Have any one or more of these questions crossed your mind?

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• Where is my money going every month?

• Am I saving enough for retirement?

• Am I on track to meet my financial goals?

• Wait, what are my financial goals?

• How am I doing with my wealth-building relative to other people my age?

• What can I do better, and how can I optimize my financial strategy?

 

A few things happened:

 

1. People started living longer.

2. Pensions became a lot less common as employers shifted responsibility of funding retirement from themselves to workers (ex. 401(k)s which rely on employee contributions).

 

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), the number one stressor for most people in the United States is money or financial concerns. A CreditWise survey found that finances are the number-one cause of stress (73%) – more than politics (59%), work (49%), and family (46%). Younger generations are even more stressed out about finances than older generations with the majority of Gen Z’ers (82%) and millennials (81%) saying finances are at least somewhat stressful.

 

Financial stress can have a significant negative impact on both mental and physical health.

 

Financial planning is the intersection between our money and our lives. It is a holistic process that explores the goals, values, and strategies behind your personal money management. As consumers, we are absolutely inundated with messages to buy. At the same time, never before have we had so much access to information on how to save more, invest better, live bigger. What is missing from online forums is the personalized nature of advice giving - what works for one person, may not apply to someone else. That is why many people choose to work with a fiduciary - a professional who is legally obligated to provide advice that is in the client’s best interest (all CFPs are bound to the fiduciary code). Working with a CFP, individuals can receive advice that is tailored to their goals and values, as well as their beliefs and behaviors around money.

 

If you have the picture then you know what you’re shooting for.

 

It’s not about judging yourself for where you are spending your money, it’s about prioritizing.

 

The value of financial planning to come in and talk to someone who knows what they’re doing, who has all of these data points, and can help guide them to take the next steps to help them do whatever they want to be doing.

 

How you manage your money and what decisions you make, have a direct impact on your quality of life, your ability to live in financial independence, and to meet your dearly held goals. One question you should ask yourself—what amount of time and resources have you invested in your career? Now apply that to your personal money management--what amount of time or resources have you invested in learning about your strengths, weaknesses, and strategies for improvement? One provides income during your working years, and the other has a direct impact on your ability to live financially free, retire, and experience a meaningful values-driven life.

 

Who does Anastasia work with?

 

As the Chief Financial Officer of her household and mom of two, Anastasia understands what it’s like to balance competing priorities while working full-time. She enjoys working with other women who manage their own households. For single women or women who manage their finances separately, Anastasia acts as both a thinking partner and accountability partner when it comes to their financial strategy. Anastasia also works with couples who seek financial guidance on milestones like buying a home, starting a family, retiring early, or moving somewhere new.

 

What does the financial planning process look like?

 

We begin with an introductory call so we can determine if our services and your needs are a good fit. We gather financial background information as well as your biggest concerns and priorities. If you decide to move forward in the planning process, we will send you the contract and an invoice for the first half of the plan’s fee as well as a checklist of documents we need for the plan.

 

Once the contract is signed and invoice is paid, we will send you the financial planning software login (we use eMoney) where you will upload financial documents to the Vault. Once most of the documents are uploaded, we will schedule our first meeting where we gather additional background information and clarify facts provided with the documents.

 

After the first meeting, we will send you a values exercise and an investment objectives questionnaire to complete. At the second meeting, we typically review your cash flow and investments along with your objectives. In the third meeting, we generally review insurance policies, estate planning, and financial plan projections via eMoney’s Monte Carlo simulator based on the goals you’ve developed throughout the planning process. Occasionally, a fourth meeting is needed to discuss ongoing support or if any of the financial planning areas require additional review or discussion.

 

The total comprehensive planning process typically lasts 3-4 months and takes place over a series of 3-4 meetings.

 

By the end of the plan, you will receive your full financial plan PDF, including comprehensive analysis of your finances, scenarios run through Monte Carlo simulations, a list of recommendations, and a clear strategy for how to achieve the goals you have cultivated throughout the planning process.

 

Most of all, you should have peace of mind that you are doing what you need to do.

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What are the specific services I can expect within a comprehensive financial plan?

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• Assessing Your Financial Situation – we form a total picture of your finances and generate a net worth statement.

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• Planning for Retirement – using our financial planning software, we project the future value of your taxable investments, pensions, retirement accounts, and expected Social Security benefits.

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• Measuring Cash Flow – we explore whether your spending aligns with your values and goals.

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• Analyzing Investments – we evaluate your investments and create specific recommendations along with an Investment Policy Statement.

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• Evaluating Insurance Needs – we assess coverage for health, life, disability, property and casualty, and long-term care insurance.

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• Assessing Employer Benefits – we review employer benefit guides and provide advice on selections.

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• Engaging Tax Planning – we assess your income taxes while coordinating investments and other related issues affecting your tax situation.

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• Reviewing Estate Plans – we determine the need for an updated estate plan.

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• Funding Education – we project the cost of any children’s education and determine the optimal ways to fund it.

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What does a financial plan cost?

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We charge a flat fee of $3,500 minimum for a comprehensive financial plan, or $300 hourly for smaller projects. It is a minimum subject to increase based on complexity of the plan.

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About Anastasia:

 

Anastasia joined TABER Asset Management in 2021 after working in accounting at a global law firm, as a property manager for an owner of residential properties in DC, and in the head corporate office of a publicly owned Real Estate Investment Trust. She and Bill began a personal finance podcast in 2020 geared towards younger generations learning about personal finance called Creating Wealth. The podcast has over 100+ episodes and has been referred to as a “masterclass” in personal finance by listeners.

 

After a lifetime of interest in personal finance and seeing her generation’s need for trusted financial advice, she decided to pursue her designation as a Certified Financial Planner. She is passionate about using her expertise to assist individuals in their wealth journeys.

 

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