To Inform:

Here at The Joseph Group our mission is to “help create great lives one story at a time.” We are here to encourage our clients to tell the story that brings them the most joy!

How does the Joseph Group help you do this? We do this by knowing you, your family, your purpose, and your bigger life picture. This is our holistic approach in serving you. You are more than your financial portfolio or your risk tolerance. You are dynamic and ever changing based on goals and life events. This is why we must look at your “whole” picture.

Aspects of Holistic Planning:

Holistic planning is continuous – Your financial plan isn’t something that we look at once in your life and never revisit. It is more of a “road map” for us to make sure that we are on the right path. It is our job to listen to your wants / needs/ worries and make adjustments to your plan. This is known as a “top-down” approach which focuses on what your goals are and how we reach them versus a “bottom-up” approach which focuses on how much you can afford.

Holistic planning is personal – In order to give personalized advice, we have to know and understand your purpose. This allows us to focus on what is important to you throughout your life and especially during transition times. This could include:

• Retirement
• Marriage
• Divorce
• Welcoming a new baby
• Death of a loved one
• Sending kids to college
• Purchasing your first home

Each one of these comes with specific considerations and needs to be addressed to meet your specific goals. Again, your life is ever changing which is why we want to meet frequently to make sure you are still on the right path.

Holistic planning is comprehensive – With changes to estate planning, tax laws, and family dynamics, our clients need us to be the quarterback for their financial plan. We are the hub of the wheel connecting your “team” which might be made up of CPAs, attorneys, and insurance agents. We have the privilege of knowing your whole picture and are able to coordinate and communicate with these professionals to make sure everything is done in alignment with the story that you want to tell. Some of these comprehensive planning considerations include:

• Debt considerations
• Cash flow management
• Liquidation / withdraw strategy
• Social security / pension decisions
• Tax planning for today, in retirement, and legacy considerations
• Estate planning for surviving spouse or children
• Investing assets for the future

It is important for your advisor to think about your current picture and to think about your future picture and try to best maximize all of the planning considerations above.

While this list above can seem intimidating, it is much more manageable when you have a holistic partner to see the WHOLE picture for you. The Joseph Group is here to help you think about your big picture plan and help you tell YOUR story.

Written by Theresa M. LeChard, CFP, Client Advisor