FAQs

General

What is Financial Planning?

Financial planning is not a product. Rather, it is long-term process. It is a method of managing your finances to help you work toward your goals.

This is not as straight forward as you may think. In a perfect mathematical world, your personal wealth grows exponentially. However, in reality, there is a tremendous amount of financial pressure that pushes down on your ability to grow wealth during every stage of life.

Simply, financial planning is the process of considering these potential pressures in conjunction with your goals.

In our opinion, it is often difficult for someone to assess their own financial problems. Therefore, it is helpful to consult a financial planner. 

What is the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification?

The CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification is owned and awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. to financial advisors who meet certain initial and ongoing qualifications.

What makes the CFP® certification different from other certifications is that it revolves around the financial planning process. This challenging process brings together all the pieces of your financial life. For most Americans, this is usually more than just investing. CFP® practitioners must be experienced in money management, insurance planning, investment planning, retirement planning, tax planning, and estate planning.

Read more about the CFP® certification from one of our blog posts.

Who are your typical clients?

Our clients come from many walks of life, many professions, and a range of life stages. We typically work with people who meet any of the following characteristics.

People who:

  • Are motivated to achieve their financial goals.
  • Are open to collaboration regarding their finances.
  • Are seeking a long-term partnership with a financial planner.

Who would not be a good fit for Financial Network?

Although we serve a wide range of clients, not everyone is a good fit for Financial Network.

People who:

  • Want the latest stock tip.
  • Want to talk about daily returns.
  • Believe they can consistently beat the market.
  • Consistently do not follow through on advice. 

How do we meet?

We believe it is helpful to meet in our office and have some face-to-face time. However, we can conduct meetings over the phone or virtually via Zoom Video Conference if that is your preference.

If you want to schedule an appointment with us, visit this page

Do I need to live in Michigan to become a client?

No. Our firm has a digital focus. Therefore, location is not a barrier to work with us. 

Our advisors are registered in multiple states. If we cannot meet in person, we can conduct meetings over the phone or meet virtually via Zoom Video Conference.

If you want to schedule an appointment with us, visit this page

Do I have to pay for our introductory meeting?

No. We offer a no obligation consultation. This way we can see if we would make a good fit.

What happens after I schedule an initial consultation?

After scheduling your intial consultation, you will need to complete a few tasks. The following list is what you can expect.

  1. You will receive a confirmation email that includes a sign up link to our client portal called AdviceWorks
  2. During the signup process, you will prompted to provide us some personal information.
  3. You can upload any financial documents that you want us to review during the consultation. Also, you can link third-party accounts (Bank, Investments, Loans, etc.) to AdviceWorks so we can review it.

By completing these steps promptly, it allows us to prepare for the consultation. 

What is the next step?

You can call our office at (248) 626-3120 or email any of our advisors, or click here to schedule an appointment.

Service

How are you compensated?

We are compensated in multiple ways. Compensation may differ depending on the scope of engagement. These fees cover all the services we provide.

  1. Investment Advisory Fees
  2. Commission 

If you have any questions about how we are compensated, reach out to us.

Do you have a minimum asset requirement?

No. We believe that every person deserves access to professional financial advice. Therefore, Financial Network has no asset minimum. 

Do you sell products with a commission?

If it is in our client’s best interest, we may recommend a product with a commission if it fills a need. Furthermore, certain financial products are commission only. 

If you have any questions about how we are compensated, reach out to us.

Do you sell individual securities such as stocks or bonds?

In most cases, we do not solicit the purchase of individual securities to our clients. However, we are able to process these transactions on an unsolicited basis.

Do you have e-signature capability?

Yes. We have the ability to open and service many investment accounts via Docusign. However, certain forms will still require a wet signature.

Note that forms that require a wet signature can be uploaded to AdviceWorks, our secure client portal.

Do you provide a written financial plan?

We provide written financial plans on request.

Our client portal, AdviceWorks, integrates with Envestnet MoneyGuide. MoneyGuide is a collaborative financial planning software that provides goal-based planning for our clients.

In our opinion, financial planning software is a great conversation starter with our clients. However, it does not consider nonnumerical factors.

Therefore, since financial planning is complex, we opt to provide advice in easily understandable segments instead of a long financial plan.

What features does AdviceWorks have?

Our client portal, AdviceWorks, is an easy-to-use digital platform that allows clients to collaborate with us.

  • View all accounts, policies, contracts that were opened or purchased through us.
  • View official statements for accounts held with Pershing (Brokerage & Advisory Accounts).
  • Link third-party accounts (Bank Account, Investments, Credit Cards, Real Estate, and more).
  • A secure online vault for your financial documents that can be shared with us.
  • Create and edit your financial goals and priorities. Track your progress against them.

Still confused?

Schedule a no obligation consultation to get more information. 

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