The Value of a REAL Advisor - An Overarching Financial Strategy

An Overarching Financial Strategy- The overarching financial strategy defines in writing exactly how you will reach your goals. It should cover every area of the client’s financial life and be updated regularly (at least annually). Who will be on the advisory team? What tools, investments and resources will we use? What will our philosophy be? How will we work together to get there?
You have seen some of these defined here already. Your Overarching Strategy might include the following.
- We will focus exclusively on the things directly within our control
- We will delegate our financial affairs to our Truly Comprehensive Financial Advisor so that we may enjoy our lives and have less stress. We will do this because we desire more discretionary time and we wish to focus on those things which cannot be delegated such as Family, Friends, Faith, Fitness, Fun and Filanthropy (Poetic license on this F).
- We will keep our costs low.
- We will diversify. (You’ll need to define exactly what that means for your plan.)
- We will be tax efficient.
- We will only pay flat fees.
- We will demand transparency in ALL fees, not just advisor fees.
- We will hold only passive investments.
- We will regularly rebalance the portfolio to match our allocation targets resulting in better returns over time
- We will live within the budgets that we define because we are building our Ideal Lives which is more important than living for the moment.
- We would like to include real estate and gold as part of our portfolio.
- We will always hold two years of cash to ensure that we have plenty of time to make financial decisions without pressure.
- We will meet with our advisor three times a year as a couple to ensure that we are communicating changes with each other and our advisor, that our advisor has everything he or she needs from us and that we are on track to our goals. When we are not, we will take the actions necessary within 90 days to get back on track.
Metrics - You should ALWAYS KNOW WHEN YOU ARE ON TRACK OR OFF TRACK to your goals. That means that each goal must have a way to measure it, a clearly defined metric that enables you to instantly know if you are on track or off track. Your advisor should proactively notify you immediately when necessary, or at the next meeting, that you are off track and help you create a plan to get back on track quickly. Measuring your personal progress against YOUR GOALS is far more important than measuring (only your investment returns) against some arbitrary metric like financial market indexes or peer performance. You will accomplish your goals much faster by focusing on the things that are directly within your control.
You might be asking yourself, “Where do I find the right Financial Consultant near me who charges a flat fee and will treat me fairly?” “Where can I find an advisor who can create an Integrated Aligned Overarching Strategy?” or “Where can I find an advisor who will only invest my money in proven passive investments? We suggest that you interview several. You’ll quickly learn that there are very few who are fiduciaries, believe in passive investing and have a process to create an Integrated Aligned Overarching Strategy. When you do find the right advisor, you’ll be able to relax in the knowledge that you are in the right hands and that your financial future is secure. Feel free to reach out to me with your questions. I’m committed to investor education.
Dean Kendall is a Financial Organizer in Calgary, handling all of the financial affairs for a select group of clients who value unbiased quality advice for one simple flat fee.
His book - Stop Paying Hidden Investment Fees! Click here for more information https://www.ideallifeexperience.com/Stop-Paying-Hidden-Investment-Fees
Newest book - Becoming The Champion of Your Dreams: How to Set and Achieve Your Most Important Goals Click here for more information. https://www.ideallifeexperience.com/Becoming-the-Champion-of-Your-Dreams
In addition, Dean is a 3X Canadian National # 1 Amateur, a 5X Canadian National #1 Professional BMX rider, downhill mountain biker and an avid snowboarder. He is an expert at winning. Let him show you how to win the money game. You can reach Dean at dean@ideal-life-experience.ca or Phone 403-543 -7226
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