CFP Services | Comprehensive Financial Planning

Why work with a CFP for a complete plan?

A Certified Financial Planner is a trained professional who connects decisions across the finances and presents trade-offs in an understandable way. With CFP services, you get a roadmap with priorities and dedicated checkpoints with established deadlines.

What happens in a typical planning engagement?

Our clients firstly get answers early with a concrete plan that reflects what matters to them. Our team obtains a segmented approach as presented below:

• Goal and values session — we talk through your specific targets, the retirement picture and any potential changes in life
• Financial snapshot — our team reviews cash flow planning, debts, employer benefits and account statements
• Risk & comfort review — Watter CPA discusses how you’d react if markets drop and what level of ups and downs you can live with
• Plan building and review — you receive a written plan, plus a meeting to evaluate the preferences and “what-ifs”
• Follow-through: If you want, we coordinate action items and set a review rhythm

What areas are covered in one plan?

A well-built plan touches every decision that has the potential to grow the net worth or protect your family.

How does financial planning connect to taxes?

It connects by timing income, deductions, and investment moves so less is lost to taxes. In our CFP services, we may review:

• Withholding and estimated payments
• Retirement contribution options
• Capital gain timing & charitable giving plans
• How taxable and retirement accounts work together

How is this different from “just investing”?

Holistic financial planning looks at the whole picture, so one decision doesn’t create a problem somewhere else. A fiduciary financial planner is expected to put your interests first. And a fee-only financial planner prevents commissions that can distort recommendations.

What should you bring to the first meeting?

Keep in mind that we would like to see the full picture. Then we’ll organize the details. For the initial meeting, the most useful items are listed below:

• Relevant pay stubs or income summaries
• A list of monthly bills along with the subscriptions
• Loan balances and interest rates
• Retirement and brokerage statements
• Current insurance policies
• Any wills, trusts or beneficiary notes you already have

Which CFP service pages should you explore next?

Pages presented below go deeper on the parts that matter most:

• Retirement planning: Income targets, Social Security timing and withdrawal sequencing
• Investment strategy: Asset allocation & goal-based investing & rebalancing rules
• Estate planning coordination: Cooperating with your attorney by taking the tax picture into consideration
• Overall wealth management: Monitoring — ongoing — reporting and priority check-ins

FAQs

Who can leverage comprehensive financial planning under CFP services?

People balancing taxes, debt profiles, saving amounts and multiple targets at once. It’s particularly useful during changes in life — like a move or a new role or growing a family.

How much do CFP services cost at Watter CPA?

Our services start from $480 for a one-time planning engagement.

Will my plan include insurance planning and education planning?

Yes — insurance planning and education planning can be built into the same roadmap, linked directly with cash flow planning in order to keep the numbers practical.

Does your CFP financial planner act as a fiduciary, and are you fee-only?

CFP Board’s standards require CFP® professionals to act as a fiduciary when providing financial advice. “Fee-only” means no sales-related compensation; we’ll explain how we’re paid before you engage.