Our Approach

Cole Financial Consulting, LLC tailors its services to meet your unique needs. Your role in our partnership is to be candid about your situation and aspirations, to provide all the relevant data, and to have the commitment to carry through. In concert, we fit the pieces together to determine and implement straightforward financial strategies that will enable you to make wise financial decisions that will support your life goals.

Our hourly, fee-only approach gives us enormous flexibility in ways to address your needs:

• An on-going and long-term relationship enables us to be your “personal Chief Financial Officer (CFO)”, giving you a high degree of support and attention in order to more readily reach your goals. This arrangement typically grows out of an initial Project Engagement.

• A Project Engagement can revolve around a full financial plan or be oriented toward specific areas needing attention. Typical projects are Cash Flow Plans, Investment Portfolio Projects (Investment Policy Statements, Portfolio Reviews, Portfolio Construction), and Insurance Policy Reviews. Project work includes data gathering, assessment of client needs and goals, financial analysis, written reports, and client meetings. Project Engagement clients may also contact us for additional services whenever they have any personal finance questions or other project needs.

• A one-time conversation and financial review may be all that is necessary to address your needs and concerns. Our Wise-Money Wellness Review is a 2-hour in-person planning session plus 60 minutes of behind-the-scenes analysis and reporting. These sessions are best suited for those whose financial situation is straightforward and who are seeking answers to specific financial questions. While structured to be self-standing, our Wise-Money Wellness Reviews often provide clients with a starting point for a long-term relationship with us.

With any of these arrangements, you get the information, analysis, tools, and advice you seek, and the inspiration to make the changes that will help you meet your life goals. With Project Engagements, our client relationship begins with a complimentary, no-obligation, “get-acquainted” session, which is usually held in person but may be conducted over the telephone.

Our fees reflect the scope of our engagement with you. Whether for basic advice, customized analysis or long-range financial planning, fees are calculated using the number of hours spent on the project, whether in person, over the phone or behind the scenes. Fees that are quoted by defined project are guaranteed in advance; there are no surprises. Alternatively, clients who use us as their "personal CFO" often prefer the ease of being billed for actual clock time, rather than getting quotes for multiple projects.

For most clients, first-year fees total $1,500 - $2,500. We don't have set minimums regarding assets, income, or engagement length, but it is rare for a Project Engagement quote to be less than 5 hours. Our hourly rate is $170; discounts may be arranged for extended services.

Cole Financial Consulting, LLC has no monetary stake in the recommendations we make to clients. We are a financial fiduciary; our only allegiance is to you, our client. We do not sell investments or insurance products, so we don't take commissions. Nor do we directly manage portfolios to earn percentage-of-asset fees. And we neither accept nor pay referral fees. In the parlance of our industry, we provide advice on an "hourly, fee-only" basis. In addition, we are totally independent. We have no ties to any other financial firm, including money managers, broker/dealers or insurance companies.

We invite you to review our Client Services Agreement for more details.

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