FINANCIAL PLANNING

I believe that through knowledge and discipline, financial peace is possible for all of us.

Dave Ramsey

Financial planning reaches far beyond investments. It’s more than paperwork and numbers on a balance sheet; it’s about understanding and optimising the full scope of a client’s financial horizon. We approach our financial planning offering holistically. Holistic financial planning seeks to optimise each aspect of a person’s financial plan and understand how those pieces work together to help someone reach their goals.

Today’s clients want financial planners who go beyond determining the most advantageous portfolio and ask them about other areas of their lives—accounting for things like major life events and non-financial aspirations. Holistic financial planning benefits you in taking a big picture view of your situation.

A holistic approach has scope for all the complexities of real life. It enables a dynamic, evolving financial plan that is always aligned with your goals.

A holistic financial planner doesn’t only focus on what a client can afford to do today. They also look towards where their client sees themselves in the future and base their recommendations on the short- and long-term life goals of the client. While financial planning and life coaching have traditionally been independent of each other, integrating the two can be extremely beneficial. By working through your plan more comprehensively, you will feel more comfortable and confident in making the transition.

Financial planning is there to structure financial instruments into a plan that has a high likelihood of succeeding, whether your approach is a progressive or aggressive one, with the aim of achieving financial security or financial success.

YOUR FINANCIAL ROADMAP

One of the immediate benefits of creating a long-term financial strategy is that it encourages us to adopt a long-term viewpoint. People who plan ahead when it comes to their finances not only achieve higher levels of financial wellbeing, but also feel better about life in general. Knowing where you want to be, and how you can get there provides peace of mind.  

  • Step 1: Know where you stand- A good financial plan should start with knowing what shape your finances are in right now.
  • Step 2: Set some goals- Your goals guide your plan. They can include a destination, such as a comfortable retirement, as well as stops along the way, including buying a home, paying for a wedding, and saving for your children’s education. 
  • Step 3: Create an action plan- When you have a clear picture of both your current situation and what you want to achieve, you can create an action plan to help you get from where you are to where you want to be. 
  • Step 4: Use the right tools for the job- The right tools and advice can simplify the entire process of developing an action plan and achieving your objectives.
  • Step 5: Keep reviewing and improving- Your financial plan is far too important to leave gathering dust in a drawer or on a computer file. Consider scheduling a financial coaching session with us.

SETTING YOUR GOALS

Setting short-term financial goals, as well as medium and long-term, is a key step toward becoming financially secure. If you aren’t working towards anything specific, you’re likely to spend more than you should. Budgeting is key when setting financial goals.

Without setting goals, you will come up short when you need money for unexpected bills, not to mention when you want to retire. You might get stuck in a vicious cycle of credit card debt and feel like you never have enough cash to get properly insured, leaving you more vulnerable than you need to be to handle some of life’s major risks.

Even the most prudent person can’t prepare against every crisis, as the world learned in the pandemic and many families learn every month. What thinking ahead does, is it gives you a chance to work through things that could happen and do your best to prepare for them. This should be an ongoing process so that you can shape your life and goals to fit the changes that will inevitably come.

We have a wide range of blog posts available to aid in your personal financial planning. These five categories below can be helpful in your planning decisions and needs.