Financial Planning Workflow

Core Concepts

Client Profile and Data Gathering

The financial plan begins with a structured intake that captures the client's complete financial picture. Incomplete data leads to unreliable projections and missed planning opportunities. The advisor should collect the following categories systematically before any analysis begins:

Household demographics — ages, marital status, dependents (ages and expected years of financial support), health status and family longevity history, employment status and expected retirement dates, state of residence (for state tax modeling).

Income and benefits — gross salary, bonuses, commissions, self-employment income, rental income, pension details (defined benefit formula, COLA, survivor options), Social Security statements for both spouses, deferred compensation schedules, stock option or RSU vesting schedules.

Expense analysis — fixed obligations (mortgage, loan payments, insurance premiums, property taxes), discretionary spending (travel, dining, entertainment), irregular expenses (home maintenance, vehicle replacement, medical), and expected changes (mortgage payoff date, child-related expenses aging out, healthcare costs in retirement).

Assets and accounts — taxable brokerage accounts, traditional and Roth IRAs, 401(k)/403(b) balances and contribution rates, HSAs, 529 plans, real estate (primary residence and investment properties with basis information), business ownership interests, cash reserves, and any concentrated stock positions.

Liabilities — mortgage balance, rate, and remaining term; student loans; auto loans; credit card balances; HELOCs; any contingent liabilities (co-signed loans, pending legal obligations).

Insurance — life insurance (term and permanent, face amounts, premiums, cash values), disability coverage (employer-provided and individual, benefit amounts, elimination periods, own-occupation vs any-occupation), long-term care coverage, umbrella liability, and health insurance details.