Financial Planning Services
Financial
services are offered through HG Harper Financial Services LLC. Our goal
is simple – to help you make smart financial decisions with your money
so that you can accomplish your goals for the reasons that are
important to you.
HG
Harper Financial Group LLC is a Georgia Registered Investment Advisory
(RIA) firm. We are required by law to place the interests of the client
first, at all times. Our intention is to bring comprehensive fee-only
financial planning that is in alignment with our client's core values.
Our
approach to financial planning incorporates every element of your
financial life including: cash flow, debt management, investment
management, family risk management, tax planning, retirement planning,
education planning, legacy planning and special
situations planning. We will help you define lifetime goals linked to
your values and develop, implement and monitor a strategy to reach them.
Why We are Different
HG
Harper Financial Group LLC is an independent Registered Investment
Advisor (RIA). We are required by law to place the interests of the
client first, at all times.
Financial
advisors employed by brokerage firms and banks have a conflict of
interest between generating revenue for themselves and their company.
This business model is largely "sales driven"
and does not place the client's interest at the center of the
relationship. As an independent advisory firm, we have no production
quotas. Without the "sales" pressure, we are able to offer very candid financial advice with the focus truly on the needs of our clients.
Advisors
who are paid commissions often experience a strong temptation to sell
products to generate income. This creates a conflict between their need
for income and the clients' need for fair, objective advice. We are
fee only and do not receive commissions from
investment recommendations. Moreover, since our fee is directly tied
to the value of the account, our fee will increase when the account
rises and decrease if the account falls in value.
The
difference is clear. Choosing a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA)
will increase the probability of finding someone who will place your
interests first.
Who Needs Financial Planning
Consider these tough financial facts:
- Many
retirees today will live 25 or more years in retirement, requiring more
in the way of financial management of resources to maintain a desired
lifestyle.
- Social security and company pensions no longer provide the majority of retirement funds for many people.
- Healthcare costs and college education expenses are rising significantly faster than the general inflation rate.
- Tax laws change almost annually.
- Downsizing companies no longer provide cradle-to-grave benefits or job security.
- The
average American changes jobs seven or more times in a lifetime, and
millions Americans are self-employed. This demands new approaches toward
savings, retirement, taxes and estate planning.
- With couples having children later in life, many are "sandwiched" between paying for college and helping their elderly parents, while trying to save for their own retirement.
You
can see by these facts that financial planning is still really
important today. Anyone who wants to take control of their financial
life, make good financial decisions and achieve financial independence
can use financial planning.
What We Do
We
will work with you to identify and prioritize your life goals. What's
realistic for your circumstances and what isn't? We will gather
financial data, review your current cash flow, insurance policies and
net worth, and then assess your investments, retirement needs, taxes
and estate plan. With your goals and current resources in mind, we can
design a personalized financial plan that can best help you reach your
goals by making the most of the resources you have or can develop.
Then
we can implement specific strategies to carry out the plan. This might
include building an emergency fund, establishing a spending and savings
plan, recommending an investment program, purchasing disability or
long term care insurance, drafting a will, establishing a trust or developing a business succession plan.
Our Investment Philosophy
Investment
portfolios are developed using a strategy know as asset allocation.
This approach involves investment across different asset classes. We
will impart to you our thoughts on investing, our asset category
recommendations for long-term investing and current asset categories to consider.
When
creating a mix of investments, it is vitally important to consider your
financial objectives, your attitude toward risk and your age. We will
identify and provide you with a broadly diversified portfolio that
matches your unique goals. We will also monitor your investments to match your evolving needs. We will work diligently to be your trusted advisor.
Our Fee Structure
Our
financial planning fees are determined by the project needed. We
generally work with the fee being determined based on a percentage of
assets managed. There are some instances where we work for clients on
an hourly basis.
In all cases, the fee arrangement will be discussed up front and delivered to you in a written agreement.