Working with individuals and families, I find there are 2 things that hold them back with financial planning. The first is time, it is hard to find time to gather the information. The second is it is overwhelming, they don't even know where to begin. I have a financial planning process in place to work with you through the data gathering, simplifying the process as much as possible. Then I work on formulating a plan based on your goals, this is behind-the-scenes work so you can sit back and relax. We review the plan and discuss action steps you can take to work towards your goals. As life or goals change we adjust the plan.
Here are some other ways financial planners can help you:
Goal Setting - We help identify and prioritize your goals. Many times you are trying to work on multiple goals but are unsure of where to begin, we can create a plan that helps you manage saving for retirement, paying off debt, funding education, or other financial goals you have. 
Budgeting - We help you create a budget. We can analyze your income, spending, and savings to help align your budget with your goals. 
Investment Management - We create a diversified investment strategy aligned with your risk tolerance, time horizon, and financial objectives. 
Retirement Planning - A crucial aspect of financial planning is preparing for retirement. We help you estimate your retirement needs, develop a savings plan, maximize contributions to retirement accounts, and determine an appropriate withdrawal strategy in retirement.
Risk Management and Insurance - we can stress test your financial plan for those curveballs life may throw at you. We can work towards ways to protect you and your family financially from these unexpected events. insurance is a focus of this to make sure you have the coverage you need. 
Habit Building & Accountability- Think of a financial planner as a part of your team helping you with your financial life. We help keep you focused on the goals, make adjustments as life throws curveballs, and are an accountability partner along the way. All investing involves risk including loss of principal. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not protect against market risk.