Financial planning is the process of setting and achieving financial goals through a systematic approach that includes analysing an individual's or a family's current financial situation, developing strategies to achieve specific financial objectives, and regularly reviewing and adjusting the plan to ensure it remains aligned with changing circumstances and goals.
The process of financial planning typically involves several key steps:
1. Goal setting
Identifying short-term, medium-term, and long-term financial goals, such as saving for retirement, buying a home, funding education expenses, or building an emergency fund.
2. Financial assessment
Evaluating an individual's or a family's current financial situation, including income, expenses, assets, liabilities, and risk management (such as insurance coverage).
3. Budgeting
Creating a budget or spending plan that outlines how income will be allocated to meet financial goals and cover expenses, while also accounting for saving and investing.
4. Saving and investing
Developing strategies for saving and investing money to achieve financial goals, such as selecting appropriate investment vehicles, diversifying investments, and managing risk.
5. Tax planning
Optimzing tax strategies to minimize tax liabilities and maximize tax savings, such as taking advantage of tax-deferred or tax-exempt investment accounts and deductions.
6. Retirement planning
Planning for retirement by estimating retirement expenses, projecting retirement income from various sources (such as Social Security, pensions, and investments), and developing strategies to accumulate sufficient funds for retirement.
7. Risk management
Assessing and managing risks that could impact an individual's or a family's financial well-being, such as disability, illness, premature death, or property damage, through insurance coverage and other risk mitigation strategies.
8. Estate planning
Planning for the transfer of wealth and assets to beneficiaries, including creating wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents, as well as minimizing estate taxes and ensuring the orderly distribution of assets.
9. Regular review and adjustment
Monitoring progress towards financial goals, reviewing and adjusting the financial plan as needed to account for changing circumstances, goals, and market conditions.
Financial planning is typically conducted by financial planners or financial advisors who have expertise in various aspects of personal finance, and it is tailored to the unique needs, goals, and circumstances of the individual or family seeking financial planning services. A well-designed financial plan can provide a roadmap for achieving financial goals, managing risks, and building long-term financial security.
Our Investment Philosophy
Our promise to you
Like all successful financial advice businesses, we have a core set of investment beliefs.
These beliefs shape the investment decisions we take on your behalf and give focus and discipline to the oversight of your investment goals.
We are guided in the decisions we make on your behalf by some fundamental investment principles that assist you to stay focused on your investment goals and build wealth over time.
We know that investors can’t control short-term market movements. So instead we focus on factors in your control such as:
- Understanding your attitude towards risk and return to develop a detailed risk profile
- Allocating your investments across a wide range of assets—shares, bonds, property and cash
- Choosing the right mix of investments styles—index and active—to achieve your goals
- Reducing the cost of investing wherever possible by implementing tax-effective investment strategies
- Rebalancing your investments back to your target asset allocation to keep you on track to achieve your goals
We don’t focus on the markets, the economy, manager ratings or the performance of individual securities. Instead we focus on the fundamental principles that we believe can give our clients the best chance of success.
- We will help you create specific and measurable investment goals
- We will help you develop a suitable asset allocation using broadly diversified funds
- We will help you minimise cost
- We will help you maintain perspective and long-term discipline
These principles are embedded in our culture and guide the investment decisions we help our clients make.
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