Our Financial Planning Process
At Helping Hand Financial, we believe that a clear, structured process is the key to achieving great results and ensuring a positive client experience.
Our financial planning process is designed to be straightforward, transparent, and collaborative. We want you to know exactly what to expect when you work with us – no mystery, no ambiguity. While every client’s situation is unique and our advice is always personalized, the process we follow has a reliable framework. This helps make sure we cover all the important bases and that you’re comfortable at each stage. From the first conversation to the ongoing partnership years down the road, we focus on understanding your needs, educating you on your options, and implementing solutions that fit your life. Here’s an overview of how we typically work with clients in three main steps:
Discovery – Getting to Know You
Every great plan starts with truly understanding the person it’s for. In our initial discovery step, we take the time to get to know you on a personal level. This usually begins with a complimentary introductory meeting (either in our Denver office or via a phone/Zoom call, whatever you prefer). During this meeting, we’ll discuss your financial goals, concerns, family situation, career, and any specific objectives you have. What does financial success look like to you? What keeps you up at night? You talk, we listen. We’ll also gather information about your current financial picture – things like income, expenses, assets, liabilities, insurance coverage, investments, and any existing plans you have. Don’t worry if you don’t have every document ready; the discovery process is often ongoing as we learn more detail. We might ask you to fill out a questionnaire or provide statements after this meeting. The primary aim at this stage is to establish trust and rapport. We want you to feel comfortable sharing openly, knowing that everything is confidential and that there are no wrong answers. Additionally, we use this phase to make sure we’re a good fit for each other. If you have needs outside our scope, we’ll tell you. But assuming we proceed, by the end of the discovery step, we’ll have a clear sense of your starting point and where you’d like to go – this becomes the foundation for all our work together.
Planning – Creating Your Roadmap
After we’ve gathered all the necessary information, our team gets to work analyzing your situation and crafting a comprehensive financial plan. This is where we leverage our expertise to develop custom strategies and recommendations for you. The plan will cover all relevant areas of your financial life: retirement projections, investment asset allocation, tax strategies, insurance needs, debt payoff schedules, estate planning considerations, and more – depending on what’s applicable to you. We often run multiple scenarios (“What if you retire at 62 vs 65?”, “What if you downsize your home?”, etc.) so we can compare outcomes and find the optimal path. Once we’ve prepared the initial plan, we’ll present it to you in a dedicated planning meeting. In this meeting, we walk you through your personalized financial roadmap. We don’t just hand you a dense report; we explain each section in clear terms, ensuring you understand the reasoning behind each recommendation. This is a collaborative discussion – your feedback is crucial. If something doesn’t feel right or if you have questions, we address them. Together, we might adjust parts of the plan after discussing (for instance, maybe you decide you’d rather work an extra year and have a more comfortable cushion – we’d revise the numbers accordingly). By the end of the planning stage, you will have actionable recommendations – essentially a checklist of steps – and a timeline for implementing them. Think of it as a blueprint for your financial future, designed just for you. We also prioritize the recommendations, so you know which steps are most urgent versus which can be scheduled out over time. Our clients often tell us this planning meeting is an eye-opener that leaves them feeling relieved and empowered, because they can finally see the big picture and the path forward.
Implementation & Ongoing Support – Putting the Plan into Action
A plan means little without execution, so the next step is to implement the agreed-upon recommendations. We will help you carry out each action item, serving as your project manager and advocate. For example, if the plan calls for opening a Roth IRA and contributing a certain amount, we’ll assist in getting that account opened and funded. If it involves adjusting your investment allocations, we handle the portfolio changes according to the strategy we agreed on (always explaining the changes in advance). Should you need a new insurance policy, we can coordinate quotes from reputable providers. If estate planning documents are needed, we’ll liaise with your attorney or recommend one. Essentially, we help “quarterback” the implementation process, collaborating with any other professionals (CPAs, attorneys, etc.) as needed to get everything in place correctly. We know this step can involve paperwork and follow-ups, so we take as much off your plate as possible – making the process smooth and not overwhelming.
Once your plan is up and running, our job isn’t over – in fact, our ongoing relationship has just begun. Life will continue to change, and your plan needs to stay up-to-date. That’s why we provide continuous monitoring and support. We typically meet with our clients for formal reviews at least annually (oftentimes semi-annually or quarterly depending on preference and complexity). In these review meetings, we look at progress: Are you on track with savings and investments? Did any major life events happen (job change, new grandchild, health issue) that require plan adjustments? How did your portfolio perform relative to your goals? We will also discuss any new financial questions or decisions that have come up – maybe you’re considering refinancing your mortgage, or you got a new stock compensation grant at work – whatever it is, we integrate it into the plan. Moreover, we remain available year-round as your go-to resource. Have a question about a letter you got from the IRS? Call us. Thinking of buying an investment property? Shoot us an email and we’ll crunch the numbers. Markets taking a dip and you feel anxious? We’ll talk you through it and perhaps find opportunities to rebalance or tax-loss harvest. Our ongoing role is to keep your financial life organized, optimized, and resilient to changes. We also proactively reach out with any planning ideas if laws change (for example, if there’s a new tax incentive or a change in Social Security rules that could affect you). In essence, we serve as your long-term financial partner – celebrating milestones and weathering storms together – so you can stay focused on living your life, confident that we’re keeping an eye on your financial well-being.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the planning process take?
The timeline can vary a bit depending on each client’s situation, but generally: After our initial discovery meeting, we usually take a few weeks to a month to analyze your information and develop the plan. We’ll then schedule the plan presentation meeting (Step 2). So, from the very start to having your written plan, it might be around 2-4 weeks, assuming we get all necessary data promptly. Implementation timing (Step 3) depends on the actions needed – some can be done immediately (like reallocating an investment portfolio), while others (like underwriting for an insurance policy or drafting legal documents) might take longer due to third parties involved. We strive to complete initial implementation within another few weeks after plan delivery. In total, within a couple of months from when we begin, most clients are already seeing their plan come to life. Of course, we move at your pace – if you need more time to digest or want to have multiple meetings to go over options, we’ll accommodate that. Our priority is that you feel comfortable and confident at each stage.
What if I only need one-time advice, not ongoing support?
That’s perfectly fine – we understand that some individuals may just want a second opinion or a one-time plan to implement on their own. We do offer one-time planning engagements or hourly consultations for specific questions. In those cases, we would still follow a condensed version of our process: gather information (discovery), provide our analysis and recommendations (planning), and you can take it from there if you wish to implement independently. There’s no obligation to enter an ongoing relationship. That said, many clients who start with a one-time plan find value in the continuous monitoring and eventually choose to have us manage investments or check in periodically. It’s completely up to you. We’re happy to help on a limited-scope basis and equally happy to act as your long-term advisor – whatever suits your needs best. We will be upfront about our fee for one-time advice versus ongoing services so you can make an informed decision. Our philosophy is to meet you where you are; even if you’re a do-it-yourself investor who just wants occasional guidance, we’re here to provide as much or as little help as you need.
We’ve refined our process to make financial planning as easy and effective as possible for you. Now that you know what to expect, why not experience it firsthand?
Schedule a free initial consultation to start the discovery phase. There’s no pressure or obligation – just an honest conversation about your finances and how we can help. Let us show you how our structured approach can bring clarity to your financial life. With a trusted process and team on your side, you’ll be on your way to achieving your goals with confidence. We look forward to guiding you step by step toward a brighter financial future.
