The Strategic Wealth Management Cycle

At our initial meeting, I will conduct a discovery interview. This will allow me to assess the current state of your financial affairs and identify any obstacles to realizing all your financial goals while considering your tax situation and estate planning considerations.

What to bring:

• Tax returns for the last two years
• Current bank, mutual fund, brokerage and retirement plan statements
• Current life insurance policies
• Any wills or trusts
• Any other documents that would shed more light on your overall financial situation

At this meeting, I will introduce you to the portfolio manager who will be responsible for managing your account. We will present a thorough assessment of your current situation and an Investment Policy Statement (IPS). The IPS clearly outlines the portfolio strategy that we recommend to help you meet your goals. It is customized to match your risk tolerance with your need for income, liquidity and return.

While you may be tempted to implement your IPS immediately, we will wait until you have had time to thoroughly review it. As we are both seeking to establish a lifelong professional relationship, we need to be sure we are both completely comfortable with every step of the process.

I only accept clients on whose behalf I can add significant value and with whom I can have a mutually satisfying relationship. At this meeting, we decide whether or not to proceed. If we both choose to move forward, then we'll commit to each other to work toward achieving your goals. We'll also execute the documents necessary to put your Investment Policy Statement into motion.

What to bring:

• Your questions or concerns about your Investment Policy Statement

If you are transferring multiple investment accounts, it's easy to become overwhelmed with the amount of paperwork you’ll receive. At this meeting, we will help you organize all that paperwork in a binder that we provide. We will explain exactly what is happening with your money.

We will also make sure that we have all the information necessary to complete your Wealth Management Plan (WMP). The WMP describes your current situation, compares it to your desired results and creates an incentive to reach your goals. It is a comprehensive document that addresses the full spectrum of your financial affairs—including asset protection, estate planning and tax planning. It is the document that directs all of our work together. By creating, following and periodically updating your WMP, we markedly increase the probability that you will reach your most important financial goals.

What to bring:

• All the new account paperwork that you will receive in the mail
• Any questions you may have regarding the implementation of your investment plan

Your portfolio manager and I will present a custom wealth management plan that addresses all areas of your financial situation, including tax and estate planning. We will also provide a schedule that breaks the plan down by task, assigns responsibility for each task and identifies specific timelines. We will work with your lawyer, accountant or any other professional advisors to ensure that all tasks are completed to your satisfaction.

We will schedule these meetings on a quarterly basis or at intervals that are convenient to you. They give us an opportunity to review any major changes in your personal or financial situation. If these changes mean that we need to make adjustments to your Wealth Management Plan, we'll do so. We'll review your overall progress toward your long-term financial goals. We’ll also review your risk tolerance and update your Investment Policy Statement when necessary.

What to bring:

• Any questions you may have about your progress