Firm Philosophy
At Navigate Financial Planning (NFP), I believe financial planning should be about about maximizing your time. We aim to help individuals and couples strategically plan for financial independence and the eventual exit from their 9-to-5, whether you are years away or on the verge of achieving financial independence.
Your financial strategy should serve your life, not the other way around. We specialize in the accumulation phase, crafting personalized roadmaps focused on actionable advice, educational insights, and ensuring your financial independence aligns with your life goals.
Meet Jake Stalder
Jake graduated from Iowa Wesleyan University in southeast Iowa with a background in psychology and business administration in 2014. Jake earned his CFP® certification in 2021. He has worked in the industry for the past 9 years, mainly serving clients in the Cedar Valley, Des Moines, and southeast Iowa, along with clients across the country.
Jake and his wife enjoy traveling, skiing, biking, and are overall outdoor enthusiasts. He gives back to his local community through pro-bono financial planning to non-profit organizations and individuals who otherwise are not able to afford financial planning.
As a registered investment advisor, Jake holds an oath to act in your best interests and provide transparency to every recommendation he provides.
Fee-only advisors never earn a commission from a specific recommendation or sale of a product, are independent of large banks or insurance products, and legally sworn fiduciaries. This means they are legally obligated to provide you recommendations that are in your best interest. I personally hold this high standard for any client that I work with.
What to Expect when you work with NFP
Navigate Financial Planning is a Fee-Only/Advice Only Financial Planning Firm. Meaning I focus on providing clear and concise advice to you based on your unique situation. I am not compensated by commissions, or additional fees based on recommendations we provide around products or investment strategies.
When working with me you can expect a transparent working engagement where I meet you where you are at in life. I believe in creating a dialogue where expectations are mutually understood, and serving others in a way that raises the expectations/norm of a financial advisor/client relationship. My advice is curtailed to provide you with more life satisfaction, and ventures into areas beyond the traditional investment based engagements.
Initial Plan
Process
-
Schedule an initial 45 minute intro call to discuss your path, needs, and how you wish to work with an advisor. If we determine that we may not be the best fit for your needs, we'll refer you to other advisors within our network who may be a better fit. If we opt to move forward, I'll provide you with specific details on on-boarding via our working together guide.
-
Meeting 1
Initial On-Boarding - 75 Minutes
We confirm your Information and documents are complete, then spend the bulk of our time on discovery — your goals, values, and what you want this plan to resolve.
-
Meeting 2
Cash Flow, Retirement Projections & Top Priorities - 75 Minutes
Where your money goes today, what your savings capacity actually is, and a first set of retirement projections, stress tests, and scenarios. Many clients may choose new scenarios to run as a result of this meeting.
-
Meeting 3
Tax & Investments Intricacies Meeting - 75 Minutes
We cover your tax picture and the opportunities in it — bracket management, Roth conversions, along with your unique investment recommendations, glide-path, tax allocation, fee analysis, and much more.
-
Meeting 4
Protecting the Plan - Risk Mitigation & Estate - 75 Minutes
Once a solid plan is in focus, we aim to strategize on removing significant risks. I look at gaps in your existing insurance, estate documents, and beneficiary designations. If you need an insurance product or estate attorney, I will refer out within my professional network as needed.
-
Meeting 5
Delivery & Wrap Up - 45 Minutes
You receive your written, prioritized plan and action items, we resolve anything still open, and we talk through how ongoing planning works. The plan is yours to keep either way.