Work with AMCP
Life doesn't always come as advertised, so why not create a life that is authentically yours? The specific details of your life – your experiences, hardships, and successes – are the keys to designing a fulfilling life. Therein lies your desires, and your resolve to achieve them.
AMCP offers a judgment- and shame-free experience. We understand our clients come from all walks of life, and have had access to differing levels of resources and opportunities along the way. We also understand that everyone has untapped potential and is deserving of an opportunity to discover what they can do and who they want to be.
Education and leadership are often ineffective in preparing people for the constantly changing tax, legal, and political environments that impact our resources and opportunities. Our economic system is like a giant engine in which people are money making pistons, and are frequently replaced and discarded before they can reach their full potential. But AMCP can help you flip that script so you can take advantage of the economic engine, rather than it taking advantage of you.
We provide accessible, affordable planning and strategizing services with transparent fee schedules that are designed to meet your needs where you are. We are an Advice-Only financial advisor which means we don't sell products or make money referring people to companies who sell products. We serve only our clients and their best interests.
How We Work
AMCP provides consulting, planning, and one-on-one strategy sessions generally by video or phone conference.* The process starts with a free video or phone consultation where we discuss your concerns and allow you an opportunity to decide if we are the right service provider to help you achieve your goals.
If you choose to engage us for our services, we will discuss whether one-on-one strategy sessions, planning, consulting or a combination of services will best serve your needs. We will determine the best modes for communication (video, phone, and/or email), schedule your first appointment, and then get to work.
AMCP understands the sensitivity of the information you provide to us. We operate under highly defined security protocols designed to protect (current, former, and prospective) clients' information whether received electronically, in paper form, or orally. Retained information is securely stored and securely disposed of once no longer relevant or required to be maintained by law (as a registered investment adviser, we are regulated under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940). We never sell or share information with non-authorized parties. We take the safekeeping of the privacy and security of your information very seriously. You can read more about our Privacy Policy here.
We can help you:
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Define your goals
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Identify the obstacles (fears or barriers) to your goals
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Acknowledge your Why’s for wanting to accomplish your defined goals
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Evaluate your current resources (your time, money, skills, experience,
support community) -
Determine the resources required to achieve your goals (money, time, education,
skills development, community network) -
Establish a strategy for managing your resources and risks
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Outline actionable steps towards your goal(s)
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Prepare contingency plans (for loss of income, opportunity, or health)
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Develop your own guidebook of best practices for decision-making
*In-person meetings may be arranged for Clients in the Greater New Orleans Metro area.
SERVICES
$150/hour
Following the prescribed steps of a plan is an important part of achieving your goals, however if you don’t have an effective strategy for decision-making, you may discover that you will struggle to follow through with your plan. Hourly strategy sessions are a good option for those who just need one-time or periodic advice. Or to take a deeper dive, one-on-one with an advisor into the challenges you are facing and work together to develop a strategy to navigate around the obstacles in your way of achieving well-being.
Hourly strategy sessions do not include analysis or planning services. Clients may receive worksheets to be completed with the advisor during sessions and action items to be completed by the client between sessions. Payment is due prior to each session (Why?). Clients who schedule regular recurring meetings (e.g., weekly, monthly, quarterly) will receive scheduling priority.
$800
In order to achieve well-being in the future, you need to be secure in your present. Your current financial position will serve as the base line for a financial plan and give you a historical comparison starting point for tracking your progress towards achieving your goals.
We will:
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look at your income versus your expenses, categorizing your expenses into discretionary and non-discretionary spending and fixed and variable expenses to give you a broad perspective of your cash flow.
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calculate your expense allocations as a percentage of income and expenses, and your personal financial ratios to evaluate your overall financial health.
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calculate your net worth which is the difference between your assets and liabilities.
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catalog your debt obligations, employment benefits, insurance coverage and financial planning documents (e.g., wills, medical directives, powers of attorney, etc.)
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review your credit reports and credit score (if provided by client).
Your financial checkup will take place over two (2) meetings, one for data gathering and one for the presentation of your results. Additional hourly charges may apply if client requires additional meetings to provide requested data or further explore cash flow challenges. You will receive a written copy of your report.
(a financial check up is a prerequisite for all other plan development)
$1,600 - $3,000
A financial plan builds on the information gathered for your financial checkup. We will work with you to identify your financial, personal, and professional goals. With your goals in mind, we will:
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prepare debt payoff projections, calculate the amount of interest that will be paid by payoff on its current schedules, and provide recommendations for alternative payment strategies to decrease the overall cost of debt and/or improve your cash flow health.
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conduct income projections based on employment and other income opportunities to help you determine an actionable savings rate to achieve your short- and long-term goals.
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review your employment benefits and insurance coverage to identify any coverage gaps and recommend strategies for increasing, protecting, or reducing your coverage as needed.
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provide retirement saving scenarios and recommend saving strategies to achieve your long-term retirement goal (see retirement income planning service below for mid-to short-term retirement goal).
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review your tax returns and available tax benefits to identify strategies for reducing your tax liability.
The financial plan development will take place over two to six (2-6) meetings during a 12-month period, depending on the complexity of the plan and your needs. In the first one to two meetings, we will discuss your goals, establish plan development factors (e.g., estimated inflation, investment return and tax rates) and conduct further data gathering. In the remaining meetings we will review the plan with you to ensure that it encapsulates your goals effectively and make any adjustments needed to get the plan to its starting point. We will also provide email support during the engagement period to assist you with implementation questions and to monitor your progress with your action items. After 12 months, a plan maintenance agreement may be addended to the engagement agreement to provide ongoing guidance.
AMCP does not provide tax or legal advice. Any recommendations relating to tax or legal actions should be reviewed with a tax or legal advisor to ensure proper execution of a recommendation.
(a financial check up is a prerequisite for all other plan development)
$800 - $1,600
Saving for your kids’ education, buying a house, or investing in a personal or professional goal may be your largest resource commitment in your lifetime next to saving for retirement. Making a plan is the single most effective way to achieve your goal. A plan helps you define your goal and break it up into specific, manageable, and actionable steps. It helps you establish benchmarks and target dates that allow for tracking your progress and keeping you oriented towards your goal. We will help you identify the factors required to achieve your goal, as well as help you identify internal and external resources to help you with your objectives. We will also help you establish an action list, target dates, timetable, and help you calculate and plan for costs associated with achieving your goal.
Depending on the scope of your goal, we will generally meet via video or phone conference two to four (2 - 4) times during a 12-month period to track your progress towards your goal and provide you with email support to help keep you on your path. After 12 months, a plan maintenance agreement may be addended to the engagement agreement to provide ongoing guidance.
(a financial check up is a prerequisite for all other plan development)
$1,600 - $5,000
Investing is often the most intimidating part of any savings and asset accumulation plan for the average saver. The industry is full of jargon, complicated products, complex mathematical calculations, and confusing fee structures. Investing also requires taking some level of risk in exchange for a potential reward.
AMCP will discuss with you your investment goals and review your existing investments and investment options. We will assess your investment knowledge and risk tolerance, and help you understand the potential risks and rewards of investing. Once we understand your investing goals and risk tolerance, we will help you design an appropriately diversified and allocated portfolio along with an investing plan within your risk tolerance and budget. We will also help you understand the risk tradeoffs of taking on too little or too much risk, identify a risk target range that is a balance of your risk tolerance and your risk needs, and recommend alternative saving strategies to cover savings shortfalls due to risk tradeoffs (if applicable).
AMCP recommendations typically include diversified mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and index funds across asset classes and sectors. AMCP does not advise clients on specific stocks or bonds, except with regards to the allocation (e.g., percentage, asset class, sector) of such securities in a client's portfolio. AMCP does not provide continuous ongoing portfolio management services and may refer clients to an unaffiliated third-party adviser for specific security advice or investment management services.
Depending on the scope of your goal, we will generally meet via video or phone conference three to six (3 - 6) times during a 12-month period to provide guidance while you implement the plan, as well as provide email support to answer questions you may have along the way. After 12 months, a plan maintenance agreement may be addended to the engagement agreement to provide ongoing guidance.
(a financial check up is a prerequisite for all other plan development)
$800 - $1,600
Often the most damaging effects on your finances and impediments to your goals come from unassessed and unmanaged risk. Financial areas of risk include protecting your health, income, and assets. AMCP will review with you your risk exposure, any protections you have in place with insurance products, and advise you on any gaps in your risk coverage. We will help you identify appropriate coverage and coverage resources, and develop strategies for managing risk you are not able to transfer through insurance contracts or other resources.
Depending on the scope of your goal, we will generally meet via video or phone conference two to four (2-4) times during a 12-month period to provide guidance while you implement the plan, as well as provide email support to answer questions you may have along the way. After 12 months, a plan maintenance agreement can be addended to the engagement agreement to provide ongoing guidance.
(a financial check up is a prerequisite for all other plan development)
$1,600 - $2,200
If your retirement (or financial independence) target date is approaching (less than 15 years), it is important to have an idea of the amount of income your current assets and available resources will be able to generate during your period of financial self-sustainment. Using historical averages, we will prepare expense and asset growth projections and stress test the offset to evaluate the robustness of your resources to sustain you consistently during periods of variability and uncertainty. We will help you develop a savings plan for the remainder of your pre-financial independence period and recommend additional strategies for increasing your income and assets to provide for a more secure financial independence outcome. As your target date nears, you should review your income plan at least annually to ensure that you remain on track.
Depending on the scope of your goal, we will generally meet via video or phone conference three to six (3 - 6) times during a 12-month period to track and help support your progress towards your goal. After 12 months, a plan maintenance agreement can be addended to the engagement agreement to provide ongoing guidance.
(a financial check up is a prerequisite for all other plan development)
$250/hour
Career planning is an important part of a successful plan for achieving well-being. Employment is the most common way to earn money, but an inherent conflict of interest exists between employers and employees. Both parties want to earn as much money as possible from the employee’s labor. However only one party is in control of that decision. AMCP can help employees model income projections, review employer benefits, and assess growth opportunities with an existing employment setting. AMCP can also help an employee address conflicts they are experiencing in the workplace that are impacting their ability to thrive in their work and develop an exit strategy if/when an employer no longer offers long-term viability. For those in search of employment, AMCP can help with employment search, job skills assessment, salary negotiation, and job offer evaluation.
(2 hour minimum with 50% deposit)
$500/hour
Being a business owner can be incredibly rewarding and lead to a shorter path to well-being. However, the risks born by a business owner can create obstacles to growth and success. AMCP can help existing sole proprietors address business challenges related to managing cashflow, inventory and other business assets; create income projections with scenario analysis; develop effective production and service operation processes; attract and retain customers; and navigate technological, economic, and governmental changes that have a direct impact on your business.
For those considering starting a business or a side hustle for additional income, it is important to know the fundamental legal and tax requirements of running a business. While AMCP does not provide actionable tax or legal advice, we can you help become aware of legislation that impacts your business and allow you to have an informed discussion with a tax or legal advisor. AMCP can help you determine funding needs and sources to start your business, and help you develop a business plan for income generation, growth projections, operational processes, marketing, and client attraction and retention.