The Advantage of Fee-Only Financial Planning
YOU ASK, “WHY DO I NEED A FINANCIAL PLANNER?”
Creating and maintaining a financial road map that ensures that you reach your financial goals takes time and expertise. It’s possible to do this yourself, however most people don’t have the time, interest or breadth of knowledge. That’s where I can help you.
Maintaining a healthy financial life is a critical cornerstone of a successful life, and this is true at every income level and stage of life. Financial planning should not be a luxury - everyone deserves to have a road map to help them achieve their goals. Just like taking care of your physical health, taking care of your financial health requires ongoing education, attention and maintenance. And having an expert partner can make the entire process faster, easier, and create better outcomes. It can even be enjoyable. You don’t have to go it alone – I can be your partner.
CHOOSING A FEE-ONLY ADVISOR MEANS YOUR BEST INTERESTS COME FIRST, ALWAYS
It is critical to your financial health that you know the difference between types of financial brokers, agents or advisors. The majority of financial brokers and agents are salespeople who earn their living by selling you financial products and earning commissions and fees. Anytime someone is earning commissions on your financial decisions, a potential conflict of interest arises. A fee-only advisor is not compensated by any third party or obligated to sell specific company products and is therefore free to provide advice that is purely in their client’s best interest. There is no hidden agenda.
PERSONALIZED SERVICE IS MY HALLMARK – I’M HERE TO MEET YOUR NEEDS
One of the distinguishing qualities of my business is the highly personalized service that I provide. I place a very high priority on getting to know you; all of my work is based on your goals and priorities, values, risk tolerance, stage of life and unique needs. There is no “one size fits all” approach. The financial road map that we create together will be a one-of-a-kind plan to get you where you want to go.
FULL RANGE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES – PUTTING ALL OF THE FINANCIAL PUZZLE PIECES TOGETHER
I can provide as little or as much support as you need, from a one-time conversation, like providing a second opinion on your investment allocation, to a comprehensive financial road map and an ongoing, long-term partnership through life’s transitions.
Some people assume that financial advisors are concerned only about investments, and sometimes that is true. But since my training and expertise is holistic, I am able to support you in nearly all aspects of creating and maintaining a healthy financial life. In addition to advising you on investing, I can also support you with optimizing taxes, ensuring appropriate insurance coverage, planning for a secure retirement, maximizing your social security benefits, estate planning, and so on. Covering all of your financial bases is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle, and I can help you to put all of the pieces together.
NOT JUST A CREATING A PLAN, BUT UTILIZING THE ROAD MAP FOR YOUR FINANCIAL JOURNEY
Every day, week and month, we are making decisions that affect our short-term and long-term financial health. How we conduct ourselves on a daily basis adds up to create the collection of habits that determine our financial outcomes. That’s why it’s not enough to have a well-designed plan, but it must also be implemented well. The value is in taking the action and forming the healthy financial habits. A plan is worth nothing unless it brings about the actions and decisions that accomplish your goals.
When you work with me, I will take the time and effort to let you know what the options and trade offs are for each decision. My goal is to ensure that you feel confident in every aspect of the plan that we collaborate to create. Financial education and literacy is empowering.
It’s not just about dollars and cents. It’s a sense of confidence that you’re on the right track to financial well-being.
COMPLIANCE DISCLOSURE:
All written content on this site is for information purposes only. Opinions expressed herein are solely those of the owner and principal of Gary Cook Financial Planning. Material presented is believed to be from reliable sources and we make no representations as to its accuracy or completeness. All information and ideas should be discussed in detail with your individual advisor, accountant or attorney prior to implementation. Fee-Only financial planning and investment advisory services are offered by Gary Cook Financial Planning, a registered investment adviser in the state of California. The presence of this web site on the Internet shall in no direct or indirect way be construed or interpreted as a solicitation to sell or offer to sell investment advisory services to residents of any state other than California.
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Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.