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The REAL LIFE Approach

Designing Your One Life, Your Way

We design a plan to align your vision of life with your financial resources through The REAL LIFE Approach®.

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What is The REAL LIFE Approach®?

The REAL LIFE Approach recognizes that many goals will not be achieved unless we define and a process to document and implement these goals. It is about more than money, it is about making smart decisions and finding a balance between our family and financial life. This can be a difficult and daunting task, but once we recognize our thoughts and feelings about money, we can then begin to take action and from these actions we will begin to see positive results.

Retirement

Many clients prioritize saving and investing to secure their financial well-being during retirement. This includes setting aside funds in retirement accounts, as well as creating strategies to ensure those funds last throughout their retirement years. Factors such as desired retirement age, lifestyle expectations during retirement, and potential healthcare expenses often influence these plans.

Education

For clients with children or those planning to further their own education, financial planning often involves saving for educational expenses such as tuition, books, and living costs. This can include utilizing education-specific savings vehicles or other investment accounts to fund educational goals.

Aging Issues

As individuals age, they may face various financial challenges and considerations, such as healthcare costs, long-term care planning, estate planning, and managing assets to support themselves and their loved ones as they grow older. Financial planning in this context involves addressing these issues proactively to ensure a comfortable and secure future.

Lifestyle

Clients also seek to align their financial plans with their desired lifestyle choices, which can include factors such as housing preferences, travel aspirations, leisure activities, charitable giving, and any other personal priorities. Financial planning aims to balance current lifestyle desires with long-term financial security, ensuring that clients can enjoy the lifestyle they desire without compromising their financial well-being.

Lifestyle Protection

This aspect of financial planning focuses on safeguarding a client's desired lifestyle against unforeseen events or risks. It involves strategies such as purchasing insurance policies like life insurance, disability insurance, or critical illness insurance to provide financial protection in case of unexpected events. Lifestyle protection also encompasses creating emergency funds to cover sudden expenses, such as medical emergencies or job loss, without disrupting long-term financial goals.

Investment Strategy

Financial planning includes developing an investment strategy tailored to the client's financial goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon. This involves asset allocation, diversification, and selecting appropriate investment vehicles such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The investment strategy aims to optimize returns while managing risk, taking into account factors such as market conditions, economic trends, and tax implications. Regular review and adjustment of the investment portfolio are essential to adapt to changing circumstances and market conditions, ensuring alignment with the client's evolving financial objectives.

Financial Development

Financial planning also focuses on enhancing the client's financial well-being and achieving long-term financial growth. This includes strategies such as budgeting, debt management, and savings goals to improve financial stability and build wealth over time. Financial development may involve creating a comprehensive financial plan that incorporates short-term and long-term objectives, such as buying a home, saving for retirement, or funding education expenses. Additionally, financial planning may involve strategies to increase income, such as career development, entrepreneurship, or passive income streams through investments.

Estate Organization

Estate planning is a crucial component of financial planning that involves organizing and managing assets to ensure their efficient transfer to heirs or beneficiaries upon the client's death. This includes creating legal documents such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney to outline the distribution of assets and appoint individuals to manage financial and healthcare decisions in case of incapacity. Estate organization aims to minimize taxes, probate fees, and administrative costs while preserving wealth for future generations. It also involves reviewing and updating estate plans regularly to reflect changes in personal circumstances, family dynamics, or legal regulations.

Our approach to financial planning aims to achieve 3 outcomes.

Clarity

Gain perspective on what you have and do now and what you would like to have and do in the future.

Stability

Provide meaningful direction to all of your financial decision, helps you adapt to life changes and keeps you on track.

Legacy

Create a lasting legacy that will live on with your kids and your community, giving you a means to live life on purpose.

Here are the steps we take to get you there...

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Outline Your Vision

Without a vision, it's easy to get lost or lose motivation. Your vision gives you direction and purpose, guiding your decisions and keeping you focused on what's important. Whether it's saving for retirement, buying a home, or traveling the world, your vision shapes your financial journey, making it more meaningful and achievable.

We start by determining whether The REAL LIFE Approach® could enhance your financial well-being. This involves evaluating your current financial situation, understanding your relationship with money, and defining your long-term vision.

Design Your Plan

When it comes to designing your financial plan, we'll work closely together to bring your vision to life. Your dreams and goals become the centerpiece of our strategy, guiding every decision we make. And remember, your plan isn't set in stone; it evolves with you. We will outline clear steps to make it happen and provide flexibility for any given fork in the road.


Our focus centers on addressing your priorities concerning retirement, education, aging considerations, and the lifestyle you envision. Regular check-ins ensure we stay on track, adapting to any changes life throws your way while keeping your vision front and center.

Advisor going through the financial plan on a whiteboard graphic
A couple organizing their financial plan on a whiteboard graphic.

Organize Your Future

Organizing your financial future encompasses more than just planning for your own needs; it involves preparing for the well-being of your loved ones and the legacy you leave behind. Beyond retirement savings and investments, considerations such as estate planning, inheritance arrangements, and legacy goals become paramount. Crafting a comprehensive estate plan ensures your assets are distributed according to your wishes, minimizing potential conflicts and maximizing the benefits for your heirs. Taking proactive steps today ensures a smoother transition for your loved ones in the future.

"I have tried to teach people that there are three kicks to every dollar: one, when you make it... two, when you have it... and three, when you give it away."

Paraphrased from William A. White, Writer(1868-1944)

iCARE Wealth Management Process

Income Protection

Income protection means ensuring that you have a safety net in place to replace a portion of your income if you're unable to work due to illness or injury. It's about securing your financial stability and peace of mind by having a plan in place to cover essential expenses during difficult times. Together we will:
  • Analyze your Life, Disability, Critical Illness, Long Term Care "Wants".
  • Review personally owned policies and policies through employer or association plans.
  • Review health insurance.

Cash Management

Managing your cash effectively means ensuring your money is working for you in the best possible way. It's about finding the right balance between keeping enough liquidity for immediate needs while also putting your funds to work to meet your long-term financial objectives. Together we will:

  • Establish and track net worth.
  • Review cash liquidity requirements.
  • Assess current debt structure as well as debt restructure and elimination.
  • Develop cash flow spending plan (Income and expenses, irregular income, and efficient banking structure).

Asset Accumulation

Building your wealth through asset accumulation means steadily growing your investments and savings over time. It's about consistently working towards financial stability and achieving your long-term goals by smartly expanding your portfolio. Together we will:

  • Review investment philosophy and determine risk profile.
  • Align and construct your portfolio to your vision.
  • Rebalance and adjust portfolio accounts based on goals and vision, current market conditions and fee or tax ramifications.

Retirement Income

When it comes to retirement income, it's all about making sure you have a reliable stream of funds to support your lifestyle once you stop working. You'll need to carefully plan and diversify your income sources, including pensions, investments, and government benefits, to ensure financial stability throughout your retirement journey.

  • Analyze current retirement situation and prioritize your goals.
  • Review prior tax returns.
  • Review expected benefits from company pension plans, other retirement plans and government benefit plans.
  • Run financial and tax projections as well as optimize tax strategies.
  • Organize and/or assist in preparation of tax information.

Estate Distribution

When it comes to estate distribution, it's about ensuring that your assets are passed on according to your wishes after you're gone, providing for your loved ones in the way you intend. This process typically involves visiting your will, trust, powers of attorney and taking legal steps to settle any outstanding debts, ensuring a smooth transfer of your assets to your chosen beneficiaries. Together we will:

  • Analyze your estate including a review of beneficiary identification and tilting.
  • Review current estate documents including wills, powers of attorney, trusts, etc.
  • Analyze needs on second death.
  • Review contingencies in the event of a need for long term care.
  • Strategies to achieve charitable/gifting wishes.
  • Organize documents.

"There are those that travel and those who are going somewhere. They are different, and yet they are the same. Successful people have this over their rivals: they know where they are going."

Mark Caine

Our Services Levels

Depending on your stage of life, vision and financial needs, a different service level or program will be more applicable. Contact us to learn more about each service level and which is right for you.

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More Details

One Time Service

A Financial Checkup or Second Opinion Service is ideal for those seeking an evaluation of your finances, without committing to a continuous financial planning engagement.


The Financial Checkup+ offers yearly updates and assistance with your investment portfolio management.

Focused Planning

Most suitable for those seeking ongoing financial planning advice designed to the life stage you are in.

  • The Wealth Accumulation Program is typically suited for those aged 25-50.
  • The Wealth Income Replacement Program commonly focuses on those between 50-75.
  • The Wealth Distribution Program generally suits those 75+.

Comprehensive Planning

The iCARE Wealth Management Process is best suited for high-net-worth individuals or those who have complex financial planning needs who want a thorough assessment and strategic management of their finances, including budgeting, investments, retirement and estate planning, as well as risk management.


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