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Our Approach: Educate. Communicate. Guide.

What Working with Us Actually Looks Like

Most financial decisions are more complicated than they need to be, and most people who come to us are already worn out by that complexity.

Our job is to take what feels overwhelming, explain it in plain English, and handle as much of the execution as we reasonably can on your behalf.

Here is what that looks like, from your first conversation through every year you stay a client.

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Five-step financial planning process from introductory conversation through plan implementation Five-step financial planning process from introductory conversation through plan implementation
STEP
1

Introductory Conversation

20-minute meeting
Virtual or by phone

A relaxed conversation to understand your situation and figure out whether we are a fit. We ask what brought you here, what you are trying to solve, and what you have already tried. You can ask us anything about how we work, what we charge, and who we work with.

At the end, we both decide whether it makes sense to keep talking. There is no presentation and no pitch.

Time before next meeting: 3 days to 1 week.

STEP
2

Discovery

60-minute meeting
In person or virtual, your preference

Together with our paraplanner, we sit down with you, and with your spouse, partner, or anyone else who helps make the decisions. We recap what we heard in the first conversation and get into the specifics: your goals, your timeline, your concerns, and what you already have in place.

We will ask you to gather a few documents, usually recent tax returns, account statements, and a summary of any outstanding debts. Send them through our secure eMoney portal, email them, or bring them to the meeting. We meet you where you are.

If something needs clarifying afterward, we will schedule a second discovery conversation. Most clients only need one.

Time before next meeting: 2 to 3 weeks.

STEP
3

Plan Construction

Approximately 30 Days
Primarily Back-office, with Ongoing Communication

This is where we build your plan. We work through the six core areas of financial planning, which are cash flow and debt, risk management, investments, tax-aware planning, retirement, and estate. Then we bring them together into one coordinated view through our eMoney planning platform.

You will not need to be in any formal meetings during this stretch. We will stay in touch by email and phone to clear up outstanding items, request final documents, and answer questions as they come up.

Time before next meeting: Approximately 30 days.

STEP
4

Plan Walk-Through

60-minute meeting
In person or virtual, your preference

We present the plan together, with everyone who needs to be in the room. We walk through it in manageable sections rather than dropping all of it on you at once, and at each section we identify the specific action items and the decisions in front of you.

You leave with the plan in your eMoney client vault, hard copies of anything you want on paper, and a clear picture of what happens next and who is responsible for which pieces.

Implementation begins immediately.

STEP
5

Implementation

Ongoing, throughout implementation
Handled between meetings

Our signature step.

A financial plan is only worth something if the items in it actually get done. For most clients, this is the step where they need the most help.

Plan items fall into two groups. There are things we can handle for you, like opening accounts, moving investments, updating beneficiaries, and coordinating with your CPA and attorney. And there are things that require your signature or your decision, like insurance applications, estate documents, and employer benefit elections.

For the items we handle, we just do them.

For the items that need you, here is what we provide.

Accountability

We track what is still outstanding and follow up when something stalls.

Referrals

We introduce you to attorneys, CPAs, and insurance specialists we trust and work with regularly.

Coordination

We keep those professionals working from the same plan so nobody is guessing.

Documentation

We collect the completed contracts and applications and file them in your eMoney vault.

Most of this happens between meetings, at whatever pace your situation requires. You do not have to book a formal meeting to make progress.

This is the step prospects most underestimate before they hire us, and the one current clients most often tell us they value. It is where the work actually gets done.

Professional reviewing financial documents and calculating expenses at a desk
Rolling 12-month Rhythm
Adaptive to Your Situation

Your Ongoing Planning Cadence

Once your plan is in motion, the relationship shifts from building to maintaining. We meet at least once a year, and more often if your situation is complicated, changing, or simply benefits from more contact.

Between meetings, you hear from us three ways.

  • A monthly newsletter covering market commentary, planning topics, and reminders for deadlines coming up.

  • Periodic check-ins when there is something specific worth discussing.

  • We answer the phone When you call, you get us.

We do not run on a rigid quarterly meeting schedule, because a rigid schedule does not serve every client equally well. We run on a rolling 12-month rhythm calibrated to what your situation actually needs. If you would rather have scheduled quarterly or semi-annual reviews, we will set them up. This is your plan.

Bridge to the Standard

The Standard Behind the Process

The five steps above describe what you experience. Underneath them we follow the seven-step financial planning process defined by the CFP Board, the professional standard for financial planning in the United States.

See how the two line up

What Makes Us Different

We are an education-forward, planning-first firm. In practice that means three things.

We push back when it serves you.

We are not in the business of telling clients what they want to hear. If we believe a decision is not in your interest, we will say so, respectfully and with our reasoning. That is part of the relationship, not a violation of it.

The plan comes before the asset management.

Most people come to us looking for someone to manage their investments, and we do that. But we do it inside a plan, not as the plan. Investment decisions only make sense once we understand what they are for.

We simplify the complex and then handle it.

Financial planning has a lot of moving pieces. Our job is to take that complexity, explain it in plain English, and coordinate as much of the execution as we reasonably can so you do not have to.

Want to see whether this fits?

Twenty minutes, no presentation, no pitch. Just a conversation about where you are and what you are trying to solve.

Schedule a 20-Minute Fit Call

Our Approach FAQs

Nothing to the first conversation. Before Discovery we will ask for recent tax returns, account statements, and a summary of any outstanding debts. If your situation involves a business, equity compensation, or an estate plan, we will tell you exactly what else we need before the meeting so you are not scrambling.

No. Plenty of people know something needs attention without being able to name it yet. Helping you turn a vague concern into a specific goal is part of the work, and it is usually the first part.

From the first conversation to the plan walk-through is typically about two months. Three days to a week to get to Discovery, two to three weeks to build from there, and roughly thirty days of plan construction. Complicated situations take longer, and we tell you before we start.

Yes, and we will explain the reasoning behind them. You should never be asked to approve something you do not understand. If we have not made it clear, ask us again and we will try a different way.

Yes, and it is the part of our work we are proudest of. What we handle depends on the package you choose, and we cover that in detail on the fees page. Some items require an attorney, accountant, or insurance professional, and we will coordinate with them so you are not managing the handoffs yourself.

At least once a year, and more often if your situation calls for it. It is also worth a conversation any time something significant changes: retirement, a job change, marriage, divorce, a new child, an inheritance, or the sale of a business.

It should. A plan reflects your circumstances, your goals, and the information available when it was built. When those change, the plan changes with them. A plan that never gets updated stops being a plan and becomes a document.

MORE FAQ

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Conversation

Twenty minutes to talk through where you are, what you are trying to solve, and whether our approach makes sense for you. No presentation, no pitch.

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor.

Member FINRA / SIPC. The information presented is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. LPL Financial does not provide tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax professional and attorney regarding your specific situation.

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