FINANCIAL PLANNING

“A prudent investment plan is only as strong as the financial plan that directs it”

Our CFP® team takes great pride in our approach to financial planning. We believe the financial plan is your essential guide that must be updated, reviewed and stressed tested continually. The value we bring to our clients is in our attention to detail, experience and the knowledge to not only think ahead, but to think outside of the box.

Your plan will begin with your cash flow and net worth pieces as well as assessing your investment structures and tax returns to generate your financial projection. We will then integrate and stress test potential retirement issues to be sure every aspect of your retirement vision is on track.

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

Our team of Investment Advisors’ philosophy is not one of frequent trading or timing markets, but instead focused on intense due diligence to assemble the best portfolio yielding the most efficient returns. We do this by going beyond the numbers and vetting each portfolio manager in person. Once your portfolio is assembled, we then lean into areas of opportunity or the asset classes where we feel will be rewarded.

Our role is also to provide discipline and help you avoid making emotional decisions, usually fueled by greed or fear, when it comes to your finances

We apply an investment allocation overlay to your portfolio called, CAISSA “Tranches of Income.” Our clients tell us this strategy helps remove the stress that comes with volatile markets because they always know, no matter what the market is doing, that they have enough cash flows available to provide a personal paycheck to get them through the next market dip while allowing for your other assets to revert to their true value instead of being sold in the time of crisis. It is this well thought out plan that will let you sleep better at night.

INSURANCE (DISABILITY, LIFE, LONG TERM CARE)

It is easy to lose track of the events in life that you “think” you are insured for assuming you’re “covered”, only to find out there was a gap in your coverage, just when you need it the most. We help find those gaps and fix them in advance.

We analyze your current disability, life and liability coverage looking for any gaps that may need to be fixed. We can also review your current legacy plan.

This process helps to prepare for the “what ifs” or unfortunate events, such as an accident or untimely death; allowing you to feel secure knowing you have a plan in place to maintain your lifestyle and protect the nest egg you’ve worked so hard to build.

ESTATE PLANNING

An untimely death can be emotionally devastating. Providing your loved ones a plan to implement and a team beside them, can help remove unneeded stress.

You will receive a thorough review of what your current documents say (wills, trusts, healthcare directives, etc.) and a summary of things that may need updating. We will explain to you all the roles for people in your plan, things we have encountered in our experience, and make sure you fully understand what your estate plan is doing for you. We will provide you with tips and tools to help you navigate the digital world of assets.

We commonly see clients with detailed trusts that aren’t implemented properly. We work alongside your attorney to help you make sure it’s implemented, now and ongoing.

DIVORCE PLANNING

For anyone going through the stressful time of divorce, we can help. As a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA), Kelly will analyze your tax situations, project cash flows and strategize asset settlements pre-divorce.

Caissa will also guide you post-divorce through everything from investment and cash flows management to updating and revoking old wills/beneficiaries.

Divorce can be a very stressful time as there are usually a lot of unknowns. We help illustrate all the “what-if” scenarios so you are better equipped to navigate your new path.

EXECUTIVE PLANS

We utilize our years of experience in dealing with CEOs of many large organizations to help you understand and manage your executive compensation plans. Often times people do not have the time to gain a full understanding of what their executive plans may mean to them. We will walk you through it and help you see its role in your overall financial picture.

A partial listing of plans we work with:

• Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs)
• Stock option plans
• Option grants
• Non-qualified plans
• Defined benefit plans
• Split dollar life insurance
• Supplemental executive retirement plan

TAX STRATEGIES

We have prepared tax returns, so we understand how to make them work smarter for you.

Through our financial planning process, we review your cash flows and tax return to make sure your tax calculation is as efficient as possible. We will help you structure retirement benefits, Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA), rollovers, and 72(t) withdrawals; as well as strategically planning for deductible charitable contributions and itemized deductions (when applicable).

We realize we are not in the business of preparing your tax returns, so we work alongside your accountant to make sure we are implementing the best plan possible.

SOCIAL SECURITY

We know that successful financial planning requires an understanding of you and your unique situation. That’s why we provide unparalleled attention to you, the client, as we develop smart strategies to help you understand your finances and plan ten steps ahead. Our goal is that the day you start working with our team is the day you stop worrying about your finances. Investments can only be as strong as the financial plan that directs them. That’s why our clients receive a personalized plan that integrates their whole financial picture and is updated regularly. Using this plan as the driver, we create a detailed torpedo-proof investment strategy that meets your goals and long-term plans. Our expertise matched with our fierce loyalty to our clients’ prosperity is the reason clients stay with Caissa long term.

HEALTH CARE

Health care costs are rising rapidly. It has become such a large expense that we line item it out in our financial plans. Should you find yourself in a position to review benefits at a new employer or needing new alternatives, we will guide you.

Many of our retirees younger than age 65 find themselves in need of individual policies to bridge them until they are eligible for Medicare. We will work with you on this as well.

EDUCATION / COLLEGE PLANNING

For our clients with children aspiring to attend college, you will receive a projection of how much your current college savings will afford, how much more is needed and how to save for this large expense without detriment to your retirement goals.

We also team up with a local expert who will guide you through the application process starting when your child is a high school junior. We have had stellar results from this process. It’s one additional perk to working with CAISSA.