Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan. —Tom Landry

Our Process

The Financial Planning investment process reflects a strong commitment to our fiduciary responsibility to place our clients’ interests ahead of our own. The process is client-focused, strategic, disciplined, diligent, and above all—objective. This process has several steps:

• Hold Client/Advisor Discovery Meeting
• Determine Scope of Services: Financial Planning or Financial Planning with Investment Management
• Prepare an Investment Proposal and Review with Client
• Implement your Planning Solution
• Measure and Review Performance

Client/Advisor Discovery Meeting

We begin by listening. The more we know about our clients, the better we are able to advise them. We ask a series of questions to learn about personal and family circumstances, cash flow needs, long-term objectives, and wealth transfer and charitable intentions. We will discuss risk tolerance, income tax issues, and personal preferences and biases.

Recommendation of the appropriate services required will be made based on your personal financial goals. For certain clients, only a financial plan is desired; while other clients want to take advantage of our full services by combining investment allocation with the development of a financial plan.

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Determine Scope of Services

Financial Planning

We create a comprehensive written plan that is tailored to your unique goals and contains actionable information and recommendations to help you get where you want to go. A plan builds your confidence in your financial future and your ability to be prepared for what is ahead. A plan also allows you to track your progress toward your goals, making adjustments to the plan along the way. Through ongoing monitoring, you will feel more secure about your ability to achieve your long-term objectives.

• Retirement Plan Analysis
• Portfolio Review and Asset Allocation Recommendation
• College Education Planning Analysis
• Lump Sum Distribution and Stock Option Analysis
• Statement of Net Worth and Current Cash Flow
• Life and Disability Insurance Analysis
• Estate and Trust Analysis

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Investment Management

We believe the creation of an asset allocation requires both art and science. The science is based upon Modern Portfolio Theory. Allocations are ultimately determined by our beliefs regarding each asset class and our knowledge of the client’s circumstances. As a result, allocations are more appropriate and reflective of a client’s desired risk and return parameters rather than strictly following a “black box” approach

Prepare an Investment Proposal and Review with Client

Once the asset allocation is determined, the Investment Proposal (IP) is drafted to document the plan for the portfolio. The IP is tailored to our clients’ unique needs and circumstances. It addresses cash flow needs and expectations, risk tolerance, time horizon, income tax issues, and asset allocation.

The IP is the “blueprint” used to show how the client portfolio will be constructed. Third-party managers are selected for the IP based on a rigorous due diligence process. We receive no compensation from those we select, eliminating any conflict of interest.

Implement Your Planning Solution

The IP is then reviewed with the client. We explain the details of the IP so the client feels comfortable with how the money is invested. Once the IP has been approved by the client, we are ready to implement the plan.

Measure and Review Performance

We view the goal of money management as the successful fulfillment of the client’s objectives. Our role in the process is to continuously monitor the asset managers and make changes to the portfolio as warranted by the asset managers’ performance, changes in the client’s financial circumstances, and rebalancing to maintain the client’s initial IP allocation.

Quarterly client reports are designed to be a “progress report” toward achieving client objectives rather than a short-term focus on beating the market.