What is Foundations Financial Planning?
My name is Mike Zeiter. I am the owner and financial planner of Foundations Financial Planning, LLC. I founded this company to offer financial services to a new generation of clients. These are clients who want more than an advisor who will simply invest money for them. While investment management is one of our services, Foundations is much more than just a money manager. Let me explain how we can serve you.
But first, a story!
I graduated from the University of Missouri with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Accounting. I passed my CPA exam and started working at a Big 4 accounting firm. My wife graduated with her nursing degree and started working as a Registered Nurse at a hospital. We got the chance to meet with a financial advisor a couple years into our career. We had both saved in our retirement accounts and felt pretty good about our finances, but we thought it would be smart to meet with a professional.
When we met with the advisor, it did not go as expected. He told us that he could open the accounts, but there was not much he could do until we had $100,000. He explained that this was standard for most advisors in the industry. That’s not all! Not only did we have to have that much, but it had to be in the accounts he was managing. This created a conflict because we both received company matches in our 401k so that was our priority. Needless to say, we were upset walking out of that office. We knew we would get there eventually, but how long would it take?
That meeting had a profound impact on me. I spent the next two years dedicated to creating a better option for people. I became certified as a Personal Financial Specialist and offered financial coaching to my tax clients. Eventually, I developed a plan to offer a better financial service experience and created Foundations Financial Planning, LLC.
Foundations focuses on the planning aspect of your financial life. Many young couples are dealing with an abundance of financial issues such as student loans, retirement savings, debt management, a home purchase, day care, and many others. They have a steady income stream, but they don’t have enough money to work with a traditional financial advisor. My wife and I were in the same situation. Now there is a better option. Foundations offers comprehensive planning for a flat fee. This allows us to create and maintain an ongoing plan. We will discuss how much you should be putting in your 401k versus paying off those student loans. We will also discuss how to set up the investments in those accounts. The best part about this service is that we will adapt and change as your life changes. When you switch jobs, have a child, move to a new house, or start your own business, we will be able to adjust the plan accordingly. As I said earlier, investment management will also be offered. We will work together to determine a long-term strategy that aligns your investments with your goals.
Since both of these services are geared toward long term relationships, I also offer some one-time services for clients. I developed these for people who like to do their own financial planning or aren’t ready to commit to the comprehensive planning service. These can be found on my services page. I offer these because my goal is to be able to help people throughout every stage in life.
That’s the story behind Foundations. Come back and check out the blog for more tips and stories of how to succeed financially. I’ll try to keep it both interesting and informative for you! Financial services should not be offered only to the wealthy who have had success saving and investing. My hope is that I can use this blog to help people from all walks of life, all backgrounds, all income points, with every piece of financial baggage or none of it.
Mike Zeiter, CPA/PFS
