What Is Holistic Financial Planning?

In holistic financial planning, we consider every important aspect of your financial life and create a plan that enables you to achieve your goals while living according to your values.  Holistic planning is distinguished by being both comprehensive and cohesive.  Through a structured and collaborative process, we will address all major relevant financial planning topics.  In order to be effective, the plan must also be cohesive, which means that the different elements of the plan function harmoniously together to support your goals.  For example, investments and tax planning each impact the other, and are best addressed together rather than in silos. If you are planning a major transition, like a career change or retirement, we work with you to align each element of your plan with your life strategy.  

Following construction of the initial plan, we will outline action items and partner with you to implement the plan.  

Throughout the engagement, the advisor is your ongoing thought partner, acting as a hub for advice and coordinating the services of other advisors such as attorneys and accountants when appropriate.  You have access to us for questions and issues that arise between our scheduled meetings.

Like life, a plan never stops moving.  We adapt and update your plan as circumstances change.

Key Financial Planning Topics

Below are examples of financial planning topics we can address.  Each client is different, and we will tailor both the topics, and the order in which we address them, to your unique situation.

Planning Topics

 

Life Transition Planning – Maybe Retirement, Maybe Not

  • Job/career change financial evaluation and projections

  • Transition timing decisions

  • Savings plan, including 401(k) and IRA contributions

  • Withdrawal planning

  • Social security claiming strategies

  • Small business retirement plan selection

Taxes

  • Tax bracket optimization, including Roth conversions and loss harvesting

  • Donor advised funds

  • Health savings accounts

  • Tax-optimized education funding (529s, credits)

  • Tax deferral product advice

  • Affordable Care Act tax credit management

Estate Planning

  • Estate design     

  • Review of existing documents     

  • Charitable estate planning

  • Estate settlement advice     

  • Trust strategies

Charitable Giving Strategies

  • Donor advised funds

  • Donation bunching

  • Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from tax-deferred accounts

  • Advanced trust strategies

Healthcare

  • Employee healthcare benefit selection

  • Medicare decisions, including traditional Medicare vs. Advantage and Advantage plan selection

  • Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) management

  • Pre-Medicare insurance options, including Exchange plans and COBRA

  • Long term care policy assessment

  • Patient assistance programs, including drug co-pay cards

Employee Benefits and Equity Compensation

  • Qualified and nonqualified option exercise strategies

  • Restricted stock unit holding plan

  • Deferred compensation plan participation

  • Employee stock purchase plan utilization

  • Compensation negotiation strategies

Investments

  • Asset class allocation

  • Investment selection (primarily ETFs) across all accounts

  • Inheritance and business sale proceeds investment

  • Tax-favored asset location between taxable, tax deferred and tax free accounts

  • Rebalancing

Risk Management

  • Life insurance needs

  • Assessment of existing policies

  • General property/casualty liability, disability, and long-term care advice

  • Business succession planning insurance tools

  • Coordination of policy purchases

Paying for Education

  • Cost forecasting

  • Savings planning

  • 529 plan implementation

  • Tax credits