04/23/2026
When someone asks, “What do you do?” I’ve gotten into the habit of saying:
That usually earns a follow‑up question—which is exactly the point. Not all financial advice is created equal, and the differences often come down to the assumptions behind the numbers.
Many people think a financial advisor’s role is mainly about investments. That’s certainly part of it. But meaningful planning also includes tax strategy, risk management, and—most importantly—decisions about how we model real life over decades.
Here’s a recent example.
I met with a prospective client in their mid‑50s who wanted a second opinion. They’ve done a great job saving. Their current advisor told them, “You’re in great shape. Go enjoy life. You’re financially free.”
My analysis was optimistic as well—but it also highlighted trade‑offs and potential risks. The client was confused, because we appeared to be using the same data. So we pulled both plans up side by side.
At first glance, they did look similar. Both assumed $120,000 of annual spending in year one. But I asked a few follow‑up questions, including whether healthcare costs might be in addition to that figure. After talking it through, they agreed it was prudent to explicitly account for that.
Then we noticed some deeper differences:
•One plan assumed expenses stayed flat over time—$120k in year one, year ten, and year eighteen.
•The other assumed they’d want to maintain a similar lifestyle, adjusting for inflation so purchasing power didn’t quietly erode.
•One model assumed an average annual return of 8.8%.
•The other assumed something closer to 5%.
None of this is meant to criticize another advisor. I genuinely hope we’re all acting in our clients’ best interests.
But it’s worth recognizing the difference between:
“This plan shows a 96% chance of success,”
and
“You’ve done a great job saving. This can work—but here are the assumptions, risks, and trade‑offs embedded in the analysis.”
Financial plans don’t fail because of spreadsheets. They fail because of the assumptions behind them.