What if you’re just not sure where to start?

To get started you can frame your questions using the broad categories in Figure 1.   Writing down your thoughts by category will help narrow down your goals and begin to get clarity on what is important to you. Once you have this data, prioritize it and identify any gaps; it should aide you in making informed decisions about your wealth management strategy.

Total Client Profile Blueprint- Goals

Figure. 1

The understanding of your goals can go far beyond asset management or estate planning requirements and into the realm of your most important values, relationships and lifelong dreams.

You may find that many advisors use some type of fact-finding process when first meeting with you. However, it is not unusual the focus may be on assets and net worth and do relatively little to uncover what’s else is important to you.

In contrast, a comprehensive process can consist of up to eight categories—only one of which concerns assets—to help ensure that you can identify all that is important to you.

To identify your goals you may start by thinking about the answers to the questions below, writing down your thoughts and see what might be missing.

Goals

  • What are your top accomplishments? What would you like them to be?
  • What are your personal goals?
  • What are your professional goals?
  • What do you do (or want to do) for your children?
  • What do you do (or want to do) for your parents?
  • What do you do (or want to do) for other family members or close friends?
  • What do you want to do for the world at large?
  • Ideally, where would you like to be when you are 45? 55? 65? 75?
  • What are your quality-of-life desires (houses, travel, boats, cars)?
  • What would you like to achieve with your money?
  • In dollar figures, how much money do you need or want?
  • When you think about your money, what concerns, needs or feelings come to mind?
  • If you didn’t have to work anymore, what would you do?

This process can be daunting and laborious. If you find yourself frustrated and stuck, schedule a call.