The Financial Planning Industry Needed Some Changes
It Needed an Engineer
Let’s Engineer a PLAN Together
Financial Planning and Investment Management Consultancy
As a long-time engineer-type, I learned that if a “plan” isn’t written, there is no plan! I taken written plans to heart in all that I do, especially as a Financial Planner. Forming this financial planning business was birthed on many ideas I experienced in the manufacturing and engineering community. See the publication Engineering Your Retirement Plan and our Financial Planning Process as an examples. Even the logo you see above contains an automotive “sweep” through the design.
I’ve also learned over a 30+ year career that everything starts with a passion around the client. In that spirit, I want to share the core principles that drive my very existence in the personal finance industry:
Core Purpose
“Improve the financial life for each and every client we serve”
Vision
“For people of all income levels to have access to affordable and professional financial planning and investment management services, without the pressure or bias of product sales and commissions”
Mission
“To provide you with fiduciary advice and a written plan to get you on solid financial footing and a go-forward roadmap that is in the best interest for you, your family, and your business”
Our Value to You
To help you improve your financial life, we offer personalized written financial plans including an Investment Policy Statement and a summary/action plan that you can implement on your own or with our help. If additional education or consulting is required, or if you want investment management services, we can provide that too! The overall objective is to help you better sleep at night knowing you have a plan in place.
As an accommodation to all income levels, we offer hourly, fixed, or asset-based fee arrangements at reasonable price points depending on the financial complexity of each client.
Finally, to fulfill the mission of providing fiduciary advice, I wanted this personal finance business to be a consulting service independent of product sales, removing as much product bias as possible from our financial recommendations to the client. Therefore we do not accept any product commissions or referral fees, always acting in your best interest before our own.
We are a Fiduciary
We are fiduciary financial planning professionals! The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) sets the definition for fiduciary financial planning advice.
NAPFA’s position is that the Fee-Only method of compensation is the most transparent and objective method available. This model minimizes conflicts and ensures that your financial planner acts as a fiduciary. Fee-Only planners are compensated directly by their clients for advice, plan implementation and for the ongoing management of assets. All NAPFA members are required to work only within the Fee-Only structure, accepting no commissions for their work.” See the full What is Fee-only Financial Planning? article on the NAPFA website.
When you do business with Kastler Financial Planning, you are doing business with a fiduciary at all phases of the financial planning engagement. Each client receives a signed fiduciary oath.
Fiduciary Benefits for You
Working with a fiduciary brings unique benefits to each of our clients:
- A finance professional writes your Plan, not a salesperson
- There is no pressure of product sales
- Recommendations are made that are in your best interest, not ours
- Our flat-fee pricing is provided to you up-front before we ever sign a contract
- You do not need to move your money to our control for us to create a Financial Plan
- When you Plan is complete, you can implement it yourself, with our assistance, or with another provider
- You now have a written Plan to get on solid financial footing and a roadmap toward your goals
Principles for Client Engagements
In every client engagement, we follow the 7 Principles of Financial Planning established by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.’s Code of Ethics. These principles include:
- Integrity
- Objectivity
- Competence
- Fairness
- Confidentiality
- Professionalism
- Diligence
Our Value in the Community
Helping individuals is a primary passion but giving back to the community by volunteering has its many rewards too! Some community give-back activities, spanning over many years, have included helping with Habitat for Humanity, serving ice cream at community concert, retirement workshops at a local library, and teaching high schoolers on careers:
Your Financial Planning Engineers
Founder of Kastler Financial Planning
Fiduciary Financial Planner
Engineering Advocate
Read more Meet Mike
Continuous Improvement
Businesses must change rapidly to keep up with technology and clients’ ever-increasing expectations. We strive to be ahead of the curve through on-going education, client feedback surveys, and as members of the leading fiduciary networks such as the Garrett Planning Network (GPN), a national network of independent fee-only fiduciary financial advisors, and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). And, of course, Kastler Financial Planning is an office of Garrett Investment Advisors, LLC.
