What I do

The core of my services is helping clients be proactive about retaining their hard-earned wealth. The focus is preserving existing and future resources, not really accumulating them. If a water barrel sprung a leak, you would worry about  plugging the leak, not pouring in additional water. When we talk, you will see how this is numerically more impressive. I generally accomplish this by:
plugging water leak
  • Establishing customized estate and business succession plans
  • Identifying and possibly transferring risks
  • Avoiding unsuitable investment allocations/selections
  • Coordinating with other experts that you work with
  • Mitigating income and estate taxes
  • Minimizing investment costs and expenses
  • Serving as an unbiased mediator in discussions about spending, saving, and investing habits

Financial planning vs. investing

The popular media and the biggest financial services companies love to equate financial planning to investment planning. They have been selling the public an oversimplified message that plays right into the greed and fear of the public.
public perception pie chart
financial planning pie chart
 

Charlatans are afraid to "bore and confuse" clients with discussions about wills, taxes, or insurance. They focus on investments because portfolio management produces the most renewable income for them. The alternate explanation is that they have no training in the other areas of truly comprehensive financial planning.
Martin Lo, CFP®: Fee-only Financial Advisor, Certified Financial Planner in Baltimore, MD