Planning | AAN

How Planning Works

At Affinity Advisory Network, our multi-week planning process is designed to empower clients to take control of their financial futures. This comprehensive approach can be conducted in person or via virtual meetings from the comfort of your home.

You Are In Control

Our process takes several weeks because this time in life deserves a careful approach to help ensure a complete understanding of every part of your plan. You are in control of every decision and every step.

The Process:

Initial Consultation:
- Purpose: We get to know each other and discuss your goals for retirement, investments, and legacy.
- Outcome: We explore your questions and provide resources and materials around the topics most specific to your goals.
Team Assembly:
- Experienced Multidisciplinary Professional Network gets Involved: Affinity Advisory Network has a multidisciplinary network of professionals, including financial advisors, registered investment advisors, tax attorneys, elder law attorneys, and insurance specialists. These professionals may all contribute to building your plan (with your permission).
- Goal: With the involvement of the entire network, time is saved, and loopholes are identified. This helps maximize growth and minimize taxes.
Strategy Development:
- Asset Preservation: Strategies are available to protect assets from downside market losses so you preserve your nest egg.
- Asset and Estate Protection: There are often-used methods to protect assets and your estate from the reach of nursing homes or legal actions.
- Income Generation: Often, there is a fear of running out of money. Several options exist to generate lifetime income that you cannot outlive.
- Tax Minimization: With the multidisciplinary approach to planning, every tax-advantaged tool can be explored to minimize tax obligations.
Communication & Transparency:
- Regular Check-ins: Adjust the plan as needed.
- Objective: Ensure the plan remains relevant to your evolving circumstances.

Our Commitment:

Customized Plan: Every plan created is different. You have specific needs, and through our multi-week planning process, we learn what’s important to you and your family.
Comprehensive Strategy: The plan is built to withstand time and be flexible with life changes. If long-term care is a concern, the plan can be built to provide coverage for those costs. If more income is needed, the plan can be built to provide it when needed. Our experienced professionals can build a plan that helps you prepare for the uncertain road ahead.
Legacy & Quality of Life: Effective planning involves protecting your legacy. We take our responsibility seriously to help execute your desires for your beneficiaries while maximizing your quality of life now.

Let us help you turn your aspirations into reality, ensuring you completely control your financial future and the lives of your heirs.

What’s At Risk When Professionals Act Independently?

The Power of a Multidisciplinary Professional Network Working for You

Investment Professionals: When investment professionals work in isolation, they may not be aware of your overall financial goals or estate planning needs. This can lead to investment strategies that are not tax-efficient or aligned with your long-term objectives, potentially resulting in larger tax bills and less money in retirement.
Estate Planning Attorneys: Estate planning attorneys are crucial for creating wills, trusts, and other legal documents. However, your plan may have gaps without coordination with other professionals, such as uncoordinated beneficiaries or outdated documents. This can lead to probate issues, increased legal fees, and unintended distribution of assets.
Insurance Professionals: Insurance is vital to a comprehensive financial plan. Independent insurance professionals may not consider your entire financial picture, leading to inadequate coverage or unnecessary policies. This can result in higher premiums and insufficient protection for long-term care needs.
Medicare Professionals: Navigating Medicare can be complex, and independent Medicare professionals may not fully understand your healthcare needs and financial situation. This can lead to suboptimal Medicare plans, higher out-of-pocket costs, and gaps in coverage.
Veterans Administration Claims Agents: Veterans Administration Claims Agents help veterans access benefits, but without coordination with other professionals, opportunities for additional benefits or tax advantages may be missed. This can result in lower overall financial support and missed benefits.
Real Estate Professionals: Real estate transactions can have significant tax implications and impact your financial plan. Independent real estate professionals may not consider your estate planning or retirement goals, leading to higher capital gains taxes and less efficient use of real estate assets.
Retirement Planning Professionals: Retirement planning professionals are essential for creating a sustainable retirement income strategy. However, without collaboration with other professionals, there may be a lack of long-term care provisions, inadequate tax planning, and insufficient income in retirement.

How the Multidisciplinary Professional Network
At Affinity Advisory Network Serves You

Many firms claim to offer comprehensive retirement planning, but not all can match AAN's integration and collaboration. Our network of professionals is not just a collection of individuals working in isolation; it is a cohesive team that works together to build a complete retirement and estate plan. This synergy sets us apart and better positions us to deliver exceptional client results.

At Affinity Advisory Network, we believe the power of collaboration is the key to successful retirement planning. Our network of professionals works together seamlessly to help achieve your goals, seeking to provide you with cost savings, time savings, and peace of mind. With AAN, you can trust that your retirement plan is in the hands of experienced professionals dedicated to helping you achieve a fulfilling future. The real difference when working with AAN is the synergy between professionals, each contributing their knowledge to build a complete and cohesive plan. This collaborative approach helps to ensure that your goals are accomplished quickly and efficiently, giving you the control and confidence to enjoy your retirement fully.

The Planning Map

Our planning process begins with an initial meeting (in person or virtually from your home). After this initial meeting, the weekly meetings flow. The Diagram below shows the average flow of weekly meetings. Everyone has a different circumstance, so the flow of your meetings may be slightly different, but this is the normal flow:

Holistic Planning Shee graphic for website.jpg

How Much Does It Cost?

No Charges Unless We Can Help You

We believe in transparency, fairness, and putting you in control. That's why we don't charge you unless we can help. Here's how our process works:

Initial Consultation: We don't know if we can help without an initial consultation, and we don't charge for this first meeting. This allows us to determine:
- If we can help you
- If you want our help
- If we want to work with you
- If you want to work with us
Discovery Process: If we decide to work together, our Fully Integrated Professional Network will begin a thorough review and discovery process. This process takes four meetings, and we don't charge for these initial discovery meetings. We are meticulous about your plan.
No Hourly Billing: We don't bill by the hour because we know it makes people nervous. Instead, you'll know exactly what we're recommending, how much it will cost, and how the fee is paid before any work is performed. Fees can be paid as a carrier/institutional commission or out-of-pocket (if applicable).
No Double Dipping: We don't "double dip" by wrapping fees. We will never charge you for that work if we earn an institutional commission. It's only fair.
Legal Services: Our independent lawyers charge a flat rate for legal services if needed. You'll know the exact cost of your legal fees before the independent lawyer begins working.

Have Questions?

Have questions? It might be time for a no-cost, no-obligation meeting with us at Affinity Advisory Network. Call us toll-free at 1-888-720-0360 or email us at info@affinityadvisorynetwork.com. This initial meeting can occur in one of our Ohio offices or virtually from the comfort of your home.