Many people want to develop a relationship with a financial planner but don’t really know what that relationship entails. It will likely vary a bit from advisor to advisor but here is a general idea of how it works. I learned this process in the first module of the Certified Financial Planner program several years back and, for the most part, I’m still using it.

There is still time to establish a plan for the current tax year and take advantage of deductible contributions, but the deadline is very close. Owner-only businesses have until December 31 to establish 401(k), Profit-Sharing, or Defined Benefit Plans. Funding may be completed next year, by the business’ tax filing deadline, including extensions

I had a client in yesterday who asked me how much money he would need to retire comfortably. It’s probably one of the more common questions which people ask their financial advisor and each of us has a different way of handling the process.

This post really hits home for me right now. My wife is due any day with our first child and we’re currently balancing our New York City apartment with a new home which we bought and are renovating in the suburbs.

This post includes a list of recent articles which are suggested reading from First Allied Asset Management, my broker/dealer firm. You will find a link to each article followed by a brief synposis of what the article is about. If these headlines and others don’t look all that optimistic, that would certainly be a reflection of the current economy and investor sentiment.

There was another great article in Financial Advisor magazine this month which highlights the sort of fears and concerns that plague many generations of today’s investors, specifically those nearing retirement who are trying to better preserve capital.