The importance of your initial meeting with a financial planner cannot be discounted. In order for the financial planner to meet your goals, he or she must understand the person’s or couple’s overall financial picture. Before the planner can develop a comprehensive program that will meet the client’s goals, he or she must know a bit about the client’s investment history, strategy and current investments. Of course, the planner will need to know the amount of the initial funding and as importantly the client’s planning goals.
A few things to consider before meeting the planner are the possibilities for estate planning, tax planning, investment planning and retirement planning. These are the four basic areas that planners can implement.
Financial Planning For The Future
The financial planner will ask some general questions. How much money you have allocated to other forms of investments may influence the design of your long-term plan. Most people regard financial planning as a map for the future. Eliminating any estate difficulties or tax surprises is a large part of effective financial planning.
The planner can best serve the client when he or she reviews the current portfolio and has a feel for the risk exposure and quality of the assets. This information will help greatly to shape the financial plan or estate. Financial planners tend to be conservative. Future planners have very different objectives than equity traders. The investment strategy is generally low-risk comprised of long-term investments.
Long-Term Strategies
Financial plan strategies are designed to ensure a healthy retirement, but estate planning is equally important. With proposed changes in the tax code, the certain types of long-term investments can be shielded from undue tax exposure that can drain the estate and disappoint beneficiaries. In the worst case scenario, beneficiaries could end up with unexpected tax liabilities. A succession plan is highly recommended for every estate.
From the client’s perspective, a safe, secure financial plan allows the client to invest in shorter term marketplaces with varying degrees of risk. The security of a diverse financial plan that has minimal risk enables the client to invest in equities, commodities or bonds with confidence.
The client’s future begins with information discussed in that very first meeting with the financial planner. The financial planner has command of numerous types of investments that are designed for safe and reliable long-term results. Financial planners do not receive commissions. Their earnings are decided by the success of the client’s portfolio. This is unique to the financial world. Financial planners have your best interests at heart.
Cotswold Financial Planning are a UK based team of experienced financial planners. For more information, please visit their website: Financial Planning Oxford
