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Constructing a comprehensive financial plan
is a process and involves several steps. Each one is important, and all
must be coordinated if your financial plan is to succeed. At Marquis, we
will guide you through each step and help you to clearly define your
goals. A comprehensive financial plan, accompanied by a personalized
cover letter summarizing the financial plan and our recommendations, is
prepared for every Investment Advisor client and is included in our
ongoing investment advisory fee. Construction of a financial plan is
also available to Investment Builder clients, and on a stand-alone
basis, but at an additional fee negotiated at the time of the
engagement. With this plan, we will be able to assist you in developing
a strategy for your financial future, one that is designed to meet your
specific goals and objectives.
Financial planning is an ongoing process. As you achieve one goal,
another will take its place. For Investment Advisor clients, we will
revisit your financial plan periodically to update and review the
analysis with you in order to ensure the plan is current and review our
progress towards your financial objectives.
Our financial planning
services may include the following review & analyses*:
*A financial plan may be performed on a
"limited scope" basis, which would include only those subjects listed
above that fit your needs. Since a "limited scope" plan would not
encompass all subjects listed above, the cost would be adjusted
accordingly.
Net
Worth
This analysis is an overview of your total assets (liquid & non-liquid)
and your total liabilities. The difference is your Net Worth. This
analysis provides you with information similar to a balance sheet and is
helpful in determining how "liquid" your net worth is in case of
emergency.
Education Funding
Planning for a child or grandchild’s college education is an important
part of many families’ financial plan. Unfortunately, most families
don’t save enough, or start saving too late to be able to fully pay for
a four year education. This analysis considers such factors as: the
increasing cost of public and private education, general economic
inflation, and the age of the child. The result provides the client with
specific amounts to save on a monthly, annual, or lump-sum basis for the
child’s education, assuming a conservative annual return. Marquis also
consults on the various tax-advantaged options available for education
savings, including: Education IRAs, State 529 plans, and UTMA/UGMA
accounts.
Life &
Disability Insurance
While most people are familiar with life insurance, many aren’t sure if
they need to buy a policy, or if the policy they already have provides
enough coverage. Disability Income insurance is often overlooked unless
it is provided by an employer, but is sometimes the most important type
of insurance a client needs. This analysis takes into account any
current insurance policies the client owns, and determines first, if the
policy is the right type of policy for the client, and second if the
policy provides adequate coverage. As a part of the analysis, we will
make recommendations, and as necessary assist the client in the purchase
of additional insurance.
Retirement Analysis
For most clients, retirement planning is the core of their financial
plan. The key question we attempt to answer is: When can the client
retire, and how much income will their investments provide them at that
time, while still being reasonably assured that their savings will last
throughout their retirement? As a part of the retirement analysis, we
consider all retirement savings and investment accounts, company pension
plans, and social security as sources that can be used to meet the
client’s income needs. We further consider a moderate rate of inflation
and a conservative rate of annual return on the client’s assets to
arrive at the answer. Based upon the assumptions we have made in
conjunction with the client, we will then work to fine-tune the
retirement analysis and make adjustments to (if necessary) arrive at the
intersection between what is desired and what provides a reasonable
probability of success.
Estate Planning
There are certain estate planning documents every person should have. As
a part of the financial plan, we review any estate planning documents
you already have and offer our recommendations for making sure at least
a basic estate plan is in place. Then depending upon the projected size
of the estate, we will offer additional recommendations for minimizing
any potential estate tax. If necessary, we will refer the client to a
local estate planning attorney to draft any new documents.
Long-Term Care Needs
Health Insurance & Medicare are designed to cover short-term care
and rehabilitation and Medicare is only available if you're 65 & over.
For clients under age 65, long term disability insurance is likely one
solution. But as clients near retirement age, or for those who are
already retired, long term care insurance needs to be considered. We
take into account all possible sources of income to pay for an extended
rehabilitation or assisted-living or nursing home stay, and then
determine if the client could reasonably pay for those expenses out of
their accumulated savings. While this knowledge is helpful to the
client, we will always present every available option for their
consideration. This includes long term care insurance, which, when
purchased at the proper time, can provide much-needed additional income
in the event of a long-term disability, illness, or cognitive
impairment. For clients who do not have enough assets to cover these
potentially high expenses, long term care insurance can provide peace of
mind for the client and their families. For those clients who are
fortunate to have a large enough asset base to meet any potential
medical need, long term care insurance is one possibility of ensuring
that the client will be able to pass some of their wealth to their
heirs, favorite charity, or as they otherwise choose.
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Principles and Associates of Marquis Wealth Management Group |