Business & Finance

Our expert guide to creating a financial plan

One of the most important steps in your financial journey is to create a financial plan. This not only gives you a clear outline of your future ambitions, but ensures you have the highest chance of achieving a successful financial outcome.

However, creating this financial plan can be complex, as there are many things to consider. That said, there are various steps you can take to ensure you create the best financial plan for you.

Read on, for our expert guide on financial planning.

  • Seek a modern wealth manager

The first, and potentially most important step to take when creating a financial plan is to seek the expert advice of a modern wealth manager.

Your professional adviser will give you excellent guidance for creating your plan, and help you take the most effective approach towards building your wealth for the future.

Every individual’s financial circumstances are unique, so your adviser can give you equally unique advice that’s tailored to your specific needs and financial situation. This ensures your plan is best suited to give you the best financial outcome from your individual circumstances.

Your adviser will also take into account any challenges or concerns you might be facing, to not only give you the best approach to overcome them, but also help restore your financial confidence.

  • Establish your financial goals

Once you have the expert advice of a wealth manager, the next step to take in creating your financial plan is to establish your financial goals for the future.

These objectives are essential, as they help give your financial plan the direction it needs, and form the trajectory of what you want to achieve both in the short and long term.

Much like your financial circumstances, your future goals will also be unique, and therefore require your adviser to help you refine and shape your plan so your goals are achievable and aligned with your current circumstances.

  • Create a structure for your investments

Another important step is to structure your investments so they allow you to achieve your financial goals in the most efficient way possible.

With the help of your adviser, you can optimise your investments so they balance the right amount of risk and potential return that’s necessary to build your wealth for the future.

Your adviser can also help you to find the most appropriate portfolios and securities to invest in that align with your own unique values as an investor – for instance, you may wish to explore socially responsible investing (SRI) as an option.

Your wealth manager will typically manage your investments for you, so you won’t need to spend too much time monitoring your portfolio or buying and selling assets – they will invest on your behalf.

  • Consider ongoing financial advice

The final step to take when creating a financial plan is to consider taking ongoing financial advice from your wealth manager.

Your circumstances may change every so often, which can then affect how well-suited your plan is to growing your wealth efficiently.

These changes can come in the form of career changes, lifestyle choices, or even external factors such as inflation rates and how well the economy and financial markets are performing.

With ongoing advice, your expert advisers can regularly monitor and review your plan, to ensure your wealth is resilient and prepared for these changes, as well as maintaining an optimal approach to help you reach your financial goals as your circumstances change.

Follow these expert tips to help you create a financial plan with a better chance of achieving a successful financial outcome. You can also seek the advice of a modern wealth management service now, to start building the foundation for your plan.

Please note, the value of your investments can go down as well as up.

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Shingai Mhlanga

Shingai Mhlanga is a Campaign Assistant at the South African. She holds a BCom Honours in Marketing Management, and has worked as a Sales Assistant and College Administrator. Outside of work she enjoys baking and travelling.

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