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Financial Planning

Think of financial planning as a cross country road trip.  Before you set off you need to understand:

  • Where are you now?
  • Where are you going?
  • What is needed to get you there?

Will you take a direct route from point A to point B, or do you have ample time to make it a scenic trip with strategic stops along the way? Determining the time frame to achieve your goals will help direct the decisions made throughout your journey to ensure you have enough fuel to reach your destination.

Our goal at Matson Financial Advisors Inc., is to educate our clients and improve their financial knowledge, helping them to make confident financial decisions. Just as learning to read starts with understanding the sounds of each letter of the alphabet, our journey with a client begins with a foundation of mutual trust, respect and honest dialogue. Financial planning is just like learning your letters in first grade. Novels are not written without letters. A written financial plan is the foundation of your financial novel. There are many different genres and styles to create your story, but it must have a solid beginning and engaging story line. It is rare for clients to enjoy financial security without first creating a written financial road map.

If you want to take a snapshot of your current financial situation, identify and prioritize your goals, our team can offer professional guidance on how to get there. The planning work we do with you anticipates and answers questions like:
  • If I live to be 105, will I have enough money? What if the stock market tanks just before I need to start withdrawing from my assets?
  • Should we set aside funds specifically to cover the education expenses of our children (or grandchildren)?
  • Now that I am in retirement, doesn’t this mean my investment allocation needs a drastic adjustment?
  • Is there a better way to make charitable gifts other than sending funds from my day-to-day checking account?
  • At what point can I exit my current career and pursue another passion?
  • When I retire, will taxes take a big bite out of my income?
  • Will my family be OK if I get hit by a bus?

Whether you are writing your first novel or mapping out your next ski trip up north or out west, you will appreciate the outline you prepared to help you reach your destination safely.

FINANCIAL PLANNING CASE STUDY 1

FINANCIAL PLANNING CASE STUDY 2

FINANCIAL PLANNING

WEALTH MANAGEMENT




Retirement

Have you had a chance to stop and think of what your retirement will look like? Whether you can picture yourself on the 9th hole sinking the perfect putt, traveling to a new place, or volunteering your time to a worthy cause, it is never too early to start planning to make sure you are on the right track! Planning early for retirement will give you options to make decisions when the time comes!

We will help address pertinent questions like: Where will your retirement money come from? When does it make sense to draw from Social Security? What type of investment vehicles should you be utilizing as you build your nest egg?

We can work with you to develop a comprehensive financial plan that will help identify where you are today and what steps need to be taken in the future to ensure your confidence as you approach the uncertainties that retirement brings, no matter how far away it may seem!

Estate

Regardless of your level of wealth, it is important that your assets are passed on how you wish. Effective estate management enables you to manage your affairs during your lifetime and control the distribution of your wealth after death. While this may be a tough conversation to have, estate planning can provide guidance for your loved ones in the future.

A good estate strategy starts with a will, living will and durable power of attorney to identify who will carry out your medical wishes and financial affairs if you are unable to communicate. Once an estate plan is established, sharing it with loved ones is especially important to understand your wishes and will ease the process for them later on in life.

Investment

Investing can be described as allowing your money to work for you while you are not using it. Sure, you can save for long-term goals by building up a checking or savings account. However, over time inflation can decrease your purchasing power as the prices of goods and services rise. Checking and savings accounts typically don’t pay interest rates that will keep up with the rate of inflation.

Defining your goals and your time horizon to achieve those goals can give purpose to your savings plan and help drive your investment options. We will work with you to help develop an appropriate asset allocation of stocks and bonds that are in line with your risk tolerance. Risk is not always a bad thing and learning how it can be appropriately applied to investments can be an extremely powerful tool.

Tax

Tax savings can often result with better tax planning; putting more earnings in your pocket throughout the year without incurring penalties. We make investment and planning recommendations with consideration of their tax impact. We discuss tax saving strategies and their implications throughout the financial planning and investment process. Some situations require long-range tax planning, including offsetting capital gains with capital losses, all while taking advantage of all deductions and credits that you are entitled to take. We will work closely with your tax professionals to provide proper tax guidance and assist in getting you pertinent data for timely tax preparation.

Insurance

Having a solid financial plan means reducing the risk of unexpected events that can have a major impact on your financial wellbeing. Evaluating potential risks to determine the proper amount of insurance needed to mitigate those risks are a critical component of a successful outcome.

From health and life insurance to long-term care policies, we can review your current policies to make sure you have adequate coverage, or we can initiate the conversation to weigh the pros and cons of the different types of insurance if you are just starting out. Knowing that you are prepared to handle what life throws at you will give you confidence as you prepare for your future.

Charitable Giving

Is there a charity or organization you hold close to your heart and want to give back to? Charitable gifting can have a positive impact on individuals, families and foundations whether you are supporting those in need in your community or across the globe. From a financial standpoint there are strategies that will allow you to gift in a meaningful and impactful way while also optimizing tax efficiency. Based on the amount of money you wish to give and types of assets available for gifting, our firm can work through the pros and cons to determine the best way to fulfill your philanthropic goal.

*For a comprehensive review of your personal situation, always consult with a tax or legal advisor. Neither Cetera Advisor Networks nor any of its representatives may give legal or tax advice.