Things We Should Discuss Together

If you have not retired, at what age do you plan to?

It is never too early to too late to ask this question.  Obviously the earlier we discuss your retirement goals, the more options you are likely to have.  With enough time we can plan for investment tax and income strategies.  We can also look at how much risk and liquidity is suitable for you in order to help you achieve your goals.  We can also plan your accumulation goals around what retirement means to you, and whether you plan on working in some capacity or want to travel extensively.

Later in life retirement planning changes.  Our discussion will need to focus on priorities like optimizing retirement income and efficiency.  We also should talk about risks – especially the risk of illness or injury and how you may be vulnerable to wealth-destroying medical costs.  We also should discuss your wealth transfer plans - whether you intend to leave a legacy for others.  Many times this discussion becomes the most profound and rewarding planning we do with our clients.

Children’s Education

Many clients tell us that the successful completion of university education for their children is among their most important and cherished goals.  At the same time, clients are concerned about the rapidly increasing cost of higher education.  Some feel that the opportunity may slip away due to lack of affordability, or they and their children will be forced to make some painful compromises - a lesser quality education or graduating with massive student loan debt.

Planning for children’s higher educational costs ideally should begin when the children are young and there are many years to accumulate the desire amount of funds.  However, it’s never too late to begin accumulating the resources that are needed.  By using tax advantaged strategies and planning this around the parent’s and child’s other resources, we can help the family achieve the best possible outcome for funding and managing the student’s higher educational experience.

What’s Important about Money to You?

This seems like a pretty elementary question, right?  However, when you think about it a bit, the answer to that question can be pretty deep.  Is it about the things that money can buy?  Certainly, we all have needs to look after, and money can provide us with basic security of having shelter, food, clothing, etc.

Yet, when people dig deeper, they often discover that having enough money can lead to the realization of more important and crucial values. Values like personal freedom, family togetherness, good health and even… personal significance.  It is tragic that so much emphasis in the media, in our schools, and in society in general, is placed simply on the material aspects of money.  At Jacobson Wealth Management & Insurance Services, our perspective is much broader. We are constantly reminded that money is simply the vehicle that allows the more important values of our clients to be fulfilled.  As Dr. Stephen Corey would say, “We start with that end in mind.”