The Hill Island Financial Onboarding Experience
Let’s face it, choosing a wealth advisor isn’t fun. Unless you’re one of those beautiful minds who finds joy in untangling the web of financial instruments and tax codes, you’d probably prefer watching paint dry. How many times have you started the process of finding a financial planner only to get bored, distracted, or overwhelmed?
And then there is the question of trust. How do you determine who is trustworthy and capable? And how can you possibly distinguish one advisor from another when it seems they are all reading from the same script (and believe us, they probably are)? We get it. It’s about as fun as a melted ice cream cone. But allow us to think about it a bit differently.
All those financial terms that immediately put you to sleep actually excite us. We love it. Some call us financial nerds; we call it deep expertise in our field. Whereas you might drink coffee to get yourself going in the morning, we caffeinate on Roth IRAs and irrevocable trusts. We do it so you don’t have to, and we’re good at it.
But this only matters if we have trust. And trust takes time. We’re committed to earning your trust. And it’s certainly not built by reading a single blog post.
So allow us to present a simple three-phase approach that we think will help you determine whether we are the financial nerds for you:
Our Three-Phase Approach
Phase 1: Getting to Know Each Other
We start with an initial face-to-face (or screen-to-screen) meeting. Not only is this a nice icebreaker to get to know each other, we start laying the foundation for our future relationship. We’ll introduce you to our financial planning approach, our commitment to your financial well-being, and how we can guide you toward achieving your financial aspirations. This meeting is not just about sharing our philosophy; it’s equally about listening, and understanding what you envision for your future.
Phase 2: Goal-Setting and Data Gathering
We’ll explore your financial situation more deeply during the goal-setting and data-gathering phase. This includes meeting once or twice to engage in shared goal setting, which requires collaboration and open communication. You provide as much detail about your financial landscape and long-term goals as possible. At the same time, we use our years of expertise to start developing a custom plan.
Data gathering is where we add significant value to our partnership. We meticulously collect and organize all aspects of your financial life – from insurance policies and estate plans to tax information, budgets, bills, credit cards, real estate investments, and more. This comprehensive approach ensures that every piece of your financial puzzle is considered when developing your strategy.
Phase 3: Plan Presentation and Implementation
The plan presentation and implementation meeting is where we turn talk into action. This stage is a breath of fresh air for many of our clients, as it addresses most people’s thoughts before engaging in the process; “I always knew I should be doing more.” The abstract goals and scattered information discussed in the first two phases are assembled into a coherent, actionable financial plan.
In addition to your dedicated financial planner, you will be paired with a licensed, experienced client service manager to bring your plan to life. This dedicated professional will walk alongside you, ensuring the implementation of your financial strategy. Whether switching banks, shopping for car insurance, managing real estate deeds, rolling over old or orphaned accounts, or maximizing employee benefits, your client service manager can navigate the complexities on your behalf.
Some of these tasks seem trivial, but ask yourself honestly: Do you have “orphaned” accounts scattered everywhere? Even worse, do you know you have money squirreled away but do not remember exactly where it is or how much is in the account? Believe us, you are not alone!
Beyond Onboarding: Ongoing Engagement and Growth with Your Financial Planner
After the initial onboarding process, you can expect several touchpoints throughout the year. These interactions are designed to keep us in sync, ensuring we proactively address any changes or opportunities in your financial landscape. Additionally, we value the importance of collaborative investment management and financial planning, which is why we organize one to two summits annually. These summits serve as a strategic forum to review goals, discuss progress, and refine our approach as needed. Furthermore, to enhance our service and ensure personalized attention, our dedicated team members will contact you, providing direct support and guidance. This approach to client engagement is part of our commitment to meet and exceed your financial aspirations, fostering a relationship based on trust, transparency, and mutual success.
If this resonates, let’s schedule a quick call to start the process. We don’t have pushy call centers, and we aren’t hunting sales quotas. We’re here to listen to your goals, give sound advice, and build a mutually beneficial relationship for the long term.
Drop some time on the calendar, and give us a chance to show you how smoothly and pain-free this process can be.
