Frequently Asked Questions
What is Financial Planning?
Financial Planning goes beyond investing. It looks at all the aspects in your financial life - asset allocation, expenses, company benefits, retirement savings, investments, debt, salary and income, taxes, financial goals, credit cards, insurance, tax brackets, to name a few. Financial planning ensures that every area of your financial life is in sync with your goals, and your assets are maximized. Investments are certainly important but only one piece of the pie. If the other pieces aren't working with your investments a lot of opportunity is missed.
What is fee-only?
Townsend Financial is compensated only through the fees charged to clients. We do not receive any commissions or sell any products, so there are never any conflicts of interest.
What is a fiduciary?
A fiduciary is someone who took an oath to always act in their client’s best interests at all times. Heather is a fiduciary and believes that is what all clients should receive with their financial planning.
What is a CFP®?
This stands for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and is a professional certification with rigorous requirements in education, examination, ethics, and experience in order to obtain this title. Every CFP® is trained in 72 areas of financial expertise and must accrue thousands of hours of experience prior to earning certification.
What is a CSLP®?
This stands for Certified Student Loan Professional and is a special certification for financial professionals. It requires four master courses with 40+ modules and an examination that provides the knowledge to accurately recommend the best loan repayment strategy for a client’s situation.
What is aN RLP®?
This stands for Registered Life Planner®. When financial plans are built around a client's true ideal life, that is financial planning done right! This year-long certification program requires three separate programs, including the psychology of money and incorporating life planning into a financial planning practice, followed by a six-month mentorship.
Who is not a good fit for Townsend Financial?
If you’re trying to beat the market or find the next hot stock, we’re probably not a match. Townsend Financial is focused on long-term, sustainable financial planning, not a quick-fix.
Who is a typical client of Townsend Financial?
Townsend Financial typically works with business owners and high income/high net worth individuals across the country who want to make the most out of their money in order to live their best lives now and in the future. Read more in About You.
How is townsend financial compensated?
Townsend Financial’s fees are transparent and understandable - exactly how fees should be. You can view rates here.
What is a concierge practice?
Concierge practice means we keep our client list small by design at Townsend Financial. We aim to provide highly tailored plans and customized service to each client, and our smaller client list offers us flexibility and responsiveness.
