Certified Financial Planner
Why Choose a Certified Financial Planner Professional
Most people think all financial planners are “certified,” but this isn’t true. Only those who have fulfilled CFP® Board's rigorous requirements can call themselves a CFP® professional.
CFP® professionals are held to strict ethical standards to ensure financial planning recommendations are in your best interest. What’s more, a CFP® professional must acquire several years of experience related to delivering financial planning services to clients and pass the comprehensive CFP® Certification Exam before they can call themselves a CFP® professional.
Financial planning is a dynamic process. Your financial goals may evolve over the years due to shifts in your lifestyle or circumstances such as an inheritance, career change, marriage, house purchase or a growing family. As you begin to consider how best to manage your financial future, you should feel confident knowing that with a CFP® professional, you’re working with someone committed to providing the highest standard of financial planning.
How to Start Planning your Certified Financial Plan
Financial planning can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your introductory meeting.
Set Aside Some Time
No two meetings with a CFP® professional are the same, but the first one will take some time. Prior to your visit you will receive your Retirement Lifestyle Workbook. At your first visit we will go through this, considering your options, defining your goals, and evaluating your resources. Be prepared for a lengthy discussion about your finances to help us get started.
Think About Your Goals
There’s no avoiding this question - what are your financial goals, in detail and lets prioritize them. By reviewing “Your Retirement Lifestyle Workbook” before your meeting, we can consider your top short- and long-term goal.
Prepare to Be Open
We will need to have a comprehensive understanding of your financial life, as well as your attitude toward risk and experience with money management. We will analyze your assets, liabilities and cash flow, current insurance coverage, investments and/or tax strategies.
Work Through the Details
Once we understand your financial situation, a process will be developed and recommendations outlined. And don’t be afraid to ask all the tough questions, thats what we need from you. Upon completion, your Personal Financial Plan will be given to you, with the goal of helping you reach your financial retirement goals.
What to expect in your first Financial Planning meeting
We work with you to identify and prioritize your goals and dreams to get an idea of where you are and where you want to go.
To understand the big picture and see the progress you’ve already made, we recommend you gather these documents and bring them to your first meeting:
Bank statements
Investment statements
Insurance policies
401(k) statements
Once we have a clear understanding of your financial life, we can help you create a Personalized Financial Plan to pursue your goals.
Almost Retired
As you approach retirement, you have plenty of decisions to make. By getting started now, retiring will feel natural and comfortable the moment you are ready. You will have a tailored savings and investment plan that tracks your progress toward your personally defined goals.
Financial Planning offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor.