Planning for Financial Freedom at Any Phase of Life

Financial planning is an ongoing process – it’s not something you simply set up and never revisit. Planning for financial freedom in retirement takes a well-thought-out strategy and, I believe, a comprehensive financial plan that includes specific goals, steps to reach those goals and smart decisions along the way.

Financial Freedom was started many years ago to help people achieve their financial dreams of independence and live the retirement life they want – whatever that means to them.

We work with generations of families and individuals who come to us at different phases in life. Some are ready to retire now, some are just getting started and some are hoping to retire in the next 10 or so years.

Some common questions I hear at Financial Freedom are:

• Am I ready to retire?
• When can I retire?
• How do I grow my wealth?
• I’ve been managing my investments myself, but now I need an advisor to help convert assets to income. Can you help?
• My assets continue to grow and I need professional assistance. Can you help me?
• Can you help me with the sale of my business (before or after)?
• Can you help me with concerns other than my investments, things like estate planning, tax strategies and retirement planning?

The short answer to these questions is yes, we can help! Here’s how:

The Preparing Stage of Life

I’m happy to say that at Financial Freedom, we see many clients like “Scott and Jennifer.”

Still in their 30s, this couple came to us early in life for help with setting up a comprehensive financial plan.

The couple met at work – they were both hired at a start-up company that became very successful.  As their assets continued to grow, they started to look for ways to invest and help grow their money. They wanted to ensure they had the right estate plan in place for their children and hoped they could retire in the next 15 to 20 years.

Because they had great earning potential, we were able to help the couple with sound planning advice on accumulating assets and managing their growing portfolio. We were able to help minimize their tax exposure given their earning power and employee benefits received each year.

We look forward to working with them over the long-term and watch them reach the goals they’ve set forth.

How retirement ready are you? Contact Financial Freedom to schedule a no-strings-attached consultation.

When Retirement is Approaching

At Financial Freedom, we also see a lot of clients like “Mike and Julie.”

Both professionals, this couple came to us when they were in their late 50s and were hoping to retire in the next couple of years. They had been handling their investments themselves, but as the reality of retirement quickly approached, they worried that retirement was not something they could actually afford. The couple had talked about their plans for retirement for many years, and now with the kids out of the house and done with college, they were hoping the time had come. But they wondered if they had actually accumulated enough assets to retire. They hadn’t considered having to care for their own parents and wondered if the retirement they had hoped for could actually be a reality.

We were able to help this couple and provided them with peace of mind. We helped explain how Social Security worked and discussed their stock options and 401k plans. We helped them establish a financial plan that took their needs into consideration.

Already Retired

Another common client we see at Financial Freedom are those like “Bob and Sheri.”

Approaching 70, this couple had already retired from the corporate world when they came to us for help. They wanted to ensure that they were optimizing their retirement income to the fullest.  (With longevity on both sides, they worried they’d run out of money.)

This couple’s retirement plans included spending time with their three adult children and their grandchildren, and they wanted to ensure they had the correct estate plan in place to care for their loved ones after they were gone.

Financial Freedom was able to help this couple as well.

Conclusion 

No matter what stage of life you’re in, working with the right financial advisor can help you plan for the future – however many years that is and whatever those years look like.

At Financial Freedom, we can help clients:

• Stay on track to becoming financially independent
• Avoid financial mistakes that can impact the future
• Invest appropriately
• Establish a budget and appropriate cashflow
• Create the right estate plan

There are a lot of financial horror stories out there, and chances are, you have heard of at least one happening to someone you know.

• A friend was working with the wrong financial advisor and because of this, was not able to accomplish the retirement goals set forth.
• A neighbor didn’t have the right investments in place and therefore, feared he’d outlive his money.
• A colleague didn’t have the right financial plan in place and consequently, wasn’t able to retire when she had hoped.
• A family member didn’t establish an estate plan, so the children weren’t left what you know your relative would have wanted to leave them.

Unfortunately, these types of stories happen a lot. But remember: Most people who don’t reach financial freedom lacked the proper planning and consistent follow through. 

At Financial Freedom, we specialize in providing a full-service solution specifically designed to help you achieve your goals. We act as financial fiduciaries in all client matters, meaning we always put our clients’ interests first.

If you’re interested in setting up a comprehensive financial plan for the first time, looking to retire in the next few years or have concerns about continuing the retirement life you have become accustomed to, contact us to see how we can help.