It can be hard to find a progressive financial planner in a world that’s traditionally been dominated by conservatives. But if you’re not comfortable working under the status quo, you might enjoy your relationship and feel more confident about your finances with a like-minded advisor.
Financial planning relies heavily on numbers and tax rules. But your values and your life are also important. You may have certain hopes and concerns as you think about the future (and you might not be worried about other things that you hear about online). Ultimately, it’s helpful to work with somebody who has a similar view of the world.
For example, you might want to:
- Invest in ways that align with your values: While there are certainly pros and cons of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing strategies, you might be interested in having a say in where your money goes. In particular, you might wish to avoid putting money into certain industries that can harm the planet and the people who live here.
- Manage taxes reasonably: Nobody wants to pay more than their fair share, but taxes are a fact of life. They provide for essential services, and they even allow for social safety nets for the least fortunate among us. You can manage your taxes without going overboard. You might be more than happy to pay what you owe—and take steps to avoid paying extra.
- Talk to somebody you’re comfortable with: The financial services profession has traditionally not been welcoming to everybody. For instance, people of color and LGBTQ+ clients, among others, have had a hard time finding progressive financial planners that they feel safe and comfortable with in the past. That is truly unfortunate, and all are welcome here.
- Work under different models: The traditional financial advisory model was built for wealthy people. If you didn’t have $1 million to invest (and charge fees on), you didn’t have access to advice. Whether or not you have millions, you might want to work with somebody under a different arrangement. Whether it’s hourly, flat-fee, one-time, or traditional assets under management, you have options regardless of your wealth.
As a progressive financial planner, I enjoy working with similarly-minded people. We might not share the exact same circumstances, preferences, or characteristics, but we probably have a few major worldviews in common.
In the past, I’ve frequently had clients contact me with a primary goal of avoiding taxes because they don’t like the government. Those projects aren’t that interesting to me, and it’s not particularly rewarding to twist a few dials for the sole purpose of paying less in taxes.
While the government is certainly far from perfect, the world is a complicated place, and we all probably use public roads regularly and hope firefighters will show up when needed.
The most rewarding engagements for me involve clients who want to know things like:
- Can I retire?
- How much income can I take in retirement?
- What about taxes, healthcare, and calculations for inflation?
- How should I invest?
Clients who look for more progressive advice are sometimes (but not always):
- People of color
- LGBTQ+
- Those disturbed by the impacts of runaway capitalism
- Environmentalists
- Underdogs or supporters of underdogs
Sound interesting? Please look around the site. You can learn more about me, and if you think it’s worth chatting, please use the contact page to reach out.
A bit about Approach Financial:
- Fee-only: No commissions
- Fiduciary: It’s in the agreement—in writing
- Experienced: Over 18 years of direct experience serving clients
- Quoted: Seen in the New York Times, Consumer Reports, CNN, and other outlets