Most people come to me about one of these and find they want help with two or three. We’ll work out which in the first conversation.
Understanding the difference between those two numbers is what makes a savings plan possible – and most people have never actually sat down and worked it out. I’ll help you get started, and give you the tools to keep tracking it yourself.
Who this is for: anyone who’s never looked at the whole picture in one place.
First we’ll get clear on your short, medium and long-term goals, and how much risk you’re genuinely comfortable with – not how much you think you should be. Then we’ll look at the options that will get you there. Good decisions made today compound into much better ones later.
Retirement is the one long-term goal that applies to everybody. We’ll look at what you’ve saved, what you’re likely to earn, and what you’re likely to spend, and work out whether you’re on track. If you’re not, we’ll put together a plan to get you back on track.
Who this is for: anyone between their first job and their last.
We can look at your tax situation before your return is due, so you know roughly what to expect rather than finding out in April. And once we’re looking at it early, there are usually ways to reduce what you owe – both this year and in the years after it.
Who this is for: anyone whose taxes have grown more complicated than a single W-2.
Everyone’s situation is different, and some are a great deal more complex than others. I don’t think it’s honest to publish a single price for work that varies that much, so I don’t.
What I’ll do instead is talk with you first, understand what you actually need, and then quote a fee for that specific work. You’ll have it in writing before anything starts, and I won’t take payment without your explicit approval. I don’t earn commission on any investment I recommend – the fee you agree to is the only way I’m paid.
No. I work with people from all walks of life, including people who are just getting started and haven’t saved much yet. I also take on a number of low-income clients pro bono each year, because the people who’d benefit most from a plan are often the ones least able to pay for one.
Directly by you, and only by you. I charge a fee for the work I do. I don’t earn commission on the investments I recommend, and I’m not paid by any fund, insurer, or product company. The fee is quoted before we start, invoiced in detail, and only charged with your approval.
Yes. As a registered investment adviser I’m required to act in your best interest. In practice, it means I only recommend things I’d be willing to put my own money into.
Yes. SRJ Financial Consulting LLC is registered as an investment adviser with the State of Illinois – firm CRD #341344. My individual CRD is #8238003. Both are free to look up on the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure site, and I’d encourage you to check any advisor you speak to, me included.
You talk, mostly. You tell me what’s going on and what’s worrying you, I ask some questions, and then I give you an honest answer about whether I’m the right person to help. If I’m not, I’ll say so. It takes about twenty minutes, it’s free, and there’s no pitch at the end of it.
I’m currently registered in Illinois, so that’s where I’m able to take on clients. If you’re somewhere else, get in touch anyway – depending on your situation there may be an exemption that applies, and if there isn’t, I’d rather tell you that than waste your time.
