Our Approach

Our 360-degree view of our clients’ finances means we look at aspects and opportunities you might not have considered, from customized distribution planning to wealth transfer and beyond. Here’s what we do:

Not all financial advisors are created equal. Most advisors say they develop financial plans for clients, but do they really? And for how many clients? Is your plan a one-and-done exercise or does your advisor update it regularly? Do your homework and find the advisors that “talk the talk, and walk the walk.” From our experience, the foundation of a good advisory practice is built from the ground up — and it starts with financial planning.

Most advisors don’t focus much of their time here. Why? Because it’s very time intensive.
Here’s why: Most people have individual or joint investment accounts, IRAs, Roth IRAs, 401Ks, Social Security, pensions, deferred compensation plans, just to name a few. Include part-time work after retirement, annuities, cash-value life insurance, future inheritances, and proceeds from potentially downsizing homes, and planning becomes very complex, very quickly. In addition, each state has its own rules and Congress is constantly changing the laws. You’ve worked hard to build your assets and generate multiple streams of income. Tennant Financial is here to help you keep more of those dollars in your pocket rather than lose them to taxes or poor planning.

Most investment professionals can manage money. And every financial institution evaluates the same research, just in their own proprietary way. What’s the difference between us and everyone else? The difference is you. We get to know you, your family, and what’s most important to you. We use that understanding to develop a customized comprehensive financial plan so we can best advise you and best invest the monies you worked so hard to accumulate.

Diversification, risk, volatility, return, time horizon, liquidity...what does this mean to you and your financial outlook? Simply stated, most of our clients want to grow their investments, pay the least amount of tax, have access to some of the money when they want it, and let the rest work for them for later in life. We’ll help you develop a plan to do just that.

You know there’s two things in life that are guaranteed, right? Death and taxes. Most folks expect to pay their fair share of taxes, but no one likes to pay more than that. But how much is that? This area of planning is complex, but we work with your tax professional to streamline the process, ensuring your fair share is as fair as possible.

No one enjoys end-of-life or incapacity discussions. But planning for those eventualities can be critical in protecting and preserving what you’ve built. We’ll work with your attorney or suggest one that specializes in the field of trusts and estates. We’ll also spearhead a periodic review and update your plan as the tax laws or your wishes change over time.

There are a litany of tax rules that impact charitable/gift planning and we bring you considerable experience with many strategies available today. We work with you to identify your philanthropic goals and determine the best way to accomplish them. Whether you plan to gift to your local YMCA, the American Red Cross, or your church/ synagogue, we can help identify the best assets and most efficient way to do the most good.

Glance at the internet, and you’ll find a whole host of advice about whether to collect Social Security starting at age 62, your full retirement age, or waiting until 70 to maximize your benefits. But Social Security is just one aspect of your financial life. With that in mind, we’ll help you to understand in a nutshell what role this future income stream will have in your long-term financial security.

Insurance is an important financial tool, one that will have many purposes throughout your life. As with many other financial considerations, your insurance should evolve with you over time and your advisor should periodically review with you as planning considerations change — including your health, cost, need, as well as purpose.

Most companies provide employee benefits and often times your options can become overwhelming very quickly. Many plans have unique attributes that are specific to an individual’s role or industry. Let us evaluate your plans and spell out why certain benefits may be better for you that others so you can make an educated decision of how these fit into the bigger picture.

Borrowing was relatively easy when you could get a 30-year mortgage from most banks for under 3%. Unfortunately, those days are most likely behind us and the idea of borrowing can be daunting. We have numerous lending solutions. Whether you use us or an outsider provider for your borrowing needs, we’re here to help you navigate the various options available and guide you to solutions that fit best with your plan.

Most business people have business continuity plans in place in the event of a death or disability of a key person or partner. Yet most don’t think succession planning applies to their personal lives. We find that, in most couples, there is usually one spouse that has extensive financial/planning knowledge and interest, and one who’s less engaged. Our practice works extensively with couples in anticipation of the eventuality of losing a loved one. It’s not something any of us hope for — but it’s something we all need to prepare for.