Q: Isn’t financial planning just a tool to sell investments and insurance?
A: We can sympathize with that point of view, because it does seem that there are some in the industry who use financial planning as a sales tool. Financial Pathways is different. We believe in planning. It is what we do.
Q: I don’t have any money to invest, why do I need a financial plan?
A: Maybe you are just starting on your financial journey. Maybe you have taken your eye off the ball, or encountered some financial obstacles that have held you back. But no matter where you are on the journey, you need a plan that will get you to your destination. We firmly believe that everyone can benefit from a sound financial plan. This is why, unlike some financial planning firms, we make our planning services and advice available to anyone who needs it. Maybe you don’t have money to invest right now – our goal is to change that!
Q: How do you get paid?
A: That depends on what we do for you. Services such as advice and financial planning are based on an hourly fee. In the case of a detailed financial plan we would give you an estimate before we do any work. Some clients want us to manage their investments for them on an ongoing basis, for these clients we charge a quarterly fee based on the amount of assets we manage.
Q: Is financial planning expensive?
A: We don’t think so. In our experience, we can almost always find ways to save you far more than the cost of the work we do – so financial planning is a great investment! The hourly fee we charge is not much more than my auto mechanic charges – and I am no better off financially when I leave his shop!
Q: What if I just want to pick your brain for a while?
A: No problem. We can’t figure out why anyone would wait on hold for hours to speak with a radio talk show host for 2 minutes (who might embarrass them on national TV) when they pick our brain for hours. We have a 2 hour minimum consultation for new clients. Our standard billing rate is $190/hour, but we charge less for longer engagements such as financial plans.
Q: Do you offer free consultations?
A: Yes, I do. We don’t expect a commitment from you until we have a chance to meet and talk about your situation.