Financial Planning That Helps You Understand Your Money and Your Life
Clarity, confidence, and strategy for real life, not just spreadsheets.
What Financial Planning Really Is
Financial planning isn’t about having everything figured out or hitting some invisible milestone before you’re “ready.” It’s about understanding where you are, what matters to you, and how your money can support the life you’re building.
At Forethought, financial planning is the foundation of our work. It’s where we slow things down, create space for reflection, and build a strategy that honors both the practical and personal sides of your life.
Many of our clients come to us feeling disconnected from a previous advisor, unsure where to begin, or overwhelmed by decisions they’ve been managing on their own. Financial planning gives you a place to start, without judgment and without pressure.
Who Financial Planning Is For
Financial planning may be right for you if:
You want clarity around your money, but don’t need full investment management yet
You’re navigating a life transition, career shift, partnership change, or new responsibility
You’ve worked hard, but never had a cohesive plan tying everything together
You want guidance rooted in planning, not product sales
This path is especially supportive if you’re starting, restarting, or simply ready to engage with your finances more intentionally.
What makes Forethought different
We ground our work in behavioral finance, recognizing that financial decisions are shaped by your experiences, habits, beliefs, and emotions around money. Strategy only works when it’s aligned with how you actually live and decide.
We don’t just ask what you want to achieve, we explore why those goals matter and what patterns may help or hinder your progress. This allows us to build plans that work in real life, not just on paper.
The Forethought Way
Wealth strategy doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s connected to your story, your responsibilities, and how you make decisions under pressure.
That’s why our work is guided by The Forethought Way, a planning framework that helps you:
Understand your Wealth Story
Define your Wealth Vision
Set clear Priorities
Explore Behaviors around money that support or challenge your goals
Use your plan as a living guide for ongoing decisions
This is where strategy becomes something you can actually live with, not just something you’re told to do.
What Financial Planning Includes
At Forethought, we design financial planning to support the real complexity of modern family life, without overwhelming you or forcing you to address everything at once.
Every planning relationship begins with a Foundational Financial Plan, which serves as the base we build from. This foundation gives you clarity, shared understanding, and a framework for decision-making, so you’re not reacting to life as it happens, you’re guiding it.
Your Foundational Financial Plan
Your foundational plan is designed to help you understand where you are and what matters most to your family right now. It includes:
One-on-one onboarding and discovery sessions to understand your life, values, and priorities
A personalized financial plan and recommendation meeting
A customized financial planning dashboard
Goal planning and prioritization for your family
Cash flow guidance that supports your life and values
Simple, intentional debt planning
Investment analysis and risk awareness
Ongoing access to our team via phone, email, and text
This foundation creates clarity and alignment, giving you a trusted starting point for future decisions.
Planning That Grows With Your Life
We know not every family needs to address every financial topic at once. Life evolves, and your planning should evolve with it.
As your complexity increases, you can enhance your foundational plan by choosing additional planning support based on what you’re navigating right now. These enhancements build on your foundation, never replace it.
Financial Planning Service Levels
Foundational Planning
$2,400
A comprehensive starting point for clarity, confidence, and direction.
Advanced Planning
$3,600
Includes your foundational plan plus support for two complex planning areas.
Ongoing clients meet up to two times per year.
Premier Planning
$4,400
Includes your foundational plan plus support for four complex planning areas.
Ongoing clients meet up to two times per year.
Elite Planning
$5,400
Includes your foundational plan plus support for unlimited complex planning areas.
Ongoing clients meet up to four times per year.
Complex Financial Planning Topics
Your People and Relationships
Education funding - college, private school, or continuing education
Marriage and partnership planning - financial transparency & shared foundations
LGBTQ+ specific financial considerations
Financial support for adult children ("bounce back kids")
Special needs financial planning
Gifting to children or grandchildren
Navigating financial commitments with family
Your Career
Starting or funding a business
Career transitions or job transitions
Career sabbaticals, caregiving breaks, or time away from the
workforce
Stock options and equity compensation
Buying or selling a business
Employee benefits analysis
Compensation review and negotiation strategies
Retirement transitions - early, phased, or traditional retirement
Your Life Milestones and Periods of Change
Divorce financial planning - before & after
Life abroad, international, or multi-state residency planning
Becoming a parent or guardian - birth, adoption, fostering, guardianship responsibilities
Health transitions - serious illness, disability, or long-term recovery
Widowhood or loss of a partner
Elder caregiving transitions - financial support, housing, or guardianship for parents/relatives
Your Money
Complex tax planning strategies
Inheritance Planning
Charitable giving and values-based philanthropy
Real estate planning and property purchase
Social Security timing and maximization
Behavioral finance awareness and decision-making strategies
Identifying emotional triggers and building confident financial habits
Ready to Begin With a Plan?
You don’t need to have everything figured out to start. You just need a place to begin.
Our complimentary 30-minute introduction call is a chance to connect, share what’s happening in your life, and explore whether financial planning is the right path for you and your family.