Working With CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professionals

Unlocking Financial Clarity: The Role of CFP® Professionals

Published: January 31, 2024

Meet Kevin Knab, CFP®, CPFA™, and Zane Eschbaugh, CFP®: Your Expert Guides to Financial Success. In these exclusive videos, Kevin and Zane share invaluable insights and tips on working with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) to navigate your financial journey with confidence.

How CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professionals Can Help You See Your Complete Financial Picture
Navigating your finances can seem like a dauting task. For many people, few issues fan the flames of anxiety like planning for your near-, mid-, and long-term financial strategy. Fortunately, a CFP® professional from Hall Financial Advisors can help guide you on a path to financial security, and, in so doing, provide you with priceless peace-of-mind.

What is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional?
A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, or CFP®, is a highly credentialed financial advisor that can help you create a well-defined plan for your entire financial life. CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certificants must pass rigorous coursework and an examination. They also must continue their education after receiving certification. The CFP® designation requires an astounding 4,000 to 6,000 hours in training. That’s more training than is required by a commercial airline pilot! All CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERS™ must act as fiduciaries on behalf of their clients, meaning they are legally bound to act in the best interest of their client.

Seeing the Complete Financial Picture
According to Kevin Knab, CFP®, CPFA™, one of the most important advantages of working with a CFP® is taking into account several financial components of an investment strategy. “A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional focuses on comprehensive financial planning. Not only retirement savings, but also tax planning, debt, estate planning and a variety of different financial goals and objectives that a client may have,” Knab said. With the guidance of a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, each of these components can work together to form a more robust and productive financial strategy.

Managing the Pieces of the Financial Puzzle
A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional can be invaluable, even if you are actively participating in a retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or if you have a pension. “Many people who have a retirement plan or employer-sponsored plan in place think everything is taken care,” Zane Eschbaugh, CFP® and Financial Advisor said. “In reality, we should plan for the worst to be sure we’re prepared for the unexpected. Even if you have a plan, we can enhance it.”

“Sitting down with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional can help put all the pieces of the financial puzzle together,” Knab added. “It’s vitally important to understand tax consequences of your money is being deferred, how things should be allocated for long-term goals, and guidance on debt elimination. It’s extremely important to understand how to tackle debt and where to deploy that capital after the debt has been paid off.”

Where are You on Your Financial Journey?
At Hall Financial Advisors, our CFP® professionals meet with their clients to determine where they are on their financial journey. “There are people in all aspects of their journey, and you have to meet each person where they are on that journey,” Eschbaugh said. “Where are they now, where do they want to go, and how do we get them there?” We find that many people aren’t sure where they are or where they want to go. That’s the benefit of working with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. We can guide you through the steps and help implement a solid plan.”

When Should You Talk with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional?
While it’s never too late to begin your financial journey, the earlier you start the better. “The most opportune time is as early as possible because you’ll have more time to plan,” Eschbaugh said. “You’ll have more time to take advantage of compounding returns and prepare for the life you’re building.” Many people are triggered by a life event to begin financial planning. This could be the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, starting a new job, losing a job, purchasing a home, or downsizing. “People often respond to major life events by taking action,” Eschbaugh said. “A typical response to a life trigger is, “I need to do something. I need to get ahold of where I am and what my life is going to look like.” Meeting with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ can reduce the anxiety and uncertainty caused by these life triggers.

Take the Next Step
How do you get started on your financial journey? “The initial part of setting up a meeting is making a call to a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and establishing goals, which might be different if you’re 20, 30, 40, 50 or into retirement,” Eschbaugh said. “Once goals are set, we begin to build a framework, put the plan in motion and make adjustments as necessary over time.”

Ready to take the next step?
Contact Kevin Knab or Zane Eschbaugh, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERS™ at Hall Financial Advisors and begin your financial journey. Also, take a moment to explore our guide on Preparing for Your First Meeting with a Financial Advisor.

The foregoing information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that it is accurate or complete, it is not a statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision, and it does not constitute a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Kevin Knab and Zane Eschbaugh and not necessarily those of Raymond James.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.

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