maximize your client relationships

 

How Does Goal-Based Planning Differ from Full Comprehensive Financial Planning?

Veteran financial advisors will be the first to tell you that financial strategies vary as much as the clients who need them. There is no single recipe for success. Financial planning is tailored for each client based on their needs, goals and financial status. While individual strategies and financial plans vary, most clients can benefit from one of two financial planning strategies: full comprehensive financial planning or goal-based financial planning. There are highly detailed and effective financial planning software systems that can be utilized for both financial planning strategies. Let’s take a closer look at each of these approaches and see how financial planning software can help satisfy the planning needs for clients on both sides of the fence.

Comprehensive Financial Planning Software
Full comprehensive financial planning is usually provided to high net worth clients who have already established wealth and are looking to sustain that wealth throughout their retirement and allowing them to leave a legacy to their heirs. Comprehensive financial planning encompasses strategies for minimizing taxes, protecting assets and effective wealth distribution to heirs. This style of financial planning evaluates a client’s entire financial situation at once, identifying how each financial goal and need is inter-related and applies a strategy to address that situation as a whole. Comprehensive financial planning systems, like eMoney 360Pro, can easily create comprehensive plans that are up-to-date and delivered to high net worth clients through a personal financial homepage. This financial planning tool includes additional features and functions unmatched in the industry that can help advisors gain the coveted position as their client’s primary trusted advisor. This web-based wealth management tool also offers an aggregated, comprehensive view of a client’s financial portfolio. eMoney 360Pro allows advisors to present compelling and dynamic retirement and estate plans, proactively manage client relationships, and aggressively monitor the client’s financial assets.

Estate Planning Software
Estate planning is a key element of any comprehensive financial plan. Estate planning programs help advisors determine the best strategies for wealth preservation and distribution. They help advisors illustrate to their clients what will happen to their client’s business and personal assets after they are deceased, taking the worry out of the process and providing them with peace of mind. Estate planning is a technical process that is regularly impacted by estate and tax law changes. Estate planning software is updated with the most effective estate planning strategies allowing advisors to provide up-to date and accurate estate plans to their clients.eMoney offers estate planning software to guide advisors and clients through the necessary steps of estate planning.

Goal-Based Financial Planning Software
Goal-based financial planning software assesses a client’s current situation and proposes a strategy for them to obtain a particular financial goal. It is not uncommon for clients participating in goal-based financial planning to have several investment plans.  For example, a young couple may have a financial plan for saving for their children’s college tuition and another plan created a year or two later for purchasing a vacation home. The primary advantage of goal-based planning software is that it addresses a client’s current financial needs while working towards obtaining a more significant financial goal. Goal-based financial planning systems are a common solution for younger clients in the accumulation phase. As a modular advisor software tool, goal-based planning software allows the advisor to grow with their client by offering specific plans to address their client’s needs as they present themselves. As the client’s wealth accumulates and their needs change, the advisor addresses these with additional plans specific to those growing needs. This helps the advisor build a strong life long relationship with their client and maintain that relationship utilizing the goal-based financial planning system.

Selecting the Financial Planning Software That is Right for You
Selecting the best financial planning software tool to fit your financial planning needs is no easy task.  Financial planning tools like eMoney 360Pro that offer both goal based planning capabilities and a detailed planning center for creating comprehensive financial plans is the best option for advisors who work with a wide array of clients.