Financial planning is the process of bringing together different parts of your financial life to build a roadmap for a secure future. Components of a financial plan may include income, assets, taxes, insurance, estate planning, employee benefits, loans, etc. We look at everything that affects your finances and craft a plan for achieving financial success based on what it means to you. Working closely in collaboration throughout the planning process is incredibly important. Financial planning is not a one-and-done event. It is an ongoing, iterative process. As your life changes - and it will - your financial plan will change as well. Working with Sunflower will give you the confidence to navigate all of life’s changes as they occur.
Elder care financial planning is the process of creating a comprehensive financial plan to help clients to manage their finances as they age. This type of planning considers the specific financial needs and challenges that come with aging, such as medical expenses, long-term care costs, and estate planning including the legal documents to help manage care for you or your aging relatives. It includes a detailed analysis of the potential cost of care (at home or outside of home) and its impact on finances. Specific strategies that are used in elder care financial planning may include creating a trust, purchasing long-term care insurance, qualifying for government benefits, maximizing Social Security benefits, and developing a retirement income plan that considers the possibility of increased medical expenses as a person ages. In addition, elder care financial planning may involve identifying strategies for protecting against financial scams and fraud targeting seniors.
The goal of this type of planning is to help ensure that seniors have the financial resources they need to maintain their quality of life in their later years, while also helping to protect their assets and ensuring that their estate is distributed according to their wishes. One important aspect of elder care financial planning is involving family members and caregivers in the planning process. This can help ensure that everyone is on the same page and can help prevent misunderstandings and conflicts down the line.
Under the fiduciary standard, financial advisors and financial planners are legally sworn and obligated to always place the best interest of their client ahead of their own. They must disclose any conflicts of interest, and clearly define how they are paid.
The term “Fee-Only” refers to how a financial planner or an advisor is compensated. A fee-only financial planner is paid directly by their client and does not earn commission of any kind for product sales or referrals. It is the only method of compensation that is transparent, objective, and minimizes conflicts of interest. Some financial planners are compensated in other ways, like getting paid a commission for selling a product. Most financial advisors earn a significant portion of their compensation through commissions, and in addition they may be required to sell their company’s proprietary products even if there is a more beneficial product available to the client in the marketplace. We eliminate this conflict of interest, which frees us to always provide independent, objective advice to our clients.
Although we are based in Southern New Hampshire, we work with clients throughout the country. We are not bound by geography when working with you. We seek out clients who are the best fit for our firm, regardless of where they are located.
We work with clients throughout the country using virtual meetings, conference calls, e-mails, secure file transfer, and an integrated suite of client service and financial software. You do not need to be local to partner with our firm.
Protection of your assets is a top priority for Sunflower Financial Planning. We use Betterment and Schwab Advisor Services to hold your assets. As industry leaders, Betterment and Charles Schwab provide several levels of protection for your assets. Click here to learn more about how your assets are protected at Schwab and here at Betterment.
The initial financial planning process typically takes between 2 and 4 months depending on a complexity of a situation, schedule flexibility, and a time required for information gathering. Ongoing financial planning service model usually includes quarterly meetings and a required annual review meeting. However, we work closely with clients to determine the best frequency and communication methods based on individual preferences and needs.
We offer three levels of stand-alone financial planing services – Seeding, Blossom and Harvest. You can review fee ranges for each service on the What We Do page on this website. If you have just a few questions, we offer hourly services and charge $350 per hour, or a one-time pre-determined fee for limited scope engagements. For the ongoing service, including investment management, we charge a fixed annual fee billed monthly. For further details, please see our Form ADV.
The best way to start a conversation is to schedule a free introductory meeting or a phone call by either going to Contact Us page or using this link to the online scheduler.
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