Our Process
Through our many years of experience providing financial planning for clients, we’ve created a thorough discovery process.
Is Stone Pine Financial the right firm for you?
Our Goal
To provide you with the expertise and resources required to achieve your financial goals and a secure retirement.
Our Process
To analyze your unique financial situation and devise a personal plan that will allow you to retire with confidence.
Step 1. Initial Phone Call
This 30-minute phone call is an opportunity for both of us to determine if your financial goals match our expertise.
If we aren’t a good fit for each other, Stone Pine will introduce you to a financial services firm that is better suited to your needs.
Step 2. First Meeting
This meeting is all about the details. You will present Stone Pine with your goals, concerns and unique financial situation. Your answers to our questions, and the documents we request you bring to the meeting, will guide our in-depth analysis of your finances.
Step 3. Our Analysis
Applying our decades of experience, and thousands of hours of training and mentoring by the industry’s top experts, we answer the following four critical questions for you:
1) Can you afford to retire?
2) Can your investment portfolio be improved?
3) Can you eliminate or at least reduce threats to your retirement?
4) Are there ways you could reduce your tax burden?
These answers and our additional recommendations will be included in your personalized “One-Page Game Plan.”
Step 4. Second Meeting
During this meeting, we present you with your personalized “Game Plan” and we explain in plain English our recommendations for achieving your financial goals. This is also where you will see, in dollars and cents, how our firm can improve your finances.
At the end of this meeting, we’ll ask that you think over our recommendations and carefully consider whether you want Stone Pine to be your trusted partner on your retirement journey.
Step 5. Sleep On It
Our 20 years in business have proven that clients should not rush into a decision. Prior to deciding if we should work together, you should answer the following questions:
• Do I like/trust/respect the team at Stone Pine Financial?
• Will the benefits they provide exceed the fee I will pay?
• Do I understand and agree with their investment philosophy?
• Do their recommendations make sense to me?
Step 6. Take Action
One week after our 2nd meeting, we reconvene with the goal of getting you ready to take action – whether that’s with our firm or not! We’ll answer any questions or concerns you have, and if you do want to move forward with our firm, we will review our client onboarding process. We dedicate a lot of time and resources to onboarding new clients in order to make the process smooth and straightforward.
What you can expect
Once the onboarding process is complete, we have two dedicated meeting periods each year, one in the Spring and the other in the Fall. These are designed to review your progress and address concerns. Additionally in the Spring, we review your Flight Path (retirement income projections). In the Fall, we go over tax projections and strategies to implement prior to the end of the year.
What to Expect
Let’s Get Organized
Week 1: The initial meeting gives you the chance to tell us about you and your family – and the things that are most important to you. We will ask questions about your goals and concerns and get a good understanding of your current situation. You will also have the chance to learn more about our firm and the process we use to help people organize their finances and feel secure about the future.
Planning and Possibilities
Week 2: At this meeting, you will get a clear and easy way to get a picture of your current situation and the framework and options for the best path forward.
Outline of Responsibilities and Commitment
Week 3: During this meeting, you decide if our firm is the right fit for you and your family. If we decide to move forward, we will reiterate that we are held to a fiduciary standard and your best interest is always our priority. We will discuss your path forward, answer any questions you have, and prioritize our next steps.
60 Day Follow Up Meeting
Week 11: We are dedicated to making sure your account statements and online access are easy to use and understand. Our goal is to make your financial lives organized and coordinated so you can free up time and energy to focus on other areas of your life.
Regular Progress and Planning
Every 90 days: You will help us set a schedule of regular meetings at intervals that are comfortable and convenient for you. During these meetings, we will listen to any updates or changes in your life and determine if we need to adjust your planning. We will inform you of your overall progress and address any questions or concerns you may have. We will also coordinate with other tax, estate, and risk management professionals to ensure your goals are being addressed from a comprehensive viewpoint.