Financial Planning
Your financial goals are the foundation for our work together. We begin by understanding your short-term needs and available resources and then prioritizing your goals for the future. The financial strategies we recommend will be designed around what you want for the long term, and we’ll monitor and adjust your financial plan as life and circumstances change.
Retirement Planning
Preparing for retirement requires more than saving through your employer-sponsored 401(k) plan. It takes careful analysis of what your future needs will be—accounting for inflation and the cost of living where you’ll retire. Then, we assess all available resources to sustain your desired income, including cash savings, Social Security benefits, investments, and more. Depending on your retirement needs, our plans may include: 401(k)s, Pensions, SIMPLEs, SEPs, or ESOPs, traditional & Roth IRAs or portfolio withdrawal strategies.
Investment Management
Appropriate asset allocation is the first step in designing an investment portfolio that can help you pursue your goals for the future. Our investment strategy relies heavily on diversification to help weather the stock market’s routine fluctuations, and we regularly monitor and rebalance your portfolio to take advantage of timely, tax-saving opportunities.
Based on your goals, liquidity needs, time horizon, and personal risk tolerance, we’ll build an investment strategy that integrates seamlessly with your broader financial plan and maximizes your potential for growth.
Tax Planning
Every financial decision you make has potential tax implications—or opportunities. At Willis & Machnik, our team of wealth advisors and CPAs is committed to a tax-intelligent approach in your investment strategy and holistic financial plan.
Whether your CPA is with our partners at Dempsey & Dempsey, P.C., or you have your own CPA, we can provide proactive tax management recommendations that allow you to leverage tax-efficient investment strategies. Because our expertise spans the fields of both investment and tax accounting, we are uniquely equipped to assist you in taking every advantage to minimize your tax obligations.
Life Transition Planning
Whether anticipated or not, a major life transition can be disruptive. Shifting from young parents to empty nesters, business owner to retiree, or beloved spouse to recent widow comes with a mix of feelings. These transitions also present critical monetary decisions.
At Willis & Machnik, we'll help you acclimate to your new reality by gathering information, determining your needs, and talking through various scenarios before implementing a new financial plan for your next stage of life. We aim to be your resource, guide, and sounding board no matter what life transition comes next.
Legacy Planning
We believe a robust estate plan is a critical component of comprehensive financial planning. We work in tandem with your estate planning attorney to build a plan that honors your legacy, protects your loved ones, and distributes assets in accordance with your wishes. By collaborating with your CPA, we’ll strategize ways to minimize taxes and maximize the estate you pass on. We also specialize in private family foundations. Philanthropy is woven into the fabric of our firm, starting with our founder, Pat Willis. We are dedicated to giving back to our community, and with our sophisticated, customizable solutions, we can help you give back to yours.
Risk Mitigation
Our circumstances become more complicated as we mature, but advanced planning can give you more choices in your final days. Long-term care and life insurance help protect against significant expenses related to healthcare and the unexpected death of a partner. An unanticipated situation can quickly derail a financial plan, so we help clients prepare for life’s ‘what-ifs’ to mitigate risks to their assets and loved ones.
When the unexpected does occur, it will be time to activate the plans we put in place, and it’s our privilege to be your family’s first call.