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Planning Philosophy

Our Planning Process

Financial Planning is a constant evolution of identifying, prioritizing, and executing on meaningful objectives that are deeply rooted in the vision you have for your life. Our planning process was built to cultivate lifelong relationships with our clients, so you feel financially secure today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.

Time line of AWA’s financial planning process –1: Introduction & Discovery 2: Identify & Review Goals 3: Create Personalized Financial Plan 4: Implement & Adjust Appropriate Strategies 5: Monitor Environment & Results 6: Review Process

The Three I's

Integrated Planning

Financial planning is a lot like an orchestra; if one instrument is out of tune, it’s almost impossible to create harmonious music. Many advisors focus only on investment management, and though we build and manage robust portfolios for our clients, it is not our sole focus. We seek to ensure all elements of a financial plan work together, harmoniously.

Institutional Value

Our strategic partnership with Northwestern Mutual (NM) provides our clients with tangible value that sets Aspire Wealth Advisors apart in the industry. Whether it’s intuitive technology, thorough compliance & oversight, world-class insurance products or private wealth management, being associated with Northwestern Mutual gives our firm access to resources that play a pivotal role in our clients’ success.

Individualized Service

We pride ourselves in providing a boutique, concierge level service to our clients. It requires that we know them well enough to anticipate their needs and that we’re capable enough to solve them. At the core, our clients are asking for two things from us: That we keep them on a plan, and that when life happens, we are there.

Integrated Planning

Our clients ask us to be at the center of their financial lives. To do so, we develop and implement a plan that includes strategies unique to them.

Areas of focus often include:

Financial Planning

Wealth Management

Insurance Selection

Retirement Income Distribution

Business Planning

Estate Planning

Integrated Planning

Because your world is multifaceted, creating total alignment across professionals requires careful planning. Our advisors take the lead in coordinating the many aspects of your financial life.

In the areas that we don’t work directly, we serve as a filter between you, your family, and your key financial professionals. We can provide referrals to these professionals when needed and will often sit in on meetings to help ensure consistency across all areas of your financial plan.

INVESTMENT
MANAGER

INSURANCE
SPECIALIST

CERTIFIED
FINANCIAL
PLANNER™

CPA

PROPERTY/CASUALTY REPRESENTATIVE

OTHER PROFESSIONALS

BANKER(S)

ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEY

Institutional Value

By creating an intentional partnership with Northwestern Mutual and their investment team, we have access to the high-caliber resources and expertise that helps us address our clients’ complex concerns. As a result, we’re able to deliver the best of both worlds—individual financial guidance from a boutique firm backed by an esteemed Fortune 100 financial institution.

Unsurpassed Financial Strength1
with total company assets of

$350 Billion

Aaa HIGHEST

Moody’s Investor Service

A++ HIGHEST

A.M. Best Company

AAA HIGHEST

Fitch Ratings

AA+ SECOND HIGHEST

S&P Global Ratings

Access to banking relationships like

BNY Melon & Tri-State Capital

Private Wealth Management

Access to institutional-level alternative investments like

Private Equity, Private Credit, Hedge Funds, Etc.

Top 10

Independent Broker Dealer2

Measured by 2022 revenue

Wealth Management

$257 Billion3

retail investment client assets held or managed by Northwestern Mutual

Strategic Partnerships with Trust Companies

1Among U.S. life insurers. Ratings are for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company, as of the most recent review and report by each rating agency. Ratings as of: 06/23 (Moody’s Investors Service), 08/23 (A.M. Best Company), 08/23 (Fitch Ratings), 05/23 (S&P Global Ratings). Ratings are subject to change.

2Ranking for Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) based on total 2022 AUM, which includes figures that combine NMIS brokerage account activity and AUM with account activity and AUM of investment advisory account of NMIS’s affiliate Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (NMWMC), which are held through NMIS. Source: Financial Advisor, April 2023.

3Combined client assets of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) and Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (NMWMC). The advisory programs offered by NMWMC are in conjunction with brokerage services from NMWMC’s affiliate, NMIS. NMIS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual.

Individualized Service

Vision

Your vision. Who you love, how you want to care for them, and life you Aspire to live.

Strategy

We will agree upon a strategy. You rely on us for the majority, if not all, of the strategy. If you have other strategic elements in your plan like real estate investments or business interest, we will work to help ensure it integrates with the rest of your plan.

Execution

We have built our firm for execution. We will keep you on a plan and will be ready when life changes and the plan needs to be adjusted. When you work with Aspire Wealth Advisors, you don’t have one financial advisor – you have a team of dedicated professionals.