As a society, we have created an interesting paradox where we worry about the long-term financial well-being of ourselves and our families, but also do little to proactively help solve this issue and ease our minds.
According to a recent survey conducted by The Economists Intelligence Unit for RBC, two-thirds of Americans with at least $5 million in investable assets reported being concerned with how they will ensure their long-term financial well-being. This number was similar for so-called HENRYs (high income but not rich yet).
However, only 27.88% of Americans report having engaged in financial planning and only 34% report having any form of estate plan.
One way to ease this concern and ensure the preservation and growth of wealth is to engage in thoughtful long-term financial planning. A comprehensive planning process can help individuals and families in a number of ways.
Mitigating risk and protecting assets.
As your wealth increases, so does your exposure to risk. That may be market risk, credit risk, or even litigation risk. A planning process can help to identify these potential risks and develop strategies to manage and mitigate them, protecting wealth and ensuring its longevity.
Optimizing tax planning strategies.
Nobody likes to pay taxes. Planning can help identify tax-efficient strategies to minimize taxes and maximize after-tax returns. This includes a portfolio including assets that can be characterized as tax now, tax later and tax never.
Managing assets effectively.
HNW individuals often have a complex portfolio of assets. A comprehensive financial plan can help to ensure that these assets are managed effectively, with a focus on diversification, risk management, and growth potential.
Ensuring proper estate planning.
Having a plan allows you to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to controlling what happens to the most important parts of your life when you die. A quality planning process helps to develop a strategy that covers the transfer of assets at death, provides liquidity for those left behind and addresses a variety of other personal matters that may or may not involve wealth transfer, tax or financial planning.
Providing peace of mind.
Without a comprehensive financial and estate plan, it can be difficult to build and preserve wealth and ensure that your and your family’s financial goals are realized. Having a plan provides reassurance by allowing you to peer into the future and see the outcomes you envisioned coming to fruition.
Having a plan in place is key to growing and preserving your wealth as well as creating peace of mind that you and your family will be taken care of. It is important to take the time to complete a comprehensive planning process and create a path forward that is responsive to your unique needs and situation and allows for flexibility to adapt to changes that occur down the road.
At Robin Glen, we use our expertise in income and estate tax, private capital, and insurance analysis and design to create unique solutions that deliver impactful results for our clients and advisor partners.
As your life and the world changes, we are there every step of the way to ensure your planning evolves to always support you, your family, and your business.