Bill Goodwin, A&Q, Service

What is Financial Planning?
What is a Certified Financial Planner?
The Benefits of Financial Planning
My Services
How am I Compensated?
My Pledge of Confidentiality
Consultations

What is Financial Planning?

Financial planning is the process of meeting your life goals through the proper management of your finances. This process involves gathering relevant financial information, setting life goals, examining your current financial status and coming up with a strategy or plan that will suggest how you can meet your goals given your current situation and future plans. This big picture approach to your financial goals sets financial planners apart from other financial advisors who may focus only on a particular area of your financial life.

What is a Certified Financial Planner?

A Certified Financial Planner, or CFP, is an internationally recognized professional designation awarded by the Financial Planners Standards Council (FPSC). It identifies professionals who have been educated in, examined for, and have experience in all aspects of financial planning. These areas include estate planning, investment planning, retirement and employee benefits planning, insurance planning and income tax planning. In addition to adhering to a strict code of professional conduct, CFP's must also make a life-long commitment to continuing education to keep their skills current.

The Benefits of Financial Planning

You'll find the benefits of working with a financial planner are numerous. As a planner, I can;

give personal attention to your unique needs and goals.
be a sounding board, educator and coach, listening to your concerns, providing ideas & solutions.
help you turn vague objectives into concrete achievable goals.
help you plan, providing a road map that will show you how to get there.
provide professional portfolio management services, sorting through the overwhelming choices of financial products.
provide you peace of mind.

My Services

I offer both segmented (specific to a single objective) or comprehensive financial plans. This planning process follows a logical and methodical six-step process. The following is an outline of this process:

Define the terms of our relationship and clarify your present situation by collecting and assessing all relevant financial data.
Discuss your personal financial goals and objectives as well as help you clarify your financial and personal values or attitudes.
Identify financial problems that can create barriers to your financial independence such as too little life insurance or inadequate cash flow.
Provide written recommendations including alternative solutions structured to help you meet your needs.
Implement the plan that we will finalize together.
Perform periodic reviews and revision of your plan to ensure you continue to progress towards your objectives.

In addition to providing general financial planning services, please note that I am also a non-aligned fund specialist and independent insurance advisor. This allows me to buy or sell investment funds as well as insurance products for my clients. As a non-aligned advisor, my clients have access to a myriad of high profile brand name products. Because I am independent, I am not restricted to a select group of products but instead can choose from a large pool of products and recommend only those that best fit your needs.

How am I compensated?

I work for my clients on either a fee-for-service basis, commission basis or a combination
of both.

Fee-for-service: If you decide to employ my services on a fee-for-service method, the fee is based on an hourly rate.

You may also choose to negotiate a flat fee for a specific service.

Commissions: Alternatively, you may choose to have my compensation paid through commissions derived from your purchases of financial products through me. In many cases, the commission can be paid by the suppliers of financial products such as the investment fund companies or insurance companies. In other cases, you may choose to pay the commission directly, for example, if you buy investment funds on a "front end basis" (initial sales charge option). Regardless of the method of compensation you choose, I will be pleased to discuss these alternatives with you.

My Pledge of Confidentiality

Securities law as well as several regulatory bodies under which I operate require financial planners to document their client's financial needs, objectives and financial standing before advising them or executing purchase orders. For this reason, I will ask you many pertinent financial questions. Your answers to these questions will help me create an accurate picture of your current situation. Please be assured that this information will be held in the strictest of confidence.

Consultations

I offer a free consultation service to prospective clients who want to know more about the process of financial planning and its many benefits.