Firm Description
Mindful Asset Planning, (“MAP”) was founded in 1988 by Steven and Susan
Zimmerman. MAP is a comprehensive fee-for-services financial planning Firm
and Registered Investment Advisor. MAP does not sell financial products or
securities. MAP only accepts fees directly from clients for services rendered.
We have nineteen employees including two advisors, three lead planners, six
planning specialists, seven operations/service, and one program specialist.
MAP provides broad-based personalized financial planning and investment
supervision to individuals, families, trusts, estates, charitable organizations,
and small business retirement plans. Relevant factors are discussed with
each client to formulate an assessment of the client's goals, objectives,
personal priorities and preferences, current and long-term needs, risk
tolerance, and money management habits, limitations, and style preferences.
Financial plans are tailored to the needs of each individual client. Analysis
and reports may include but are not limited to: assets and debts; cash flow;
income and expenses; income taxation; life, disability, health, property/auto
insurance; retirement planning; child education savings; business holdings,
employee benefit plans; investment and risk attitudes; investment strategy
and holdings; estate planning (wills/trusts); and charitable & multigenerational
gifting. Additions or alternatives to existing financial plans may be
recommended and pertinent issues are integrated with and support the
client’s life goals and objectives.
MAP utilizes a money personality assessment tool to gain insight into clients’
style and attitudes about money, thus encouraging additional discussion of
factors that may be significant and relevant to their future financial decisions.
Susan Zimmerman developed a money style and preference tool (MAPA)
based on her research on spending and saving patterns. MAPA scores the
level of presence of each of eight personality types & provides supportive
strategies for balancing the mix if any one type is overly dominant. Susan’s
books and educational materials on this topic are available for assistance in
further exploration to reveal these personal financial characteristics.
Principals/Executives
Steven and Susan Zimmerman, Daniel Heiar, Mark Brice, Rebecca
Sebastian, and Nicholas Augustin.
Types of Advisory Services
The primary type of advisory service provided by MAP is comprehensive
financial planning. MAP provides investment supervisory services as an
integral component of this service and furnishes investment advice as part of
an on-going financial planning relationship. In performing this service MAP
utilizes information received from the client or from the client's other advisors.
Clients are advised of their responsibility to promptly notify MAP of changes in
their financial situation and/or financial objectives for the purpose of
reviewing, evaluating, or revising previous recommendations.
See Financial Planning Agreements for financial planning arrangements.
Tailored Relationships
Advisory services are tailored to the individual needs of clients. Client goals
and objectives are clarified in meetings and via correspondence, and are
used to determine the course of action for each individual client. The goals
and objectives for each client are documented in the client information system
and in client electronic files.
Types of Agreements
The following financial planning agreements define typical client relationships.
Financial Planning Agreement
Comprehensive Financial Planning
This includes identification of financial issues, analysis, implementation,
ongoing communication, management, and monitoring services. Financial
issues may include asset
assessment, cash flow and budget management,
tax planning, risk exposure review, investment supervision, education
funding, retirement planning, estate planning, charitable goals, small business
planning issues, employee benefits, special needs planning, money
personality assessment and preferences, and other specified client issues.
The MAP money personality assessment tool allows insight into clients’ style
and attitudes about money and encourages additional discussion of behavior
and motivational factors that may be significant and relevant to future financial
decisions. It scores the presence level of each of eight personality types and
provides supportive strategies for balancing the mix of types if any one type is
overly dominant.
Financial products analysis and assessment is provided and may include:
most types of equity and fixed investment products like mutual funds, ETF’s,
CD’s, money markets, and annuities, real estate and commodities, debt
instruments like mortgages and other loans, and risk management products
like group and individual health, life, disability and long term care insurance.
A written evaluation of the client's current situation and their goals is provided
to the client. The agreement includes assistance with implementation of
recommendations approved by the client, unlimited telephone support,
meetings as required, on-going financial planning service and support,
reminders and follow-up of the specific courses of action that need to be
taken, and reviews as determined with each client.
Planning Fundamentals
This includes fundamental financial planning elements when clients in the
early stages of adult financial life require assistance. Emphasis is on planning
categories that focus on spending and saving decisions, employee benefits,
tax planning, housing options, risk management including all kinds of
insurance, education funding, Wills, Children’s Trusts and special needs,
investment supervision as needed, and money personality assessment of
styles, biases, and preferences.
Special Projects and Services
Projects may be undertaken that are not included in the above agreements.
This includes financial counseling or coaching, family issues facilitation,
business planning including employee benefits and incentive plans, estate
planning and gifting, financial analysis, investment portfolio analysis, risk
assessment, cash flow analysis and guidance, or other defined projects.
Investment Supervision Services
Investment supervision is not usually a stand-alone service but can be
provided when requested by members of a client’s family, related charitable
organization, or business related plan such as a qualified plan. Occasionally
a client of the professional advisory community may request investment
management assistance, and this can be tailored on a case-by-case basis.
Business Plan Design and Setup
Design and setup services for business sponsored qualified plans is available
for plans such as 401k, SEP and SIMPLE plans, group IRAs, profit sharing
and pension plans, non-qualified deferred compensation, salary continuation
and split dollar plans, and business continuation with buy-sell funding for
death or disability buyout or overhead expense plans.
Termination of Agreement
The planning agreement may be canceled at any time by either party for any
reason, and must be done so in writing. If the client cancels the agreement by
written notice within five business days after its effective date, a full refund of
fees paid will be issued. If cancellation is made after the fifth business day,
only fees for any work not yet completed may be refunded (calculated by
MAP with sole discretion). Waiver or reduction of any other fee for any reason
is the sole discretion of MAP.