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Individual Investor Process
I work with pre-retirees who are concerned they will have the necessary financial structure to achieve their short and long term investment retirement goals. Some of the hinderances I see that keep individuals and families from taking the first steps towards this are procrastination, failing to set clear financial goals, or simply not understanding all that their money can do for them.
The most important step in my process is meeting to clearly define these goals. We are preparing for one of the most important dats of your life with retirement as well as many other milestones along the way such as new property purchases, college planning, or even wedding planning for children. These events and planning should be handled with the utmost care and detail. Understanding your dreams and setting goals is the foundation for the rest of the planning process. These goals are the lighthouse that will guide us throughout the ever changing marketplace.
Once we define our goals, I ask that we spend time getting organized. All applicable account statements such as work place retirement, individual retirement accounts, brokerage accounts, bank and savings statements should all be accounted for along with current liabilities. This inventory will help set the direction of the plan strategy tailored to you. Part of the organization process is understanding your tolerance for market risk. The investments made 20 years ago may not be the most suitable today or contributing to the well-being of the plan. These are the details we need to find out in order to know how to best deploy assets for their most good. Understanding your dreams, goals, assets/liabilities, and risk tolerance allows me to analyze what strategy would be best to implement towards the established goals.
The second meeting is when we take all the information gathered and look at different strategy options. I will present two to three different strategies for us to consider. During this time, we will come to find the most efficient and comfortable option. I approach this by making sure you understand the reasoning behind the strategies, the justification for the selected products, and disclosure of all applicable fees. Once we come to a clear understanding and agreement of the action plan, we will proceed to open accounts and set all in motion for the execution of the plan. With the plan put to action, ongoing monitoring and annual reviews will be conducted to make sure the plan will always align with you investment goals. My mission at the end is for you to walk away feeling confident and in full control of your financial future.
Employer 401(k) Process
What makes a plan successful? How can your responsibility as a fiduciary and plan administrator be streamlined for efficiency and compliance? These are some of the questions we address through my services of establishing new plans or rebooting existing plans. A successful plan empowers your employees with the tools and education needed to take command of their retirement savings. It is your responsibility as a plan fiduciary to provide these tools in line with guidelines set forth by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Whether a new plan or existing, I work with you to make sure everything is in place to lend towards the success of the plan.
My process begins by looking at the design of the plan relative to your business and savings objectives. There are many different ways to tailor a plan and benefits provided. The design should always be in line with what your incentive and saving's goals are as an employer. I then work as your ambassador to the employer plan marketplace. With a plan statement or disclosure 408(b)(2), we are able to analyze the plan through benchmarking and cost analysis reviews. As your business grows and evolves so should your plan. Benchmarking is a review of the company plan and evaluating what is being offered to employees. This helps us decide if the plan needs updating relative to the current employer plan marketplace. Cost analysis is simply comparing all current fees to comparable plans in the marketplace. This helps to make sure the plan's value is being maximized for amount being paid in fees. These type reviews should be done no less than every three years and are crucial to the ongoing success of a plan.
My services extend far beyond plan design and management. I work to keep your employees engaged in their retirement planning and saving through quarterly education meetings, monthly news letters, and personal wealth consultations at their request. the value add in investing in your employees financial future and providing these benefits goes beyond anything measurable. It is my mission to see your business thrive and offer benefit solutions that will continue to add value throughout the evolution of your business.