Story #1
Doug and Kristin began working with Sharkey, Howes & Javer in 2007. When we first met, they were 37 and 35 years old with two young children, ages 3 and 1. Kristin was employed full-time in the medical profession, while Doug took care of the children and consulted part-time.
When they first came to us, Kristin and Doug had very little understanding of their monthly cash flow, had not yet begun thinking about college expenses for their children, and retirement seemed daunting with minimal contributions being made.
Sharkey, Howes & Javer prepared a detailed financial plan addressing each of these concerns, and more. Based on our analyses, we provided them with thorough recommendations that were practical and accommodated their monthly cash flow.
We also provided a custom investment portfolio crucial to helping them reach their goals.
Over the years we have helped Kristin and Doug through many important decisions and life changes. Their plan has been revised to account for a job change, the purchase of a larger home, private school for their children, and an increase in travel, without jeopardizing their long-term retirement goal.
Now at age 47 and 45, Kristen and Doug are on track for both retirement and college education, while continuing to understand their cash flow, living within their means, and having a long-term investment approach.
Story #2
Adam, age 32, met with an advisor at Sharkey, Howes & Javer. He was single and renting an apartment at the time. Adam explained that he had a desire to get married in the next few years, purchase a home as well as start a family, and wanted to know how to begin planning for all these life events.
Although we decided that a formal financial plan was probably premature as the timing and details of these events were still developing, Adam did have a significant amount of discretionary income, and we helped him establish a preliminary plan to begin saving for these goals as well as retirement.
SH&J currently manages these accounts and continues to work with Adam to track his progress toward his specific goals.
These writings are provided for illustrative purposes only. An individual’s experience may vary based on his or her individual circumstances. There can be no assurance that SH&J will be able to achieve similar results in comparable situations. No portion of these writings is to be interpreted as a testimonial or endorsement of SH&J’s investment advisory services and it is not known whether the clients referenced approve of SH&J or its services.
