Services Offered by Northern Financial

• Investment Planning & Tracking
• Tax Planning and Preparation
• Goal Setting
• Cash Flow & Record Keeping
• Protection Planning
• Retirement Planning
• Estate Planning
• Wealth Management
• Business Planning

What makes Northern Financial Advisors different?

• Unbiased Fee-Only commitment.
• Comprehensive approach to planning: all the financial areas of your life are integrated in one overall, wide-ranging plan. Focus on client education.
• Full Service Retainer: with this open-ended retainer, appointments are not limited; simply contact us to request a phone call or schedule an appointment to discuss whatever financial issues you are facing.
• For less extensive planning needs, a variety of affordable retainer options are available.
• For those who require a more extensive plan, our Wealth Management program is available.
• A complimentary initial consultation is available to review your unique situation and develop a proposal to fit your needs.

Fee-Only

Fee-Only refers to a specific method of compensation in which financial planners are compensated exclusively from the fees paid by their clients. They specifically choose not to accept commissions, kick-backs, finder’s fees or compensation from any other source. This is significant and important because earning one’s living by selling products or services for which a commission is paid, leaves the financial planner with an inherent conflict of interest. The success of a financial planner should not be based on the number of products a client purchases, but on the success of his or her clients. This is why no referral fees, commissions, or other reimbursements from the implementation of recommendations are accepted.

The fee is often less than the sales load you would pay on just one mutual fund purchased through a commissioned broker. Being compensated by a predetermined client fee rather than commissions reduces conflict of interest as well as Advisor bias, and enhances the advice you receive, based completely on your specific needs.

Open-ended Retainer

Our approach to financial planning is to focus on the process rather than the product. As such, we have structured our fee as an open-ended retainer. This allows our clients to call or come in to see us throughout the year. This access is over and above the regularly scheduled appointments and at no additional fee. Our view is that we would much prefer our clients call us for a small conversation in advance of making a financial decision rather than afterwards, when a considerable amount of time, energy and effort may be needed to unravel a disastrous decision.

Credentialed Professionals

As licensed professionals, all personal financial advisors of Northern Financial Advisors hold either the nationally recognized designation of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) or its equivalent, usually with advanced credentials. Other professional affiliations include the FPA (Financial Planning Association) and NATP (National Association of Tax Professionals). These advisors serve our clients in a fiduciary role, meaning it is their responsibility to consider your financial interest first and foremost. Finally, each Licensed Advisor receives rigorous academic training before joining the team and on-going coaching with senior advisors and through professional trade organizations after they begin to see clients.

Comprehensive Approach

We integrate all the financial areas in your life, including tax planning and preparation, estate planning, retirement and investment advice. Our holistic approach includes a wide range of services and we understand that our clients will need these services to varying degrees. We work with you to determine which areas are priorities for you and which areas we feel need immediate attention.

When we are working on one aspect of your financial life, we always recognize and pay attention to the variety of implications for all other areas of your financial affairs. Purchases and sales of investments have tax consequences. Certain insurance decisions may have investment implications. Buying a new home may impact your plans to fund your child’s education. All these examples and many more show just how common it is for one change in your finances to affect and impact many others. This collaboration can be harnessed and brought to bear in advancing financial plans, or left unmanaged, may create unanticipated negative consequences. Our services are comprehensive and cover all aspects of your financial life.

What this can mean for you. . .

It is our belief that individuals who have a formal financial plan often fare better financially than those without one. History certainly has shown us again and again that starting with a plan that can be altered as conditions warrant is a much more effective strategy in navigating through the choppy waters of bear and bull markets. Our clients don’t just get some formal, written plan that gathers dust. Our clients are given exceptional access to professionally trained and financially astute advisors who can see and implement the big strategic picture even while being responsive to the particular and specific hopes, dreams, aspirations and needs of each of their clients.

The comprehensive, fee-only, open-ended retainer approach has been shown to be an exceptionally effective way for middle-Americans to access the coaching usually only available to the very rich... and that difference can make all the difference in your financial life.