How About An Annual Financial Check Up?

We get check ups on our cars, our houses, our bodies and even our pets. However, what about getting an annual financial check up on our life? We all have dreams and goals. However, certain financial obstacles may put a dent or act as a stop sign against our plans to achieve those goals.

There are many financial changes that can typically occur in any given 12 month period- being laid off of a job, retirement, a natural disaster, a major purchase, an illness, the birth of a child, a marriage, a divorce, a death, cost of college, providing care for an elderly parent and so forth.

What does it mean to get an Annual Financial Check up?
Simply put, it is an annual review of your financial status. Typically, Financial Planners will collect a client’s data (check stubs, checking & credit statements, titles for homes, tax returns, insurance policies, etc.), prioritize their goals, examine resources, make recommendations and implement a plan according to the client’s needs and personal goals.

Whether you are single, married, or have a family, you should want to be in charge of your future. It’s vital to set both short and long-term financial goals. A Financial Planner can help you to achieve these long term goals. Regardless of what your financial situation is, there are Financial Planners who specialize in a variety of areas and cater to your financial needs.

How can you locate a Financial Planner and how do you know if you can trust them?
There are plenty of Financial Planners out there and the relationship you have with a Financial Planner will be very personal. So in addition, also be wary of people who call themselves Financial Planners. A genuine Financial Planner is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) that is regulated with the state, has an ethical obligation to act in your interest, has no ethical violations against them and follows a Code of Ethics, which consist of: Integrity, Objectivity, Competence, Fairness, Confidentiality, Professionalism and Diligence. The Financial Planner may work as a Sole Practitioner or with a company. The Financial Planning Association (FPA) and the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP) both provide listings of Certified Financial Planners throughout the United States.

What can you expect from a Financial Planner?
You can expect them to review your current financial situation thoroughly and honestly. Additionally, they will provide a financial portfolio for you. Depending on your needs and wants, they will help you stretch out the money you already have and can even help you invest the money you are earning. A Financial Planner is interested in helping you meet your long term financial goals for the future.

Lastly, have more control of your financial future in this unpredictable world. And allow an annual financial check up to be apart of your future.

Side Bar:
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.
1-800-487-1497
www.cfp.net

Financial Planning Association
1-800-322-4237
www.plannersearch