7 Steps to Finding a Financial Advisor · 8/10/2017  · Regardless of which financial vehicle you...

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7 STEPS TO FINDING A FINANCIAL ADVISOR YOUR GUIDE TO HIRING THE BEST ADVISOR! PROTECT YOUR MONEY NOW! Retirement Strategies are Changing Quickly RISK vs. REWARD Your Best Retirement Income Strategies THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

Transcript of 7 Steps to Finding a Financial Advisor · 8/10/2017  · Regardless of which financial vehicle you...

Page 1: 7 Steps to Finding a Financial Advisor · 8/10/2017  · Regardless of which financial vehicle you choose, you pay fees one way or another. However, you may be able to lower fees

7 STEPS TO FINDING A FINANCIAL ADVISORYOUR GUIDE TO HIRING THE BEST ADVISOR!

PROTECT

YOUR

MONEY

NOW!

Retirement Strategiesare Changing Quickly

RISK vs. REWARD

Your Best RetirementIncome Strategies

THE BEST IS YET

TO COME!

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It’s a simple fact that, when pursuing any objective, understanding where you intend to go greatly increases the odds you will end up there. For that reason, every journey should begin with the end in mind. One of the first steps to a comfortable, financially independent retirement is finding advisors who will design the retirement strategy that’s right for you — a team that helps guarantee a lifetime of retirement income so that you can retire with grace.

Within the covers of this booklet you will find...

• Answers to six frequently asked questions• 7 important steps to consider before engaging a team of financial professionals• A quiz to help determine your level of satisfaction with your current financial

plan of action• A message about risk and reward• Details about how a realistic financial review may be able to help address • concerns you might have about your retirement income plan• An assessment of your unique goals

What financial goals look like will be different from person to person, based on individual values and priorities. Have you thought about yours?

Information contained in this brochure is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide any tax or legal advice or provide the basis for any financial decisions. Be sure to speak to qualified tax, legal and financial professionals before making any decisions about your personal situation.

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RETIREMENT STRATEGIESARE CHANGING

Answers to Six Frequently Asked Questions

Determining the level of savings needed to reach your financial retirement goals can be complicated and involves a number of factors, but certain facts are irrefutable.

• You’re likely to have a longer retirement than your parents did. People are living longer than ever before, which can have a significant impact on the way we plan for retirement income. Average life expectancies for those who are age 65 today stretch to age 84 for men and 86 for women, but about one in four 65-year-olds will live past age 90 and one in 10 will live past age 95. Those numbers make it clear — we need to plan for retirement income that will last 20 to 30 years.1

• You’ll likely need more health care as you age, and it is likely to cost more. While many people may sail through their senior years without experiencing significant health problems, others aren’t as fortunate. Health care costs can account for a significant percentage of your expenses in retirement. A recent study found that a couple retiring at age 65 in 2015, with Medicare coverage, could expect to pay about $266,589 in medical expenses throughout

retirement — and that doesn’t include nursing home care.2

Knowing that you’ll likely need to be more financially prepared for retirement than you might have thought probably brings up more questions than answers. To help you think through those questions, here are six frequently asked questions:

“What happens if I need long-term care?”The longer we live, the greater the likelihood we’ll need long-term care assistance at some point. Medicare may pay for acute care, but it won’t cover costs for long-term residency. Medicaid will require you to spend down your assets before it will cover long-term care costs. Lately, annual costs for long-term care are between $43,200 and $91,250.3

“Is knowing how much I’ll need to cover my daily living expenses enough when planning for my retirement income?”The short answer is no. Aside from preparing to meet your daily living expenses in retirement, consider how you want to spend your time. Traveling the world? Pursuing a particular hobby? Or maybe you want to leave an inheritance for your loved ones. However you decide to live your retirement, make sure it’s reflected in your retirement income strategy.

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“How can I get the most out of Social Security?”Social Security can be a big part of your retirement income strategy, but you first need to consider at what age to begin claiming it. In general, waiting to claim benefits as long as possible can increase the amount you are eligible to receive. It’s important to understand all of the more than 5,000 claiming options and how they will impact your overall retirement income plan. A qualified financial advisor will be a great help.

“How can I ensure my savings are enough?”Don’t just “wing it.” Simply saving money for retirement — even a large amount of money — doesn’t necessarily guarantee you’ll have enough. Instead, develop a strategy. Implementing a retirement income distribution strategy that is organized, disciplined and risk-managed will help ensure your money lasts as long as you do.

“How do I ensure that taxes don’t eat up my savings?”“It’s not what you make – it’s what you keep” is one of the most profound truths. Tax-free retirement strategies include managing and reducing capital gain and estate taxes. A licensed financial advisor specializing in retirement income strategies can help you avoid costly mistakes.

“How will inflation affect my retirement income strategy?”Everyone has to deal with the impact of inflation, but it can be particularly problematic for retirees. By increasing the cost of basic necessities, inflation effectively decreases the purchasing power of your long-term savings and investments. In other words, no matter how much income you plan on having when you retire, you’ll probably need more as time goes on to help offset the effects of inflation and provide a predictable source of income to cover basic needs and inflation.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed while preparing for retirement, especially with all of these factors to consider — but you don’t have to answer these questions by yourself! Find a team of financial professionals you trust to help you find the answers to your unique needs.

1 Social Security Administration. “Calculators: Life Expectancy.” www.ssa.gov/planners/lifeexpectancy.htm. Accessed Jan. 4, 2016.

2 Health View Services. “2015 Retirement Health Care Costs Data Report.” http://www.hvsfinancial.com/PublicFiles/Data_Release.pdf. Accessed Jan. 4, 2016.

3 Genworth. “2015 Cost of Care Survey.” https://www.genworth.com/dam/Americas/US/PDFs/Consumer/corporate/130568_040115_ gnw.pdf. Accessed Jan. 4, 2016.

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WHO DO YOU WANT TO HELP WRITEYOUR STORY?

7 important steps to finding a financial advisor right for you.

Think of your favorite book. Now, consider what the outcome of the book might be if it were written by a different author in a completely different genre.

If you’re currently working with a financial professional who isn’t the right fit for you, it’s time to find someone who can help you write the story you want to live.

STEP 1: MAKE SURE YOUR PRIORITIES ARE ALIGNEDWhen preparing for retirement, you and your financial advisor should be on the same page. Search for trustworthy, experienced and credentialed professionals who focus on providing strategies and services that may help you become more confident in your retirement income planning. The right professionals can provide the guidance and solid judgment needed to help you achieve your future financial goals.

STEP 2: ASK QUESTIONSWith an abundance of financial vehicles available, each boasting different features, don’t be afraid to investigate and ask difficult questions. Seek to understand the details, benefits and restrictions for all of your options and whether they are acceptable to you. When financing your future, there’s no such thing as too much information.

STEP 3: UNDERSTAND THE FEES YOU ARE PAYINGAs a consumer, you deserve to understand how your financial advisor is compensated as well as any associated costs and fees.

Regardless of which financial vehicle you choose, you pay fees one way or another. However, you may be able to lower fees through a variety of methods. Before you do anything, know what you are currently paying!

An investment fee analysis can show you precisely how much you’re currently spending in annual fees on your portfolio.

STEP 4: APPROACH ONLINE RESOURCES WITH CAUTIONThe Internet contains a wealth of information — but is it credible? It depends. Evaluate credibility by reading the site’s “About Us” page and looking at the page’s URL. If it ends in .org or .edu, these extensions are used by nonprofit organizations and educational institutions and might be considered more reputable than others.

But remember, nothing can replace the value of a team of trustworthy professionals recognized for their work in financial services and specifically in retirement income planning.

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STEP 5: DEMAND PROOF!There’s nothing worse than getting sold a bad idea. To assess just how experienced your potential financial professional is, asking him or her these questions can help.

Do you invest in your professional knowledge?Beware of financial professionals who simply pass an exam to earn a designation and never commit to ongoing education beyond that point. Consider a financial professional who regularly engages in industry-specific training and takes courses to stay current on financial products and strategies designed for today’s fast paced and volatile income world.

Do other professionals trust you to help their clients? Go beyond asking someone to recommend a financial professional based on likability. Ask instead about experience, trustworthiness, reputation and integrity.

STEP 6: LOOK FOR EXPERTISEOf course, no single person can know everything, so it’s important to have a well-organized team of professionals help you plan for retirement; including but not limited to a CPA or qualified tax professional, estate planning attorney, a Registered Investment Adviser or Investment Advisor Representative and a licensed insurance producer who have experience in income planning for retirees and pre-retirees.

Keep in mind that financial planning in the asset accumulation phase is very different from planning for lifelong retirement income. Once you’re near retirement, you need to make sure your advisor is specializing in retirement income planning.

STEP 7: GET A SECOND OPINIONEveryone deserves a second opinion — and you can’t obtain a second opinion from the person who gave you the first.

If you are concerned that your current financial professional or insurance agent is not experienced specifically in creating tax-efficient retirement income plans that use the least amount of your savings to produce the maximum amount of lifetime income, then look for options.

Your advisor should be committed to the financial success and confidence of each and every client served and make you to feel secure about your future.

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TAKE THEQUIZ!

Are you satisfied with your current retirement strategy?

It’s important to re-examine your retirement strategy on a regular basis so as your story changes your strategies can change with you.

LOOKING AT YOUR CURRENT RETIREMENT STRATEGY…

1 … are you concerned you might run out of money in retirement?

YES NO

2 … do you know whether you will be able to enjoy the retirement lifestyle you want?

YES NO

3 … do you wonder if you’ll be able to afford the health care you need, when you need it?

YES NO

4 … do you wonder if the financial decisions you’ve made will keep you and your family secure in the future?

YES NO

5 … do you have a written retirement income plan?

YES NO

6 … do you have an up-to-date trust or will?

YES NO

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IF YOU ANSWERED “YES” TO AT LEAST ONE…You may want to consider visiting with a team of retirement income planners, such as Grace Advisory Group, to gain a realistic assessment of your retirement income needs. We’re committed to the financial success and confidence of every client we serve, and we’ll provide the guidance and solid judgment needed to help ensure there are no surprise endings to your retirement story.

IF YOU ANSWERED “NO” TO ALL… You never know what the next chapter in your life might look like. You may still be at risk of developing problems involving your income strategy that could affect your financial goal for retirement. Your family or loved ones may also face unintended financial liabilities after you pass away. It may be wise, at this point, to take advantage of a no-obligation meeting to get a second opinion and learn about alternative investment strategies and insurance products that will allow you to use the least of your capital to provide the most lifetime income.

IS YOUR CURRENT FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL COMMITTED TO YOUR FINANCIAL SUCCESS?Ask yourself the questions below and answer them honestly. Then consider whether you want to learn more about the tools and services offered by Grace Advisory Group.

• Has your financial professional ever fully evaluated your investment portfolio, investment fees, life insurance, annuity and long-term care needs, particularly after a major life event (marriage, kids, divorce, retirement, etc.)?

• Has your financial professional ever fully disclosed all of the fees you are paying for your investments and his or her advice? If so, were you surprised at what he or she said?

• When was the last time your financial professional asked to review your tax return?• When you last sat down with your financial professional and went over your investment and

income strategies, were you satisfied with your situation?• Have your retirement savings declined in value to a level that is unacceptable to you? If so, how

has your financial professional helped protect your assets from future potential market losses?

We understand it is our responsibility to thoroughly understand your financial goals and objectives and to use our knowledge and expertise to help you realize them.

As an independent financial services firm, we are helping individuals design retirement income strategies using a variety of investment and insurance products to custom suit their needs and objectives. We would enjoy the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how those products may fit into your retirement strategy.

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YOUR NEXT CHAPTERSHOULD INCLUDE AN

INDEPENDENT RETIREMENT

Let us help you develop a specific plan of action

You’ve worked hard all your life. Now, you deserve to retire with confidence in your future. We can help you get there.

The story of Grace Advisory Group is one of helping individuals and families achieve their financial goals, because we believe everyone deserves a comfortable, financially independent retirement.

Our business model is simple: Our clients come first. We’ve dedicated ourselves to helping others write the next chapter in their lives by providing retirement strategies that are straightforward and tailored to our clients’ individual needs. When individuals and families place their trust in us, it’s our job to help them make their retirement dream a reality — a responsibility we don’t take lightly.

We know you worked hard for your money. Everyone on our team of financial, insurance, tax, and legal professionals works just as hard to help you protect and grow it.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR BACK-STORYWe begin simply by listening to your life story up to this point. Only by understanding where you’ve come from can we begin to understand your future financial goals. Then, we provide a realistic assessment to help identify opportunities to enhance your existing retirement income strategy.

WRITING YOUR NEXT CHAPTERIt’s no secret that retirees are increasingly living longer, fuller lives. We’re committed to helping our clients achieve the financial independence they deserve by helping ensure they have enough income to meet their needs for the rest of their lives.*

TURNING THE PAGELet’s start writing your next chapter now by working together to design a solid retirement strategy that addresses your future financial goals.

*Guarantees and protections provided by insurance products including annuities are backed by the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer.

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YOUR STORY IS AS UNIQUE ASYOUR RETIREMENT STRATEGY

Who relies on us to put their interests above all else? We help families and individuals in retirement, or who are getting ready to retire,

create a retirement strategy that fits their unique needs and lifestyle.

ACTIVE RETIREES LOOKING FOR A PLAN OF ACTIONEveryone wants to enjoy their retirement, but no one wants to run out of money while doing it. Whether your retirement calendar is filled with church activities or relaxing on cruise ships, going dancing or playing golf, enjoying a concert or a sporting event, joining friends for dinner or tak-ing your grandchildren to a movie — your financial strategy should reflect your active retirement lifestyle.

RETIREES CONCERNED ABOUT FUTURE HEALTH CARE NEEDSThe last thing retirees should have to worry about is affording the health care they need, when they need it. Sooner or later, even the healthiest among us may need additional health care re-sources.

With at-home care services averaging $20 per hour1 and assisted living facility costs averaging $3,600 per month,2 it’s understandably daunting — but it doesn’t have to significantly impact your ability to remain financially independent. We’ll work with you to design your retirement strategy to help keep you on the path toward financial confidence and independence, regardless of the health challenges you may one day face.

SINGLE OR WIDOWED RETIREESBecause single and widowed retirees often become accustomed to being self-reliant, they typical-ly like to take care of themselves by themselves. However, reluctance to reaching out should not prevent anyone from getting help.

A realistic assessment of your retirement needs may give you the knowledge needed to achieve a comfortable and independent financial future. Our team of independent advisors have access to a wide range of investment and insurance tools and can help you create an income strategy that includes a lifetime of guaranteed income for retirement.*

*Guarantees and protections provided by insurance products including annuities are backed by the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer. 1 Genworth Financial. March 2015. “Genworth 2015 Cost of Care Survey.” https://www.genworth.com/dam/Americas/US/PDFs/Consumer/corporate/130568_040115_gnw.pdf. Accessed Aug. 17, 2015. 2 Ibid.

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A MESSAGE ABOUTRISK AND REWARD

Please read this important information before it’s too late.

If you’re 50 to 75 years of age, here is a message for you from Robert E. Grace, JD, CLU, ChFC®, RFC®; nationally recognized,

multi-award winning retirement income architect, author, and host of the FOX NEWS radio show “Retire with Grace.”

Hello, my name is Bob Grace. I founded Grace Advisory Group, because I have a personal passion, dedicating my professional life to helping retirees and aspiring retirees implement comprehensive strategies to preserving wealth in our volatile and uncertain times.

Long before the market crash of 2008, we used our proven strategies to help hard-working, affluent Americans preserve their retirement savings. These strategies were based on years of investment research by Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Investment approaches previously only available to ultra-wealthy investors (Billionaires!), are now available to you and the “millionaire next door.” Since the invention of our core investment philosophy, The Money Train™, we’ve been leading innovators with a number of unique and highly effective strategies, including:

• Income, Inheritance, and Legacy Planning• Family Pension Planning with “Super ROTH” IRAs• Tax-Free Wealth Conversions• Tax-Efficient Investing• Inflation Managed Investing Strategies

Why am I writing about this now and asking you to pay close attention? Because today people over the age of 45 face economic conditions much different than previous American retirees. The media attempts to make parallels to past decades, but this situation is different. This isn’t your father’s stock market or economy.

I want to make sure that I explain to retirees (and aspiring retirees) important facts of the true impact of investment risk. I want to be sure that folks over the age of 50 understand the return needed after a loss just to get back to even. Many advisors tell you to, “hang in there for the long run” and that the “market always comes back.” — ignoring the true mathematical risk to your wealth and lifestyle. This math is simple, yet rarely discussed.

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As we get older, the amount of time required to recapture our losses with the large gains needed becomes very difficult. It may take years of gains just to get back to where we started (see exercise below).

A lot of us fear being embarrassed by our lack of investment knowledge and we just blindly trust our advisor. The question is, do you truly have an advisor to guide you through the turbulent times, or are you in the hands of a financial salesperson with motives tied to his or her own best interests, not yours? How did he or she do managing your money in the years 2001 and 2008? How vulnerable are you to the next market crash?

Tom Brokaw called your age group, “the greatest generation” for a reason. You worked hard, you took risks, you saved religiously, you raised your family, you sacrificed and with without to accumulate the money you know have for your retirement and eventually for your family. To place blind faith in a financial system that no longer can hide its flaws is hazardous.

By the way, I don’t mean to sound like an alarmist, but our clients here at Grace Advisory Group convinced me to encourage you and others in ways other advisors, bankers, and brokers, lawyers or accountants may not have. Frankly, I was a little reluctant to mention that some advisors are, in fact, financial salesmen and not advisors at all. But my parents (who raised me shortly after the Great Depression) taught me to be candid and straight-forward with others.

My colleagues convinced me to explain the truth about how the money system in our country really works, so that you can find the courage to take action.

SOUND FAMILIAR?

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If you invested $100,000 into a mutal fund that experienced a 20% loss, you would loose$20,000. The account value on your next statement would be $80,000.

Question: For you to get your statement balanceback to $100,000; will a 20% gain recoup your loss?

Let’s crunch the numbers:$80,000 x 20% = $16,000$80,000 = (beginning balance)+ $16,000$96.000

Answer: No, a 20% loss followed by a 20% gain does not get your principal back. In fact, to regain your orginal principal balance you willneed to get a 25% return.

REQUIRED RETURN TO REGAIN YOUR PRINCIPAL

% LOST % GAIN NEEDED

20%30%40%50%

25%42.85%66.7%100%

This conversation about Risk and Reward is all about you, your life with your family, and maintaining your lifestyle.

It’s about a terrific team I’ve hand-picked because of their expertise in their respective fields. The team at Grace Advisory Group has been trained by CPAs, attorneys, and financial professionals from across the country. These professionals who make up our team are here to do the best job possible, and truly serve our communities’ retired population and those planning to retire. Through decades of experience, we’ve learned the importance of keeping our proprietary concepts and plans simple, straightforward and easy to understand.

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Our process starts with a proven set of diagnostic reviews, which we call the Realistic Retirement Planning Review, enabling us to identify significant financial and family planning problems. We often identify problems that, at present, would stop you from meeting your goals. These problems range from minor to severe.

The minor problems can often be fixed with little or no cost, or dismissed as trivial. The more severe problems require our team’s collective knowledge and skills to correct. The reassurance my team and I offer you, is that our experience has allowed us to identify and fix even the most significant problems with proven strategies and procedures.

You will never be “high pressure sold” anything. Our success is based on one simple key element: allowing you to sleep well at night. We want people in our surrounding communities to know we are here for them. After they meet with us, we want them to tell their family, friends, and neighbors how well they were treated and how thorough our review process and planning truly is.

Way back when, we all thought getting a better value for our money meant buying the CD at the bank with the highest rate or buying and holding “quality” stocks. Estate planning was as simple as having a will or a basic trust. Things have come a long way since then. Although the economy is turbulent and the government has gone wild with our money, opportunities still exist.

It takes courage to face up to things like volatile markets, fast-talking financial salespeople, out-living your savings, and Wall Street money traps. It might seem easier to ignore or deny it, or to just hold on, tough it out and see where it all goes, but I honestly believe you and your family deserve better. You deserve a well-thought out financial planning strategy, that protects you from market risks while letting you take advantage of market gains – all with tax reduction in mind. A strategy that will allow you to retire with grace.

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A REALISTIC RETIREMENTPLANNING REVIEW

A process designed to give clarity to your overall financial situation.

Maybe you’ve met with a financial advisor to create your current retirement planning strategy, but we’re willing to bet it wasn’t the thorough

Money Train Retirement Analyzer process.

A REALISTIC RETIREMENT REVIEW: WHAT IS IT AND HOW CAN IT HELP YOU?Our Money Train retirement planning review is our proprietary process, designed to give clarity to your overall financial situation. It incorporates the traditional aspects of risk and reward analysis and, ultimately, the creation of a financial strategy geared toward accomplishing your goals. But it’s more than that. It first focuses on understanding your priorities and then considers how insurance products and other financial vehicles may have been overlooked or inadequately addressed as part of your preparations for retirement.

BEGINNING WITH YOUOur clients have financial concerns as different and unique as their own fingerprints. Therefore, our process is geared toward showing our clients various strategies that can help them meet their personal financial goals. It’s our responsibility to thoroughly understand your goals and objectives, so we can leverage our experience to help you accomplish them.

FINANCIAL REVIEWThrough our proprietary Money Train Financial Analyzer process, we sometimes find our clients’ finances are not properly aligned with their financial goals. Our process can help you achieve a better understanding of your current financial situation so you can make informed decisions about the financial tools you may need to secure your future. By strategically partnering with qualified attorneys and tax professionals on our team, we can also help ensure your legal documents are in order and you have a tax-efficient strategy for the preservation and distribution of your retirement assets.

We start by addressing your concerns. Then, based on your needs, we consider a number of additional areas, including tax strategies, money management, asset protection, insurance strategies and legal documentation.

Following our review, you decide how to proceed. Together, we may decide that only small changes are necessary, or that no changes are needed at all. Regardless, a realistic financial review allows you to clearly see where your retirement assets and income planning are going to lead you.

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WHY IT’S IMPORTANTMost people don’t realize how valuable it is to pick the right retirement income tools when planning for retirement. Where you elect to place your hard-earned money can affect the level of your income distribution, your future income taxes, your capital gains taxes or even taxes on your Social Security income.

MEASURABLE RESULTS WITHOUT THE GUESSWORKYour previous financial strategy may have been focused on the growth of your assets by adopting a “buy and hold” strategy whereby you invested in the market and held onto those assets for an indefinite period of time before gains could be realized. Our process is much different. Using insurance and other financial products, the time period to achieving a measurable, quantifiable benefit is clearly defined.

PERSONALIZED STRATEGIESWe understand everyone has their own path to a confident and comfortable future. Therefore, our process is geared toward showing our clients various strategies that can help them meet their future financial goals.

YOUR 7-STEP PLAN TO INCREASED FINANCIAL CONFIDENCE

1. With our Money Train Retirement Analyzer process, you receive a complete financial analysis.

2. We will review your most recent tax return to uncover potential tax-saving opportunities. This

may require the involvement of one of our tax professionals for assistance.*

3. Our team explains the conclusions of our review and helps you understand your current

situation and the impact our findings could have on your financial future.

4. Our team creates a personalized strategy that addresses your unique concerns and problems. If

necessary, we will work with our tax and legal professionals to provide their input.*

5. Together, we review your strategy to further ensure it is fully targeted

toward your financial goals.

6. Ready, set, GO! Your Money Train Retirement Plan is complete. Now, we believe you will be

better prepared to navigate what life sends your way. When you’re armed with the right tools,

you can enjoy the financial confidence you deserve.

7. Once you engage our services to help you with your goals, we are with you whenever you

need us to help address your financial concerns by providing you with timely, accurate and

helpful information.

*Any fees associated with managing your investment portfolio or the engagement of outside tax or legal professionals will be fully disclosed to you in advance. Any comments regarding protection and guaranteed income streams refer only to fixed insuranceproducts. They do not refer, in any way, to securities or investment advisory products.

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ACHIEVING YOURFINANCIAL GOALS

YOU’LL BE GREETED WARMLY AND SEEN AT YOUR SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT TIME During your first appointment, you’ll meet with one of our financial advisors to discuss your goals and determine which professionals on our team will be best suited to help with your individual circumstances. We know your time is valuable, so we’ll be efficient.

BRING YOUR SPOUSE, PARTNER, FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS WITH YOUOne of the most effective ways to build a plan of action is to bring all decision-makers together in one room. Especially at your first appointment, it’s important that everyone who may be involved has a genuine understanding of your goals. With everyone on the same page, we can help build a solid retirement strategy.

HELP US UNDERSTAND YOUR CURRENT FINANCIAL SITUATIONWe want to spend our time in this first appointment getting to know you and coming to understand your unique situation. For that reason, we ask you to complete our detailed Discovery forms that we send you before your first visit. Please bring in items that will help us get a sense of your current financial situation (such as your latest tax return, Social Security statements, a recent statement from any financial and/or retirement accounts, etc.) to help us understand where you are in relation to your goals.

DURING OUR INITIAL TIME TOGETHER, WE’LL ANSWER THREE KEY QUESTIONS:What do you want your retirement to look like?A genuine understanding of your future financial goals is a key element to developing a appropriate plan of action. This meeting lets us assess whether you’re on the path to achieving your future goals in light of the financial assets you currently hold.

Can we help you achieve your future financial goals?We can’t help everyone who comes through our doors. After our initial meeting, we should have enough information to fully assess whether our Money Train Retirement Plan may help you reach your desired destination.

Are we the right fit for you?Choosing a financial advisor is a very personal endeavor. We’ll provide you with the information, but you need to determine whether you want to take the next step in our process to address your financial goals. By the end of the meeting, we will determine together whether we can help you address any concern regarding your retirement income strategies. If the answer is yes, then we’ll schedule a second appointment so we can look more closely at your financial situation and do what we do best: We design a retirement income strategy custom-fit for you and your family.

What to expect at your first appointment.

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YOUR BESTIS YET TO COME

Let’s begin with your purpose.We all want our lives to have meaning. What that looks like will be different from

person to person, based on individual values and priorities. At Grace Advisory Group, we are passionate about helping you fulfill your life’s purpose.

We begin by listening, so we can develop a genuine understanding of what matters most to you. Our focus is on helping you develop a financial strategy that can help you to answer “yes” when you look back on your life and ask, “Did I live a purposeful, meaningful life?”

YOUR STORY

As we begin our journey together, it’s important for us to understand your story. Where do you find meaning in life? What things are essential to your happiness? What do you hope to achieve? Only by understanding what you need to be fulfilled and what you want to accomplish with your life can we design a portfolio structured to help you to achieve those goals. That’s why we’ve developed the Grace Money Train Retirement Plan; it’s the first step in developing your purpose-driven portfolio.

We’ve included here a brief exercise we would like you to complete and bring with you to your appointment. You might find this somewhat challenging - not because we’re asking for a lot of information, but because we’re asking you to carefully consider the things that are most important in your life. It’s amazing how many people never truly consider, on a deep level, the things that provide real meaning to their lives. We’re asking you to take the time to do that because we believe it is essential to helping you achieve the meaningful, purpose-driven life you want and deserve.

INSTRUCTIONS

Looking back on your life, what are two or three things you did, or accomplished, that provided you with the most meaning or fulfillment in your life? Was it travel related? Family? Financial security? A passion?

Whatever it was, write it down on the next page – one item per line. Then under each item, spend a moment to write down why it was so meaningful to you personally.

15 THE CONSUMER’S GUIDE TO FINDING THE RIGHT ADVICE GIVERS

Remember, your assets are nothing more than a tool to help support your pursuit for meaning and fulfillment in your life. In order to appropriately allocate your assets, you need to first be clear on what you want those assets to support.

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MEANING &FULFILLMENT

LUXURIES

BASE INCOME

LIST 3 THINGS THAT PROVIDE MEANING IN YOUR LIFE

1.

WHY?:

2.

WHY?:

3.

WHY?:

Financial planning needs to begin with your PURPOSE!

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Guarantees and protections provided by insurance products including annuities are backed by the financial strength and claims paying ability of the issuing insurer. Investment Advisory Services offered through Grace

Capital Management Group, LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser. ©2017 Grace Tax Advisory Group, LLC.

About Grace Advisory Group

Founder & PresidentROBERT E. GRACE, JD, CLU, ChFC®, RFC®, Master Elite IRA Advisor®

You have worked hard for your money and deserve peace of mind for your retirement years. The team at Grace Advisory Group will work just as hard to help you protect your assets and achieve a secure and predictable income for life. The relationships we establish with each of our clients are built upon trust.

Robert E Grace, President and Founder of Grace Advisory Group, is an Attorney, Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant, Registered Financial Consultant, and Master Elite IRA Advisor®. Bob’s experience and training place him among our country’s leading retirement planners.

On his weekly Fox News radio show, Retire with Grace, Bob shares the knowledge he gained during more than 40 years of helping people with their retirement income planning. Listeners are hearing real-life examples of how our clients have benefited from proven retirement income planning strategies that have helped to reduce taxes, assured a steady lifetime income, and allowed them to provide a legacy for their heirs.

Mr. Grace and our experienced and educated team of wealth management, tax and legal professionals are serving more than 4,000 individuals and families throughout Southwest Florida. They use their combined credentials and expertise to help you with all aspects of income, investment, tax and estate planning. Working collaboratively as a team, they focus on asset preservation and income planning for retirees.

During our consultative process, our professionals address YOUR needs and wants to provide the appropriate financial planning to help you fulfill your life’s purpose. Using ‘plain English’, they discuss how taxes, probate and nursing home expenses may affect your income and assets. In serving our clients as fiduciary advisers, they recommend the course of action that best serves our clients’ interests.

Our team works together to develop, implement, and continually optimize a well-thought-out retirement income plan that emphasizes protection from losses due to market fluctuations and ensures a steady, lifelong, tax-efficient income stream that will help you enjoy a worry-free retirement.

Contact us today to let our licensed Financial Planners, CPAs and Attorney help you Retire with Grace!

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We hope you find this guide useful in researching what it takes to find a trusted advisor. Only you can decide what kind of financial advisor you’d like to work with and you shouldn’t feel pressured or make a decision quickly. Always trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to push for more information.

The story of Grace Advisory Group is one of helping individuals and families achieve their financial goals, because we believe everyone deserves a comfortable, financially independent retirement. We work hard to make sure our clients understand all the options available to them so they can make educated choices. We can assist you in designing the retirement strategy you want — one that helps guarantee a lifetime of retirement income* to help you retire with grace.

* Guarantees and protections provided by insurance products including annuities are backed by the financial strength

and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer.

YOUR GUIDE TO FINDING THE RIGHT RETIREMENT ADVISERS

RETIREMENT STRATEGIES ARE CHANGING

WHO DO YOU WANT TO HELP WRITE YOUR STORY? TAKE THIS QUIZ!

YOUR NEXT CHAPTER SHOULD INCLUDE AN INDEPENDENT RETIREMENT.

YOUR STORY IS UNIQUE TO YOU. YOUR RETIREMENT STRATEGY SHOULD BE, TOO.

A MESSAGE ABOUT RISK AND REWARD.

A REALISTIC RETIREMENT PLANNING REVIEW ACHIEVING YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS.

TAX ADVISORY GROUP

CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

Grace Tax Advisory Group, LLC is an independent financial services firm, helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of investment and insurance products. Investment Advisory Services offered through Grace Capital Management Group LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor.

RetireWithGrace.com | [email protected] | 866-481-5550Fort Myers/Cape Coral | Naples/Bonita Springs | Port Charlotte/Venice