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The
key to achieving long-term objectives
is planning. Your goal may be to fund your children's college educations, to
protect your family during your working years, to someday own that vacation
cottage by the shore, or to guarantee your own retirement security. These
things won't happen by accident, or if left to chance. You must plan. You
need to know what you want to achieve...and then map out a strategy that
will help you achieve it.
The
good news: You don't have to go it alone.
As your Financial Network advisors, we do much more than just suggest life
and annuity products. We see our roles as that of professional problem
solvers who can help you identify the most cost-effective ways to meet your
financial objectives. There is no cost or obligation to our services.
We
provide a full range of services.
These include working with you to:
1.
Review your individual situation
and personal objectives. Perhaps your needs are so clear that they can be
determined after a few minutes of conversation. Or it may quickly become
apparent that nothing short of a comprehensive “fact finding” session is
required, a meeting that goes beyond such basic vital statistics as birth
dates, income, assets, etc.
Why
is it important to probe and ask questions? There are three reasons for
this: First, your situation and needs are different from those of your
neighbors. What’s right for them may not be right for you. We need to
understand those differences. Second, money is not a goal in and of itself;
it is merely the means to an end, the tool that helps us achieve our
objectives. (Example: Your goal may be a comfortable, secure retirement. The
means to achieve that might be a retirement nest egg of $800,000.) Finally,
the more we know about you, the more precise and on-target will our
recommendations to you be. That’s why it is important for us to get a clear
understanding of who you are.
As a
result, we may need to take some time to discuss—and even appear to be a bit
nosey about—your hopes, dreams and objectives, the things that really matter
to you. By the way, all information will remain strictly confidential.
2.
Analyze & review
your needs. As needed, we will work with you to identify and prioritize your
objectives, then help you establish benchmark goals. This is important
because we live in a world in which there are unlimited choices, but only
limited resources. People often fail to achieve objectives because they try
to accomplish too much at once, or they don’t attach specific deadlines to
their goals. They confuse the difference between vague wishes and precise
goals.
For
instance, you may have a desire to retire in comfort, make sure your
children are able to graduate from college debt-free, and vacation in a
different European country every winter. But your resources may say that you
cannot do it all.
As
your Financial Network advisor, we can work with you and help you focus on
what is most important to you. Together, we may find it helpful to break
down these goals into quantifiable objectives: accumulate $800,000 by age
62; have a college fund of $40,000 in 15 years; set aside $15,000 each year
for vacationing. Then we can look at available resources and decide which
goals are realistic, which need to be adjusted and scaled down, and which
simply must be abandoned.
3.
Develop and implement a strategy
to help you achieve your goals. Once you’ve prioritized and quantified what
you want to achieve, the next step is to develop a critical path to help you
actually do it.
Based on the information you share, we’ll provide specific recommendations.
Some may be process suggestions (meet with your attorney to draft a
revised will, set up a trust), while others may be product
recommendations (adjust your insurance coverage, commit a specific amount of
money to an annuity for long-term accumulation each month).
4.
Coordinate your financial activities.
If
you wish, we can serve as a quarterback to help you design a
comprehensive plan and coordinate the work of other advisors. These may
include your attorney, your accountant, and your financial institution.
5.
Monitor progress
and provide ongoing service as your needs and situation change over time.
This is crucial. Planning is not a one-shot deal. Strategies need to be
adjusted periodically. We will work with you over the years to help keep
your program on track with your changing needs.
By
the way, there is no charge
for the advice, planning or ongoing service we provide.
Your
role: It also is a crucial one.
We cannot do it alone. It must be a two-way street. The key to getting
maximum value from our relationship is communication and candor. You should
consider doing the following:
1.
Get acquainted.
Understand the need for us to establish and maintain an ongoing
relationship. That’s why we recommend that you contact our office and
arrange a meeting to discuss the full extent of available services and to
review your situation.
2.
Educate me.
Do not expect us to be mind readers who intuitively understands what you
want and need. We certainly can anticipate many of your needs, but we
will not assume anything. That’s why it is so important that you be
candid and honest in providing information.
3.
Educate yourself.
At the same time, you too should be sure to ask a lot of questions. Be
nosey. Ask for details and explanations about recommendations and how
certain plans may work. Remember, the only dumb question is the one that you
do not ask.
4.
Make it a team effort.
We need to work together to get the best results for you. Listen carefully
to recommendations, but remember: all final decisions are yours. Make sure
you are comfortable with the outcome.
Recommendation:
Find out more. Contact our office to arrange an appointment and find out how
we can help you achieve your objectives. Again, there is no cost or
obligation. You can reach us at 651-765-6777. |
