The Power of a Written Financial Plan

James Gehring

James Gehring

|3 min. read time|
March 25, 2025
March 25, 2025|
3 min. read time
At Flagship Capital Advisors, we understand that financial confidence comes from working with experienced professionals. Our team includes a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®), ensuring you receive expert guidance tailored to your unique goals. With our credentialed team by your side, you can move forward with clarity, knowing you have a comprehensive plan designed for long-term success. Let’s build your financial future—together.

Do Credentials Matter?

Credentialed planners or consultants are not just like any other adviser, they are professionals held to rigorous standards of education, experience, and ethics. Here’s what a CFP® or ChFC® could bring to your table:

1. Big-Picture View: CFP® and ChFC® professionals don’t just focus on investments or taxes, they see how every piece of your financial puzzle fits together with a holistic approach from retirement savings to estate planning.

2. Personalized Strategy: No cookie-cutter advice here. A CFP® and ChFC® digs into your goals, whether it’s retiring early, funding a grandchild’s education, or weathering market dips. A CFP® and ChFC® builds a plan tailored to you.

3. Fiduciary Duty: A CFP® and ChFC® is legally bound to act in your best interest, not theirs. That means unbiased guidance you can trust, free from hidden agendas.

4. Proactive Adjustments: Markets change, and so do your needs. A CFP® and ChFC® stays ahead of the curve as part of your formal financial planning, being proactive is essential and a part of any long-term financial plans’ success.

The Power of a Written Financial Plan

Pair personalized advice with a written financial plan, and you’ve got a roadmap to follow and adjust as your life changes and evolves. Clarity and confidence from a written plan can turn vague goals into concrete targets. Studies show people with written plans are more confident and likely to achieve their goals. Having a plan can help keep emotion out of your financial decisions.

Milestone tracking is like your financial GPS. Doing this regularly can help show where you are today and what’s needed to hit tomorrow’s targets. Whether it’s boosting your 401(k) contribution or trimming debt, you’ll see progress in black and white. Identifying goals and revisiting them will take the guess work out of family or couples’ goals to keep you on track financially.

Get Started Today!

Spring is the perfect reset point. Post-tax season, you’ve got fresh insights into your finances, and there’s still time to adjust for the year ahead. A CFP® or ChFC® can help you spring forward with a consultation of where you are today and where you would want to be tomorrow!

James Gehring, CFP®

About the Author

As a dedicated Certified Financial Planner®, James purposefully strives to provide insightful guidance, honesty, and a client-first approach to the planning he offers his clients. With a career spanning over a decade, James has honed his craft and earned the trust of clients seeking clarity amidst the complexities of individual financial planning and understanding the investment markets. His journey led him to Flagship Capital Advisors in 2024, where he brings his wealth of experience and unwavering commitment to serving clients who desire an individualized approach to building their financial plan.