans to sell products wish it was. It is helping you navigate the current transition you are in, and correcting the course over time.

Integrated Approach

Everything works better when it works together. Your taxes affect your retirement plan. Your estate affects your insurance. Your business affects your family. You exit plans, insurance, estate plans, succession... can all impact each other. Your business planning, leadership, marketing, accounting, finance, legal, tech, people, sales, operations, and finance are all interdependent.

Aligned & Strategic Guidance

What you do, when you do it, and why it matters. Strategic thinking, decision design, and planning helps you sequence your goals, navigate trade-offs, and adapt when life changes. A real financial planner is guide in a changing landscape, a thinking partner taking you through the current situation and helping you find the best way for you to reach where you want to be.

Real Financial Planning Is…

✅ Advice-first, the advice is where almost all the value for you is
✅ Client-paid, transparent in fees and value
✅ Conflict-aware, conflict of interest reducing
✅ Based on your life, your business and not just your portfolio
✅ Ongoing, flexible, and rooted in relationship

Questions to Ask Your Advisor

• How do you get paid? From me alone, or do you really work for someone else?

• Will you sign a written Fiduciary Oath that you are acting as a fiduciary at all times?

• What parts of my financial life do you help coordinate?

• Do you address values, behavior, and life transitions — or only investments?

• If had Zero investible assets or I didn’t invest with you, would you still work with me?