Financial Planning – Outside the Lines

Are you tired of taking sides? Tired of having to choose one over another? Simply tired of making so many decisions every day? Well, I’m not surprised given that some studies estimate the average person makes 35,000 decisions a day. I feel exhausted just thinking about this!

So, what’s a person to do? Well, a starting place is simply to acknowledge the exhaustion that comes from having to choose so many times on a daily basis (enter “decision fatigue”). And if you are symptomatic of the condition “paralysis of analysis,” it’s just that much harder.

What about financial planning? Think you have some choices to make? Well, I think we’d agree that you do. So, what does financial planning “outside the lines” look like? We have some thoughts.

Firstly, Giving Credit Where It’s Due

I read Scott Sauls’ book Jesus Outside the Lines about 2 years ago. The timing of this book was perfect for me. Scott’s writings resonated with me, particularly as it related to politics, money, and hope (or realism). He approached these quite sensitive topics with humility and grace. I greatly appreciated this. So, thank you, Scott, for your book and helping me with the title of this post.

Investments

Let’s name a few choices you have: stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, annuities, passive, active, momentum, contrarian, etc. Shall I go on? I’ll spare you.

So, what’s an investor to do? And which of these options are best? Ultimately, you have to make a choice. Or, you choose to hire someone to help you.

Insurance

Buy term and invest the rest? Buy term and spend the rest? Or buy permanent, whole life insurance? Perhaps variable universal life? Follow the duck to Aflac or rely on your traditional health insurance? Work with an 800# rep or have a local agent? Which is best? (Answer coming…)

Estate Planning

Save money and do a cookie-cutter last will and testament? Or pay a local attorney to help? Retitle all assets possible into a revocable living trust, or go through the probate process? Name specific beneficiaries on all accounts, or let your will do the work?

So many decisions here. What’s a person to do?

Financial Planning (Outside the Lines)

It’s this: Developing a financial plan specific to you and your needs, goals and desires. It’s not a robo-advisor or robo-plan. It’s not a one-stop shop online or a local company advertising that they have all the right answers and solutions. It’s not an insurance company promising (almost) to save you 15% on premiums.

I remember early in my career thinking I had the perfect plan and most all of the answers to clients’ concerns and questions. My heart’s motive was to help. However, I learned with time and experience that I needed to step out of my personal story and enter into their stories.

The client may communicate their desire to have life insurance that is guaranteed to always be there. They may communicate their desire to have retirement income that they can never outlive, regardless of market conditions. The client may share their desire to work with a more traditional “brick and mortar” bank rather than an online bank paying a higher interest.

Where do we fit in?

It starts with you, not us. Our personal plan might (or will) look different than yours. We are happy to share what we are personally doing in our financial plan. But again, we expect our plans to look a little different.

Our job and passion is to walk alongside you in your life story. We are morally and legally obligated to put your interests above our own. That’s how it should be.

We are deeply thankful for those who have asked us to come alongside them. It would be a privilege to have a conversation with you about how that might look in your life journey. And be assured that your financial plan will be designed outside the lines.

*For financial planning clients of Rivertree Financial Planning: Please contact us as soon as possible if you have had any changes in circumstances, objectives, goals or risk tolerance.