Click to learn more about the following services:

• Retirement Planning
• Investment Management
• Suddenly Single
• Trusts & Endowments
• Insurance & Annuities

What does it take to retire? Will you be financially prepared to enjoy the comforts of life? For women in particular, retirement planning takes on a whole new dimension, for three important reasons:

1. Many women take time out of the workforce off to raise children, missing out on retirement plan contributions. (source 1, source 2)
2. Women statistically earn less over their lifetimes,  thus their retirement contributions tend to be less. (source)
3. Women, as a whole, live longer than men. Your retirement might be several years, even decades, longer than you expect. (source)

All of these concerns make retirement planning especially important for women.

How can we help?

• By looking at your current responsibilities and personal goals, we’ll help you determine short and long-term strategies.
• We’ll then incorporate cash-flow planning, retirement goals, tax planning, and other important factors.
• Our sophisticated planning methodology helps you establish realistic savings, spending and investment decisions.
• We know “cookie cutter” solutions aren’t realistic, especially for women, so we tailor a retirement plan that works for you. Financial planning software, while a powerful tool, often fails to adequately address women’s longevity issues.
• We schedule regular reviews to continuously evaluate your plan.

Return to top of page

The complexities, hidden fees, and mysteries of investing can be overwhelming, even for experienced investors. We eliminate the mystery, jargon, and complexities to help eliminate the stress associated with investing by focusing on the following:

1. Your unique values, financial goals, and objectives.
2. Your personal needs and circumstances.
3. Developing a personalized investment strategy which accommodates your own particular balance of risk and return.
4. Implementing and putting your plan into action.
5. Ensuring your investment portfolios align with your broader financial circumstances through regular evaluation.

Return to top of page

Every year, millions of women – old and young – find themselves unexpectedly in the role of widow or divorcee. This adjustment can be filled with stress and uncertainty.

Because women tend to live longer than men, most will experience a single lifestyle at some point in their lives (source). Finding themselves unexpectedly single – whether widowed or divorced – causes women to grapple with grief, confusion, and often a loss of identity.

Beyond the emotional fallout, they are frequently faced with a series of financial, legal, and even domestic challenges. They may find themselves suddenly responsible for 100% of the financial decision-making, often for the first time in their lives.

In particular, the period of time after a spouse or partner’s paycheck runs out and before Social Security and other retirement benefits become available can be especially stressful. Even for those who are financially solvent, the fear of running out of money is a genuine concern.

At Godfrey Financial Associates, we provide professional support for suddenly single women, at any stage in her journey.

Return to top of page

Trusts

A Trust is an important part of a financial and estate plan. We recognize that a Trustee’s role is more complex now than ever before.

• Investment choices have become more sophisticated. Developing an individualized Trust Investment Policy Statement helps guide all parties in their roles and responsibilities.
• Trust Reporting can be a daunting task. Services are available to handle the specialized accounting and reporting required for trust activities and assets.
• Working with a financial professional can help mitigate emotionally-charged family situations and facilitate sound decision-making.

Endowments

Endowment Trustees have a unique responsibility to uphold the wishes of donors desiring to leave a lasting legacy.

• Endowment Trustees have a strict fiduciary responsibility to effectively and purposefully care for the resources bestowed upon them.
• At Godfrey Financial Associates, we recognize the complexity of this stewardship and welcome the opportunity to assist in developing a prudent investment policy statement, and a sound investment program.

Return to top of page

Risk management should form the cornerstone of any financial strategy.  Preparing for risks is a vital part of your financial well-being, and a crucial component of a solid financial plan. Unexpected life events can cause even the best-laid plans to go awry.

Why is insurance such a key part of my overall financial plan?

There are few financial topics more important than insurance. 

No matter how diligently you build your investment and retirement accounts, failing to purchase adequate insurance can put you or your family in a desperate situation in an instant. Death or disability can wreck your financial security… and the security of those you love.

Together, we'll develop a plan to answer these concerns:

1. What types of insurance do I need?
2. How much insurance do I need?
3. How can I get necessary coverage at the lowest cost?

Annuities as risk management tools

Longevity can have a profound impact on your standard of living. This is known as "longevity risk". The number-one concern of most retirees is: “Will my retirement nest egg last a lifetime?” Longevity risks are especially important for women, who commonly live longer than men. (source)

Annuities offer protection of principal and guaranteed income you cannot outlive. We will help you determine if an annuity is the right choice for you.

Return to top of page