Financial Wellness, Life Planning & Retirement Education

Lifelong Learning for Adults of Any Age and at Any Life Stage…

Steven S. Shagrin, JD, CFP^®, CRPC^®, CRC^®, CELP

(Better known as "Shags")

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner

Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor^SM

Certified Retirement Counselor^®

Certified Enhanced Lifestyle Planner

Certified Money Coach

Photo © A&J Photography and Style

Helping you assess and improve your feelings of financial well-being

Visit us at www.Nowville.com

so you can spend your time and resources in ways you value most.

Will You Run Out of Money Before You Run Out of Breath?

That’s a question many people have: how long will my money last? But when they go to different web-based calculators, they often wonder if they might be missing something. After all, the computer screen can’t see the expression on their face or the waiver in their voice when considering a response to an online question.

That’s where I come in. With a background in accounting, law, and financial planning — as well as two professional designations in retirement planning — I know the questions to ask and the different areas which need to be viewed with a bit more scrutiny due to special circumstances. And since I don’t sell investments or insurance and don’t provide investment advice, my perspective and observations are not biased in any way. I provide you with an independent, objective opinion of the likelihood of you running out of money before running out of breath.

We consider many different variables, all of which are interrelated such that a small change in any one may substantially impact the others. These include, but are not limited to:

* How and where you spend, save and invest your money

* Whether and how these expenses may change based on inflation

* How these expenses may change as you mature or when a person dependent

on the plan outcome dies

* Your present and future sources of income from third parties, such as work,

Social Security, pensions, and annuities

* Whether the abovementioned income sources are expected to increase over time

* The amount you presently have invested in after-tax and pre-tax accounts

* The projected average annual return you may reasonably be expected to attain based

on your present portfolio

* The average rate of income tax to which you may be subject over time

* Required minimum distribution rules for tax-deferred accounts

* Life expectancy and longevity considerations

* The balance between pre-tax and after-tax savings based on special or

extraordinary needs prior to attaining age 59½

What does it cost?

I work on an hourly basis, and my rate is presently $150 for “counsel and advice” and $175 for “planning services.” The difference is whether I’m face-to-face with you (the counsel and advice) or with my computer (the planning services). And the more complex your situation, the higher the cost. But you always know up front the most it will cost. I’m pretty good about estimating my time, as I’ve done hundreds of these analyses over the past 20 years, and in many cases come in under the estimate. Most engagements run in the range of $1,500 to $2,000 or less. If I under-estimate my time, you don’t pay any more than the amount I quoted you in my fee estimate. Again, I don’t sell “product”, so there’s no commission or other outside compensation other than the fee I receive from you.

What do I deliver?

I provide you with a notebook containing several cash-flow modeling scenarios, along with reports on any specific areas of focus you wish to consider in certain limited areas of investment, insurance, estate, and education planning.

Click here for a sample output for a retiring couple, modest lifestyle & portfolio.

Click here to read an article I wrote on how I developed my spreadsheet model.

My Brochure: Helping You Find Your "Number" -- Cash Flow Modeling (PDF)