Financial Planning Services
Financial Advisory and Planning Tailored To You
At Manna Wealth Management we believe that proper planning increases the chances you’ll live the life you want, and as your life changes, so should your plan.
Since 1962 we’ve provided planning services in Virginia and the greater Washington, D.C. metro area that focus on our clients’ goals and entire financial life.
Your Future
As you look ahead to the future you may be wondering:
- Do I have enough saved?
- Will I be able to live the life I imagined?
- Do I feel confident about what’s ahead?
Start on the road toward your financial future. Contact us for a complimentary initial consultation. We’ll get to know you and your goals and based on that input, will create an initial plan that will serve as a map for your financial future.
Your Tailored Plan
Your tailored plan will help to:
- Reflect your financial goals, timing and priorities.
- Evaluate your current financial situation in relationship to your goals.
- Provide a consolidated picture of all your financial assets.
- Align your feelings toward risk.
- Include investment recommendations, downside risk strategies, insurance coverage, and savings plans.
FINANCIAL PLANNING FAQ’s
What is financial planning?
Financial planning is the process of seeking to meet your life goals through the proper management of your finances. Financial planning helps you make advance provision for financial needs that will arise in the future. The objective of financial planning is to ensure that the right amount of money is available in the right hands at the right point in the future to achieve an individual’s life goals.
Why should I make a financial plan?
Financial planning provides direction and meaning to your financial decisions. It allows you to understand how each financial decision you make affects other areas of your finances. For example, buying a particular investment product might help you save adequately to finance your child’s higher education, or it may provide enough for a comfortable retirement. You can also adapt more easily to life changes and feel more secure that your goals are on track.
Who is a financial planner?
A financial planner is someone who uses the financial planning process to help you determine how to meet your life goals. The key function of a financial planner is to help people identify their financial planning needs, their present priorities and the products that are most suitable to meet their needs. He or she normally possesses detailed knowledge of a wide range of financial planning tools and products, but his primary role is to help clients choose the best products for each need. The planner can take a “big picture” view of your financial situation and make financial planning recommendations that are right for you.
Can I do my own financial planning?
Some personal finance software packages, magazines or self-help books can help you do your own financial planning. However, you may decide to seek help from a professional financial planner if:
- You need expertise you don’t possess in certain areas of your finances. For example, a planner can help you evaluate the level of risk in your investment portfolio and revise your asset allocation;
- You don’t feel you have the time to spare to do your own financial planning;
- You know that you need to improve your current financial situation but don’t know where to start;
- You feel that a professional advisor could help you improve on how you are currently managing your finances;
- You have an immediate need or unexpected life event such as an inheritance or major illness;
- You want to get a professional opinion about the financial plan you developed for yourself.
What should I look for in a financial planner?
A financial planner works for you. His or her loyalty should be to the client, not the product(s) he or she is trying to sell. We feel that being truly independent is the best way to give clients objective advice. As independent advisors, we do not have limitations or requirements to use any specific investment product or solution; this allows us to create customized financial plans designed to provide income and growth for our clients.
How can I plan for tomorrow when I can hardly pay for today?
Create a budget. Determine what you actually spend each month. There are fixed expenses like rent, loan repayments, etc. every month about which we can do little. The variable items such as food, clothing and entertainment are often what get away from us. Use your discretion to contain these variable expenses to start saving.
How much should I be saving?
It is hard to apply a rule of thumb toward savings, because it varies with age and income level. Ten percent is a good start. If you find that is too high for you, don’t let that deter you. You can start by putting a little aside each month and then slowly increasing it.
What if I don't achieve my goals?
Financial planning is a common-sense approach to managing your finances to reach your life goals. It cannot change your situation overnight; it is a lifelong process. Remember that events beyond your control such as inflation or changes in the stock market or interest rates will affect your financial planning results.
Why do I have to provide so much personal information?
Consider a visit to your doctor. Without complete and fully accurate details, your doctor cannot prescribe the best course of action. The same applies to financial planning. In order to obtain the best service for your “financial health,” all details and specifics must be disclosed.
What type of information do I have to provide?
Typically, information regarding investments held, number of dependents, income and expenditure details, savings and financial planning needs, etc. The more accurate information you give, the better the quality of advice given.
What should a financial plan include?
A financial plan should include a review of your net worth, goals and objectives, investment portfolio, cash flow, investments, retirement planning, tax planning and insurance needs, as well as a plan for implementing your goals.
Why is there an evaluation of my insurance needs?
Evaluating your insurance needs is part of personal financial planning. Insurance takes care of your unpredictable needs, and because these needs can arise at any time, insurance is extremely important. Investments take care of your predictable needs and ideally should follow after your unpredictable needs are addressed. The insurance industry has changed a great deal over the past few years, and there is a whole array of new products from LIC as well as private insurance companies.
What about taxes?
It is important that financial plans are tax efficient. Your financial plan should help you in minimizing your tax liability and maximizing your after-tax returns from your investments. Some financial planners help their clients in preparing and filing their tax returns.
After a plan is developed, what’s next?
The best plan is useless unless it is put into action. Your financial planner will assist you completely in implementing the plan, if and when you desire.
How often should I update the plan?
It is good to review the plan when there is a lifestyle change such as marriage, birth, death or divorce. Any change in financial position should be evaluated as well. Most people have an annual update that reviews how the plan is being implemented. The review also considers changing goals and circumstances.
Do I have to meet my financial planner?
That depends on what you need. We have provided a questionnaire for you to fill out. Based on your responses, we will be able to prepare a financial plan customized for you. If you require a more detailed session with a financial planner, please call us at 703-533-0030 or 305-306-7107 or email us at lnfo@MannaWealthManagement.com.
Is a financial advisor the same as a financial planner?
- A financial planner is a professional who helps companies and individuals create a program to meet long-term financial goals.
- Financial advisor is a broader term for those who helps manage your money including investments and other accounts.
- Given the proliferation of the financial industry today, many planners and advisors may actually do the same thing – so do your homework before hiring somebody to guide you.
When is it a good idea to hire a financial advisor?
- You feel “lost” in planning for your financial future and you need a roadmap.
- You just don’t want to deal. When it comes to money, you’re not the DIY type, and you just want a professional to take care of it.
- You like managing your money, but realize that your financial plan would benefit from an impartial and unemotional third-party opinion.
We all of us will fall into one of these three categories…at least eventually.
What does a financial advisor cost?
Often pricing is assessed on a sliding scale. So the more assets you have under management, the lower your percentage will be.
Financial advisors can add value in more ways than higher returns. For instance, a financial advisor may use tax minimization strategies to reduce your tax bill, Estate Planning Strategies to avoid Probate, Sale or Acquisition advisory on a Business, to Portfolio Hedging using Alternative Investments, and Real Estate Cash Flow strategies to further differentiate your portfolio. Perhaps the biggest benefit of working with a financial advisor is making sure you work with a Financial Advisor that fits your future not your Present.
You have to dress for the job you want, not the job you have, ~ Austin Kleon
You want to grow into a relationship where as you mature and have more complexities in life your Financial Advisor can readily handle all those aspects that may come up.
The biggest question when evaluating a financial advisor is if they’re giving you greater confidence and clarity that you’ll meet your financial goals.
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