Are these on your fitness list?

• See dentist
• Schedule physical
• Interview personal trainer
• Get a financial review

You may have dental check-ups and physicals on your fitness list, but do you include a financial review? Many chronic conditions like high blood pressure are related to stress. One of the big stresses is financial stress. The dentist has convinced many of us that we should have a dental check-up and have our teeth cleaned twice a year. I don’t know about you, but issues have been discovered in my mouth that I couldn’t detect.

Financial review as a test of financial fitness

There are many aspects of financial fitness such as emergency savings, debt to income, and retirement savings. Rather than get a financial review some people are confident they can do it themselves. Do they? More importantly, do you? Often we need a coach or personal trainer to make us accountable to ourselves.

• Do you have 3 to 6 months of cash reserves in case of an emergency?
• Do you know your credit score?
• Do you know how much more credit costs you than someone with a perfect score?

Financial review as second opinion

What financial products and services do you have today? What were the motives or tunnel vision of the financial professionals that sold it to you? With thousands of products and services, how do you know which ones will work the hardest to meet your needs? Are you working with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ or another financial professional that legally must hold your interests ahead of their own?

We believe that a financial professional working in your best interest: a fiduciary, is the best place to start. They can provide an independent evaluation of your savings plan, assess your progress toward important goals such as retirement and college savings, and realign your portfolio if needed.

Have your current plan evaluated to see if areas can be pinpointed for improvement by considering these and other aspects of your plan:

Retirement planning

Is your existing plan calculating your savings and risk/ returns performance needs? Are you watching over or consolidating 401(k) plans from previous employers? Are you taking full advantage of employer- and non-employer-sponsored retirement plans? Have you discussed whether to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA?

Life events

If you have married, remarried, or divorced—or welcomed a new member to the family—have you kept up with changing beneficiaries? Have you planned for future education needs? Changes in employment or caring for an elderly parent can also affect your planning to reach your goals.

Tax strategies

Tax law changes frequently, have you reviewed your current strategy to guarantee that it is tax-efficient and keeping as much money as possible in your hands?

Investment portfolio

It’s important to review your investment portfolio periodically and make sure that your current asset allocation is making the most of your money without undue risk.

Need the confidence of a financial review?

I have not run across many people that have an independent, holistic CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional on their side. Planning for long-term goals doesn’t have to be a mystery. A financial review can help settle those unsettled feelings in the pit of your stomach. If you aren’t retired yet, each passing day moves you one day closer. Without adequate savings, many retirees find they have to continue working after retirement or reduce their expenses and standard of living. I can show you whether you’ve been saving enough or quantify how much money you need to set aside.

• Is your financial plan aligned with your goals?
• Do you have a comprehensive investment plan aligned with your need for risk? Have you taken on risks that you aren’t compensated for taking? Is your current advisor biased or conflicted in the advice they give you?
• Do you have nagging questions like the ones above, but have been too busy to find the answers?

We hope that after your consultation, any unsettled thoughts are replaced with thoughts of confident ones. Are you ready? Schedule a meeting with Envision!