Life Event Financial Goal Setting Questions

1. What is your largest concern in dealing with your financial future?

1. Do you plan to save money for your children's higher education? Do you have a plan? Do you want to be able to send your child to private schools? Do you foresee your child going to a state or private college? Do you foresee using college loans?

1. Do you have any current or long-term financial obligations for supporting dependents or parents?

1. Do you foresee any significant changes in either income or expenses in the next several years?

1. When do you want to retire? Where do you want to retire?

1. How do you foresee funding your retirement savings? Income? Assets?

1. Do you feel that your current approach will meet your retirement funding objectives?

1. What will you do if your retirement funding objectives fall short by the time you hope to retire?

1. At retirement do you expect to make your home available for income?

10 Besides saving for education and retirement whatelse would you like to save for?

Answering these questionsbegins to shape your financial priorities and plans for events that are likelyto happen. This is step one of financial planning: start by identifying whatyou know might happen and begin to plan for how you will pay for it.

Barbara Bachelder, CFP® for Wealth by Design, LLC