When designing a home, there are a plethora of decisions to be made and each decision comes with trade offs. Do I prioritize location and choose a smaller home? Should I build a bigger home on a less expensive lot? Can I afford higher end hardwood floors if I select different lighting? Can I have a pool if I give up my kitchen? We’re kidding, kind of.

Financial planning choices & trade offs are somewhat similar. What needs to happen so that full time employment is a choice and not an obligation? How do I fund both upcoming college expenses and financial independence? What should I prioritize if fully funding both isn’t adding up?

In this stage, we take another look at what we’ve determined to be our most important priorities and do our best to align our money with our values. What’s most important? What’s after that? What’s least important?

It’s important to note that these financial planning decisions are somewhat fluid. With a house, it’s hard to change the location once the house is built. However, in financial planning, we can choose to make the absolute best guess as to where we want to go now and start working toward that goal. When we review the plan over time, we’ll reevaluate what’s most important to you, set new goals or reaffirm old ones and make another best guess at that time. If your money is in consistent alignment with your values over time, we’ll have succeeded in planning around what matters most.