THE FFH PROCESS.
Four simple steps to get started
All clients go through the “FFH Process.” Well-defined and completely transparent, the FFH Process is focused on education and analysis and is designed to put clients in control of their financial decisions by making them more informed consumers.
Step 1 – Lifestyle Quality Financial Management℠ [2 meetings @ 1 hour each]
The first meeting is dedicated to educating the client about the financial planning process and identifying the client’s Key Issues. This is essentially a mutual due diligence process where both the client and the adviser determine if there is a good fit between our company and the client’s needs.
During the second meeting, the client gets to review the Financial Lifestyle Analysis℠ that was generated based on information gathered in the first meeting, as well as any issues or concerns the adviser identified during our internal Multiple Adviser Team meetings.
The Financial Lifestyle Analysis℠ will be balanced against the Personal Lifestyle Spending Analysis the client completed after the first meeting. This spending analysis provides a reality-based projection of pre-retirement and post-retirement income needs. Something that "rules of thumb" cannot provide.
At the conclusion of this second meeting, the client determines if he or she would like our assistance in addressing any financial or investment “to do” items.
Step 2 – Investor Education [2 meetings @ 1 hour each]
Before developing an investment proposal, all clients undergo a structured investor education process. The first educational module (Intro to Investing) is designed to pull back the curtain on the financial services industry and get past the jargon. It teaches how the various investment vehicles in the marketplace work, while addressing their pros and cons of each.
The second education module (Investment Fundamentals) focuses on the process of investing, while providing pragmatic insight into the academic foundation followed by institutional investors.
The final educational module (Prudent Portfolio Management) provides details about the evidence-based and institutional approach we use when managing client portfolios.
It is during this stage that a fee audit and comprehensive due diligence analysis of the client’s current portfolio and underlying investments is conducted.
Step 3 – Proposal and Implementation [1 meeting @ 1 hour]
Based upon the financial goals and cash flow needs documented in the client’s Financial Lifestyle Analysis℠ and after conducting an assessment of their emotional tolerance and financial capacity for risk, a portfolio management proposal is developed.
The proposal documents which are reviewed feature a side-by-side comparison of the current versus the proposed portfolio’s asset allocation statistics, investment due diligence, and a dollar-based line-item audit of all direct and indirect fees.
Step 4 – Review and Service
After implementation, we meet with clients at least once per year to review their account, update their financial plan, and begin working on other “Key Issues” that were identified during completion of the Financial Lifestyle Analysis℠ in Step 1.
In addition to a secure client portal and mobile apps where clients can stay up-to-date on their accounts, access to an adviser or member of our service team is just a phone call or email away.
