Congratulations, retirement is upon you! This can be a very exciting time. You can now focus on those ideas that have been put off over the years. However, if you are like most folks who have reached this point, you probably have many questions and concerns. The questions that I hear most often are:

"Will I/we outlive the money"?

"How will I/we generate income from the money"?

Unfortunately, most people do not know where to begin. As a Certified Financial Planner™ professional who oversees a relatively large amount of client money, I suggest that you find someone who is knowledgeable, experienced and someone whom you can trust. Over the years I have developed a Five Step Investment Process to help answer your questions. The steps are as follows:

Step 1
Define your investment profile.
In this step, I learn all about your financial health. We discuss your time horizon, risk tolerance, income needs, and all other important financial information. This will give us a sense of where you are and where you are going.

Step 2
Determine goals.
Many people want a predictable income from their money. Some people want to protect their principal, others wish to achieve capital appreciation while others desire a combination of these goals. In this step we prioritize your objectives and get a sense of where you want to go.

Step 3
Discuss strategies.
In this step we will discuss the strategic and tactical approaches that may help accomplish your goals. We look at model portfolios and measure their risk. We will determine the types of investments to be used in these models. The goal of this step is to match you with the investment style that coincides with your risk tolerance.

Step 4
Implement plan.
In this step we analyze different investments and we allocate funds in the correct percentages based upon the investment style. As an independent insurance and investment brokerage firm, we are not captive to any one company. This allows us to put our allegiance with you! In this step we decide on the types of investments and the investment companies.

Step 5
Monitor & Review.
In this step we meet monthly, quarterly or as often as necessary. My job is to make sure that the investments that we have chosen are performing as we expected. We will make adjustments as needed depending upon changes in the investment climate. We must make sure that our plan stays on course.

As investors, retirees or individuals, we must remember that we are all very different. We have different resources, income needs and more importantly different goals and objectives. In most cases, one company cannot answer all concerns. Let us tailor a plan that suits your specific needs.