Q: What will I get from our work together?

Q: How much does it cost?

Q: Do you have sources of revenue in addition to fees?

Q: What does "CFP®, CLU" mean?

Q: Why are you an independent planner instead of with a large national firm?

Q: What will I get from our work together?

A: The Janken Planning Process involves an ongoing series of conversations and meetings in which we gather complete data and information so I can make accurate analyses and recommendations, and design concrete Action Steps to ensure your planning actually gets done. My staff and I work with you and your other advisers to complete each Action Step. Regularly scheduled reviews make sure your planning responds to changes in your life and in the world in which we live.

Back to top

Q: How much does it cost?

A: I charge a fixed flat fee for each module of the Janken Planning Process. The fee includes one year during which my staff and I work with you and your other advisers to implement the financial plan Action Steps in the priority order we determine together. As each situation is different, fees are determined on a case-by-case basis.

I charge an annual update fee to ensure another year continuity of work together to implement and keep your plan up-to-date. Again, these are determined on a case-by-case basis.

I do not charge for meetings, phone calls, e-mail or faxes. My goal is to make you feel comfortable with your financial situation and help you implement your financial plan. I do not charge on an hourly basis because I do not want my clients to worry about "the meter ticking" every time they contact me. I want my clients to call me when they have questions or concerns.

Back to top

Q: Do you have sources of revenue in addition to fees?

A: Yes. Most of my clients choose to have me help them select and manage the investments and insurance they need in their financial plan. When working with investments I prefer to work on a fee basis so that my financial interest is aligned with yours. Charging a fee to manage assets encourages long-term service and a healthier, more open relationship. I prefer not to use investments that charge a commission. Commissions give financial incentive to un-needed trading and provide no incentive for long-term service. My current fees are 1.0% for assets under $2 million, 0.7% for assets between $2 million and $5 million, and 0.5% for assets greater than $5 million.

The insurance industry does not yet have an established fee approach and still pays commissions. I help my clients purchase the proper insurance policies and I receive commissions from insurance companies when I do so. There is no additional fee or cost for this, as the insurance company builds the commission into the price of the policy.

Back to top

Q: What does "CFP®, CLU" mean?

A: I am very proud of my CFP® and CLU designations.

CFP® stands for Certified Financial Planner®. This is a designation awarded by the Certified Financial Planner® Board of Standards. The Certified Financial Planner® Board of Standards is a professional regulatory organization, fostering professional standards in personal financial planning so that the public understands the value of, has access to, and benefits from competent financial planning. To earn my CFP® designation required mastering an extensive body of knowledge and passing a ten-hour examination. I have included at the back of this brochure a list of the topics tested in the current CFP® exam so you can see the breadth and depth of knowledge required. In addition, the CFP® Board of Standards requires annual continuing education to renew my CFP® license.

CLU stands for Chartered Life Underwriter. This designation is awarded by the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. It required a sixteen course program of study including courses on estate planning, income tax planning, investments, insurance, and corporate benefits.

When I earned my CLU in 1990, I felt it was the most challenging professional designation to achieve. The CFP® was new at that time and the requirements were not nearly as rigorous. Since then the CFP® Board of Standards has made strong efforts to raise the level of professionalism and knowledge required for a CFP® licensee. I now feel the CFP® designation is a requirement for anyone calling him or herself a financial Planner.

Topic List for CFP® Certification Examinations after July 2001

Back to top

Q: Why are you an independent planner instead of with a large national firm?

A: The client/planner relationship is intensely personal. Even when someone has a planner at a large firm, the relationship is generally with the individual, not with the firm. The large national firms have been known to pressure the planners who work for them to steer the clients toward products and strategies that will provide revenue for the firm, but that may not be the in best interest of the client. I prefer to work solely in the interest of my clients.

Large national firms make the claim that they have resources available to their planners that independent planners cannot afford. This is not true. Sophisticated software is readily available and affordable. I have long relationships with some of the best attorneys, accountants, and other financial professionals in the nation. We regularly exchange ideas and are available to each other for questions and information. I am also affiliated with PartnersFinancial, a network of more than 150 independent planning firms throughout the country. We hold semi-annual conferences to share ideas, we have a national office to coordinate joint efforts when needed, and instant e-mail list access to each other for quick answers to difficult questions.

In short, as an independent I am able to be more responsive and accountable to my clients, and have equal or better access to planning resources than the planners at large national firms.

Back to top