Test Drive

Your

Retirement

A 3-step process to help you evaluate my services and make an informed decision about working together.

Retirement Recommendations

Investment Analysis

Tax Planning Evaluation

My goal for this process is to demonstrate how I can serve you in helping you make the most out of your life with the wealth you have and how I bring simplicity, clarity, and confidence to an otherwise confusing, complicated, and intimidating subject: money.

There is no charge for this process—I want to help you make an informed and educated decision about working together so you can see exactly how I can serve you before you agree to pay me a penny.

Let’s Begin

01.

INITIAL PHONE MEETING

After all, you wouldn’t see a dermatologist if you needed heart surgery.

Before committing your time or mine, this 30-minute phone call will give us both a chance to make sure your situation matches my expertise. You probably have questions, and so do I. This meeting is designed to make sure we are compatible to work together. Just an honest conversation.

Your Role:

Schedule a call and let us know how we can help. Nothing is off-limits, ask me anything.

My Role:

Listen. Help you decide whether it makes sense to schedule a Get Acquainted meeting. At any point, you may choose not to move forward, and it’s OK to let us know. The search for a financial planner is personal, and it is important to find the right fit.

No Selling. No Cost. No Obligation.

02.

DISCOVERY MEETING

Like a doctor, it's important to diagnose before I prescribe

The goal of this meeting is to get a clear-cut idea of your goals, concerns and unique financial situation.

  • Retirement Income

  • Goals

  • Insurance

  • Taxes

  • Estate

  • Investments

Together, we will review the results of your current retirement path so you have a solid understanding where you are and what you need to do to pursue your desired goals.

Your answers to my questions, along with the documents I requested you bring, will guide my analysis, which will result in clear answers to your concerns.

Your Role: Bring the list of documents I requested and any others that pertain to your financial life. Answer the questions honestly and it’s ok to say “I don’t know”. Give me as much feedback as possible.

My Role: Ask a lot of questions and listen. Answer your questions and bring up some topics you may not have thought or known about. I work with you to identify your goals and financial plan design challenges.

03.

MY ANALYSIS

Your answers to our intake questions, along with the documents I have requested, will help guide my analysis, which will result in answers to a number of critical questions. I’ll begin the financial planning process by converting your needs and goals into actionable recommendations for you to achieve your objectives.

I will apply decades of experience, decades of Nobel-prize winning research, thousands of hours of training and expertise as a CFP® Professional to answer the financial questions and concerns you identified and outlined for me in Step 2 to answer the following questions:

  • Can you afford to retire?

  • Can you eliminate, or at least reduce threats to your retirement?

  • Is your portfolio suitable for retirement?

  • Can your tax bill be reduced now and during retirement?

My Role: Based on your feedback, I Analyze how your current course may meet your objectives and craft ideas to get you even closer. Refine your plan, flesh out details, and develop solutions what resonates and seems possible.

04.

THE PLAN

Writing the prescription

During this meeting I will explain, very clearly, exactly what you need to do to achieve your financial goals and build the wealth to support the life you desire and deserve. Through these recommendations and with our guidance you will see, at a high level, how I can improve your finances and assist you in building, growing, and preserving your wealth.

Your Role: Ask questions. Challenge me to empower you. Let me know what isn’t clear.

My Role: Guide you to the information you need to make decisions and take action.

At the end of this meeting, there’s no hard sell - I’ll ask you to reflect on our process and whether our expertise will benefit you and your family.

05.

THINK IT OVER

Having been in this profession for more than 10 years, I am in no rush for clients to make a decision. Prior to deciding if we should work together, ask yourself the following:

  1. Do I like/trust/respect Erik as my advisor?

  2. Will the benefits provided exceed the fee I’ll pay?

  3. Do the recommendations make sense to me?

06.

GET STARTED MEETING

You will transition into our New Client Process and I will begin gathering any additional information necessary for me to begin serving you. Prior to this meeting, I will make sure that any additional questions have been answered to your satisfaction.

*While I would love to work with you, if you get to any point in the process and decide that it’s not a good fit, we will wish you all the best and continued success. Translation: there will never be any pressure. That’s not the experience I would want for my family, and I wouldn’t wish that on you either.

START NOW.

Let's have a quick call to answer your questions about retirement, investments or tax planning.

There is no cost. I'll call you.

This is NOT a sales call.

Tell me about yourself and what you’re looking to accomplish. I will share briefly about who I am and how I approach financial planning to determine if we are a good fit.

The purpose of this call is to answer your questions + determine if there is a potential fit between my expertise and your needs.

Just an honest conversation. 

I am full-service advisor and DO NOT offer hourly or one-time engagements

Still Have Questions? Keep Reading….

  • Yes! While my office is located in Naperville, IL, I work with retirement savers all over the United States.

    I am equipped to meet with clients and potential clients through the video conferencing software, Zoom.

  • There are three really important things that separate me from others:

    1. I am a CFP® professional. Less than 30% of all financial advisors are CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. Find out the difference here.

    2. All I do is retirement planning. I am a retirement specialist with a simple goal of making sure you don't run out of money.

    3. I limit the number of clients I take on to deliver massive value and personalized service.

  • We are a fee-only retirement & tax planning firm. In our flat fee model we believe you should pay for the service rather than pay based on how much money you have. Why? Because assets don’t necessarily tie to how much time you might need with your advisor.

    Some financial advisors are commission-based, which may cause fees to be hidden or create conflicts of interest. Not Retirement Portfolio Partners. One transparent fee includes financial planning and if your prefer investment management.

  • Great question! But first, let me explain why you shouldn’t hire me.

    If you’re looking for an advisor who will trade stocks to “beat the market,” you’re in the wrong place. Why? Because I only focus on what you can control. Predicting if the stock market will go up or down, or guessing what interest rates will do next, are not things you can control.

    But if you’re interested in things like lowering your tax bill, investing smarter, and creating a reliable income stream in retirement all for a reasonable fee. You’re in the right place.