Family Budget

I enjoy sitting with families or individuals and helping them arrive at common goals and a budget for achieving them.  Here’s a page that describes the process for families.

My charge for this is minimal.  $100 for up to two hours for setting up.  I do it to get to know families and find ways to help you in the future.   Also, I know how important this is.  Especially for newlyweds — it would make a great gift!

Insurance

One of the earliest lines of defense for your financial security is insurance.  

Don’t buy insurance until you check with me first.  I have access to much lower rates than you will get from people who get commissions on insurance.  As a fee-only planner, I get no commissions.

Most employers don’t provide sufficient disability insurance.  Your earnings power is one of your most valuable assets.  Protect it.

New laws make Long Term Care Insurance much more important to protect your spouse should you need nursing care. 

Life insurance makes sense for young families and also for your peak earning years as an additional tax-deferred investment vehicle.

Call me and I will help analyze your needs and find you the best insurers and rates.

Retirement

For me, retirement planning is a fun process of visualizing the 2nd half of your life.  Successful planning depends on a realistic picture and a realistic way to achieve it.  I like to build a lot of flexibility into the plan too: the picture changes and investment returns vary.  I use some powerful software to project how realistic the plan is and to map your progress.

I am quite familiar with the details of Georgia’s State Retirement System too, along with the retirement plans of many other Georgia businesses.

Planning for Elder Parents

The important thing to me is for your parents and your family to feel good about the process and outcomes.   I use a team approach.  I use professionals from the legal and healthcare field to identify the best health care and financial options. 

Some of my thoughts can be found here.

College Planning

Depending on your income and tax situation, we can decide between 529s, Coverdell Savings Accounts, an UTMA, or even a Roth to fund your child’s education.   I’ve coached dozens of families how to fill out the FAFSA, which is your first step for grants and loans, regardless of your income level.

Estate Planning

I will work with you to make sure

· your assets are titled appropriately

· your taxes are minimized

· your wishes are fulfilled

We’ll use wills, powers of attorney, Georgia Advance Directive for Healthcare, side letters, trusts, and whatever it takes to effectively and efficiently implement your plan.

Tax Research

I prepare taxes at H&R Block every tax season.  This keeps me updated with the latest tax laws. 

I can perform a review of your recent or upcoming tax return, and often can save you much more than the cost of my services.   Details.

I can research individual tax questions as needed.  Many newcomers to Georgia are surprised by their first exposure to Alternative Minimum Tax, because of Georgia’s high state taxes. 

Stock Option Planning

I have lots of experience with employee stock options.

If you need advice on when to execute your ISO or “non qualified” employee stock options, I have tax software so we can project your risk exposure to any “aging” strategy that attempts to get advantageous long term capital gains rates.

A Comprehensive Financial Plan

This service ends up being the most valuable use of your time and money.  It covers

· Insurance

· Taxes

· Investments

· Estate Plan

· College Planning

· Retirement Planning

Usually it pays for itself within one year, in terms of saved taxes, saved insurance premiums, and reduced investment costs.

Click here for more details on the process.  LINK

I charge from $1500 to $2500 to develop a comprehensive financial plan.  Price is defined before work begins.   Always, the first meeting is free.