Personal Financial Planning

Personal Financial Planning Is An Ongoing Process

At Leading Edge Wealth Management, we understand that financial planning is an ongoing process, rather than a one-time activity. We identify steps and strategies for you to take at different stages in your life to make various life events more financially manageable.

Why do financial planning? Many people struggle with the sense of vague anxiety about their personal financial circumstances. Life is always uncertain, and in many ways you cannot control its hazards and opportunities. Financial planning allows you to anticipate and plan for your future.

Your financial security involves more than you might think. It’s more than simply looking at your income and savings. There are no cookie-cutter solutions, no simple spreadsheets. You need to take a complete, 360° look at your life and consider the full array of possibilities ‑ your retirement plans, estate, tax situation, cash flow, and other financial needs that may arise, including your children’s education.

As your financial planning advisors, we will consistently monitor your personal financial plan and make adjustments as needed. You can gain peace of mind, knowing you have provided financial security for you and your family.

Our Personal Financial Planning Services

We offer a wide range of personal financial planning services including:

• Personal financial statement analysis
• Cash management/structuring
• Cash flow / net worth analysis
• Mortgage analysis
• Creating a simplified “big picture” plan

• Calculation of future accumulation goal needs
• Effect of inflation on accumulation goals
• Pre-retirement calculations for retirement cash flow needs
• Calculation for investment of lump sums of money
• Computation of how long assets will last
• Calculation of lump sum needed to receive specific income
  

• Current federal income tax profile summary
• Calculations on income tax estimations
• Calculations of “before and after” illustrations
• Gain/loss structure and potential impact
• Recommendations for reduction of taxes
• Effect on taxation of debt consolidations
• Value of mortgage interest deductions
  

• What will it cost me to get ready?
• Understanding 529 and other college saving options
• Financial aid and college costs
• Do I qualify for financial aid for my kids?
• What is FAFSA / financial aid / scholarships?
  

• Is my current plan maximizing my tax deductions to my heirs?
• Estate/death federal and state tax estimates, inheritance taxes
• Gifting strategies
• Estate planning for dependents
• Estate planning utilizing private annuities
• Are my beneficiary designations correct?
• Should I stretch my IRA?
• Have I told my survivors my wishes?
• Do I know what I need to know about estate and inheritance taxes?
• What should I do with my home at death?
• Am I effectively managing my estate?
  

• Do I have enough to retire? How long will my money last?
• Should I rollover my 401k?
• What are my 401k distribution options?
• What is my “before age 59½” distribution
• Which IRA is best? Traditional or Roth?
• Required minimum distributions
• Which asset to spend first, keep to last?
• Estimated retirement income, expenses, and taxes
  

• Workplace 401k plan
• Workplace life insurance
• Workplace disability
• Workplace pension plan
• New job/career-benefits review
  

• Upcoming wedding expenses
• Grandchildren have arrived! I want to enhance their financial future
• What to do when a relative dies
• Life insurance: How much is enough?
• Divorce/spouse death: now you’re on your own
• Long-term-care needs
• Estate liquidity needs
  

• Caring for my aging parents
• How will I be able to help a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease?
• When do I consider a nursing home?
• Finding the right care facility for an older relative
• Making sense of Medicare
• Power of attorney issue
• Executor and executrix responsibilities
  

Retirement Accumulation & Withdrawal

Everything changes the day you retire. That’s when you have to turn your savings into a sustainable retirement income stream. The best time to start that process is before you need the money because how and where you save will have a direct impact on how you tap into those assets when you need them.

*We will help you prioritize your savings among taxable and tax-deferred options.
*We will help you decide when and if to roll your 401(k) into and IRA.
*We will help design a plan for cracking open your nest egg based on your current and future needs.

Risk Management Is A Key Part Of Personal Financial Planning

This risk management focus is an essential part of any personal financial plan. Without risk management, you and your family are vulnerable to uncertainties that could derail your financial security. Employing the appropriate risk management strategies will help to secure your financial future. We evaluate your current insurance policies to make sure they are meeting your goals.

• Life Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• Long Term Care Insurance

Chicago-Based Financial Planners Serving Clients Around The U.S.

If you’re looking for financial planning services near Chicago, you’ve come to the right place. From our office just outside of Chicago, we provide financial planning and wealth management services to individuals, families, and businesses. While most of our financial planning clients are from the Chicago metro area, we also have clients throughout the county and would be happy to help no matter where you live.