PlanDynamic: A Dynamic Future Requires a Financial Plan
By Jane Lebak for Holliston Local Town Pages & Ashland Local Town Pages
Paying for college. Retiring. Caring for aging parents. Frugality, sacrifice, and patience aren’t enough. These goals require a flexible plan.
“PlanDynamic helps real people in real-life situations in real-time,” says Glenn Brown, owner of PlanDynamic, LLC. “Whether you’re starting out, nearing retirement, or 10 years into retirement, it’s important to have direction on all financial aspects, not just investments.”
Brown, a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, believes financial planning works best when clients are involved and not compromised. He created PlanDynamic as a fee-only fiduciary. “I don’t collect commissions or get kickbacks for referrals. This allows me to recommend what’s best for the client and help see them through.”’
Flexibility is the key. “My parents would save money for a year, then consult a stockbroker for $300. They’d buy his recommended stock and lock the certificate in a safety deposit box. Then what?” Brown shakes his head. “When I started nearly 25 years ago, only private clients paid for financial plans. These thick three-ring binders would vanish into a desk drawer. Not flexible or dynamic.”
By contrast, PlanDynamic focuses on education, access, and accountability partnership.
Cutting-edge technology allows Brown to provide flexibility and transparency. Using video conferencing, online scheduling, and a secure web portal, clients can consult with Brown or interact directly with their overall financial picture, including goal-tracking.
Brown stresses the goal-tracking. “Our onboarding process includes a Needs Analysis. A person with a dozen goals feels too overwhelmed to accomplish anything, so I work with clients to choose three. I break down goals into tasks, and we agree on due dates. Each of us can monitor and update progress. If a deadline passes, that’s when I become their accountability partner to help them reassess.”
More often, though, the clients achieve their goal. They celebrate…then create a new one.
There are different ways to work with PlanDynamic for planning, investing, or both. One way is the Advisory subscription model. “For the cost of some cable/phone plans, clients pay a flat monthly fee to get ongoing financial planning and personal guidance when they need it.”
This means PlanDynamic’s clients can keep their investments elsewhere and still have an ongoing relationship with a CFP, or maybe have no investments at all. “I’m able to help a young family as they save for a house or small business owners who may need all their money available and not in the market.”
It’s the ultimate in hands-on financial planning. “Clients interact with their plan rather than filing it away,” says Brown. “We fix issues while they’re small, and everyone appreciates seeing real-time progress.”
When questions arise, clients call or use the calendar software to book a video conference or a meeting at Brown’s Framingham office. “Technology makes it easy for busy people,” Brown says. “We can meet virtually to save time. And if you’re sitting back on your laptop, deciding how to invest your IRA while you’ve got your toes in the sand, even better!”
As a person’s circumstances change, so do goals. A key to financial independence is anticipating bends in the road and navigating opportunities with confidence. For this reason, the clients who benefit most are “Sandwichers.” Brown explains, “Sandwichers are people in the middle, challenged by raising kids while also caring for their aging parents.”
Sandwichers are under unique financial stress, simultaneously saving for retirement and college, strapped for time, and mindful of their parents’ continued independence. Brown is a Sandwicher himself. “These financial conversations need to be multigenerational. I encourage open lines of communication by removing pride, fear, and judgement. We can only meet our goals when we identify our needs and acknowledge our challenges.”
Hence the firm’s slogan, “Evolve Your Financial Independence”. “Some boast about how little they spend and how much they can invest to retire in their thirties. It’s great discipline, but it’s static. They’re typically young, healthy, and single. What if you start a family? Become ill? What if a parent needs care? When the unexpected happens, can you evolve to bring along those closest to you?”
If you have a dynamic plan, the answer is yes.
Those interested in a complimentary Discovery Meeting should contact PlanDynamic, LLC at www.PlanDynamic.com or call (508) 834-7733.
This article originally appeared in the October 2018 editions of Holliston Local Town Pages and Ashland Local Town Pages and written by Jane Lebak.
PlanDynamic, LLC is a registered investment advisor. This article is intended to provide general information. It is not intended to offer or deliver investment advice in any way. Information regarding investment services are provided solely to gain a better understanding of the subject or the article. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk. Therefore, it should not be assumed that future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy will be profitable.
Market data and other cited or linked-to content on in this article is based on generally-available information and is believed to be reliable. PlanDynamic, LLC does not guarantee the performance of any investment or the accuracy of the information contained in this article. PlanDynamic, LLC will provide all prospective clients with a copy of PlanDynamic, LLC’s Form ADV2A and applicable Form ADV 2Bs. You may obtain a copy of these disclosures on the SEC website at http://adviserinfo.sec.gov or you may Contact Us to request a free copy via .pdf or hardcopy.