Willow Creek Financial views wealth management as an ongoing interaction between personalized financial planning and disciplined investment management. Our mission is to help you implement a personal wealth strategy that relieves the stress which often surrounds money, allowing you to focus on leading a rich, fulfilling life..
Client Relationship
- We help you identify and achieve your personal financial goals, allowing you to live a life bounded only by your imagination.
- We make sure your personalized investment strategy is aligned with your financial goals and tolerance for risk.
- We consider tax planning strategies throughout the calendar year to help you achieve the best after-tax total return.
- We advocate regularly scheduled portfolio reviews and periodic financial planning updates to keep you on track.
- We take our fiduciary role very seriously and strive to always put the client's interests first.
- We enjoy what we do and are committed to building long-term, rewarding relationships with our clientele.
Our Process
Hiring a financial advisor is a serious decision. We have developed a process over the years to ensure our services successfully meet a client's needs and expectations. Here is what it will be like to work with Willow Creek Financial.
Introductory Call
Willow Creek speaks with all prospective clientele before setting the first meeting. The purpose of the call is to get an idea of your financial situation, needs and expectations and to describe our qualifications and services. In addition to the logistics and what to bring, we encourage you to clarify your objectives before you meet with us.
Initial Meeting
The first meeting is one of mutual discovery. Our goal is to find out where you are and where you want to go. We encourage you to convey and prioritize your financial objectives and concerns, and to decide if our process will work for you.
Financial Planning
If you do decide to work with us, we ask you to carefully complete a Confidential Financial Profile questionnaire and provide us with numerous financial documents such as prior tax returns, payroll stubs, brokerage statements, loan documents, employee benefit summaries, insurance policies, wills, trusts and powers of attorney. This not only gives us a snapshot of your current financial situation, it tells us about your values, concerns and tolerance for risk. We use this information to create the first draft of a personal financial strategy tailored to your specific needs. The draft meeting is a time for candor as much as it is for reflection. If we feel your objectives are unrealistic we will say so and help you to rework goals that are achievable.
Final Plan/ Investment Proposal
The final financial plan Willow Creek presents should clearly reflect your financial goals and the steps necessary to achieve them. By this time we have also reviewed your current investments and will recommend any portfolio changes needed to help you reach these objectives.
Asset Management
Managing assets involves an ongoing relationship. We use a disciplined, passive investment strategy tailored to each client's unique goals and needs as determined by the financial planning process. When significant changes occur as life unfolds, we revisit the financial plan and adjust the portfolio as merited. One big advantage of combining investment management with the financial planning process is that it can reduce risk. The financial plan clarifies the annual investment return (ROR) assumptions needed to meet the client’s personal objectives. This gives the client the peace of mind that there is no need to assume more portfolio risk than is necessary to achieve their personal goals.
Client Communication
One of the benefits of working with Willow Creek is the ability to speak with advisors and/or staff anytime - whether it is a small concern or a life changing event. We suggest all new clients come in to go over their first full Quarterly Performance Report and for a lesson in interpreting monthly custodian statements. We communicate with existing clients frequently via phone or email. We also highly recommend a meeting once a year. An important part of the agenda is to go over the progress made toward the client’s personal objectives and recommend adjustments if necessary
Client Education
In Willow Creek's experience, clients with a basic understanding of the investment process feel calmer and more confident. We take the time to explain our investment philosophy and strategies through individual meetings and also at client events we host from time to time.