By GARY LEWIS , CFP. FINANCIAL PLANNING IS FOR YOU. If you have an investment adviser or insurance salesman that you reall trust, then by all means, maintain the relationship. After all, product specialists are important and should remain on your team as long they are doing the right thing for you.

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Determining your Financial Position by developing a Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement and Projections is the cornerstone of your Current Financial Plan. Monday, April 13, 2009. Financial Position - Building Your Current Plan. Is usually the starting point in a financial plan. It reflects where you are today in terms of Net Worth. Begin by buiding your Balance Sheet. Or Statement of Net Worth. In this statement, you will include all of your assets.

Gathering accurate and timely data and determining realistic assumptions are the key to creating a successful financial plan. Financial Planning - Getting Started. WHAT INFORMATION IS NEEDED? For a comprehensive plan, gather as much information about your financial situation as you can. Be sure that you have updated information for each of the areas that you will be reviewing. Make sure that you have all of your bank statements whether they are for checking, savings, CDs, loans, credit cards.

One of the most important elements in Financial Planning is Goal Setting. We just want to be financially secure but what does that mean? Goals are different depending on your age and position in life. If you are young, saving for and planning for a wedding might be the most important thing to you. Already married with children on the way? 4 Define the time frame that you want to.

Lewis, CFP , CASL. One of the most important topics in Financial Planning is Income Tax. With nearly 9,000 pages in the Internal Revenue Code, the IRS touches virtually every aspect of our life. Taxes touch nearly every aspect of financial planning as well. When one has a good knowledge of the tax code, one can make decisions that will reduce taxes not only today but later in life as well.

Few consider it as an investment option, and if they do, their participation is limited to a small mutual fund position. With the help of an experienced financial planner, one might see that adding an investment real estate property can not only fit into their budget, but might be a great way to diversify their investment portfolio.

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