You're in Good Hands
ACA assists individual investors, families, small businesses, non-profits and foundations with a broad spectrum of services. Our belief is that working together and establishing a trusted relationship built on communication allows us to provide the greatest value.
Wealth Management
By examining income, living expenses, assets and debt, we prepare a comprehensive financial plan for our clients that serves as a roadmap for our recommendations. Our recommendations focus on spending levels, investments, debt reduction or consolidation, and making the most of retirement savings and college education vehicles. We also examine estate planning and gifting, as well as ways to save on income taxes, and frequently consult on real estate transactions, including the facilitation of section 1031 exchanges for commercial and residential properties.
Comprehensive Financial Planning
We believe in comprehensive financial planning and follow the six steps recommended by the Financial Standards Board for the financial planning process. The financial planning process is a logical, six-step procedure: 1) determining your current financial situation, 2) developing financial goals, 3) identifying alternative courses of action, 4) evaluating alternatives, 5) creating and implementing a financial action plan, and 6) reevaluation and revisiting the plan. We always provide unbiased advice tailored to each client’s needs that help our clients achieve their goals.
Tax Planning
Our practice includes the services of a CPA, who is one of our managing partners. We prepare many of our client’s tax returns each year, and use this process to guide our financial planning recommendations. For most clients, the cost of the tax return preparation is included in our fee.
Retirement Planning
Many clients come to us for a retirement plan. We typically assess the client’s resources, evaluate planned levels of spending in retirement, and then prepare a plan for the utilization of retirement assets and retirement income. There is always uncertainty when making long-term predictions of markets and life events, so we stay engaged with clients over the years to revise and modify our retirement plans as needed.
Estate Planning
Estate Planning plays a critical role in a well executed Financial Plan. Even if the estate is going to be simple, and under the value where estate taxes are imposed, it is vital to have a document that directs distribution, simplifies court proceedings and provides advance directives for medical and financial decisions.
College Savings Planning
We encourage our clients to begin college savings early, whether we are counseling the parents or grandparents. We attempt to utilize tax-free savings vehicles (usually section 529 plans) when possible, and make sure that all tax credits for education are taken when we prepare the tax return.