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LET’S WORK TOGETHER

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By Donna Hein • Illustration by Alessandro Gottardo

READY TO MEET WITH A FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL? HERE ARE SOME TIPS ON WHAT TO EXPECT AND HOW TO PREPARE.

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o matter where you are in life—just starting out, growing a family, thinking about retirement or already in retirement—you may encounter a tension between living out your faith and the reality

of managing your finances. It’s to be expected as we pursue more content, confident and generous lives. Sometimes this tension is uncomfortable, and you may find yourself hesitant to turn to a financial professional for guidance. You might not be sure where to start or what questions to ask. You may have had a bad experience in the past. And, even more, you may be anxious about what questions may be asked of you or what documents you’ll need to share. There’s no reason for worry. Meetings with a financial professional, whether it’s in person or over the phone, should be about sharing about yourself. That’s initially more valuable than your 401(k) statements or other paperwork you can provide. That’s not to say your financial statements won’t be vital later. But at the beginning of a relationship with a financial professional, and even in ongoing meetings as your life situation changes, it’s more important that the conversation be about you, your values and aspirations. It’s only when your financial professional understands how your faith and values inform your financial decisions that he or she can help you line up your goals and your day-to-day money choices and collaborate with you on the next steps to take. There are many things to think about in the different phases of life. Consider the following questions that you may be asked or that you could ask when meeting with a financial professional. u

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§Just Starting OutYou may be asked:�What’s important in your life today?�What do you want to accomplish

for yourself and your family?�What worries you about your

financial future?�How do your values shape your

financial goals?�How was money used when you

were growing up? What was healthy and what wasn’t?�Do you have anything that’s

important for you to do that will require a financial commitment in the next 10 years? 20 years?

You may want to ask:�How will you work with me in

support of my goals?�What are things that could derail

me or keep me from achieving my goals, and how can you help me?�What should I be thinking about that

I might not have considered yet?�What are your areas of expertise and

what resources do you have to help me?

§Growing Your FamilyYou may be asked:�When do you plan to retire?

�Will your parents need financial support, and how might you plan to help, if needed?�If you’re married, how do you

handle financial questions or concerns between the two of you? �Do you have a will, a power of

attorney and a health care directive in place?�What’s your philosophy for helping

others? What role does charitable giving play?

You may want to ask:�How do I determine what role life

insurance and disability income insurance play?�How should I think about the

question, “How much is enough?”�How do you work with people to

plan for their children’s education goals?�What resources—people and

tools—do you have available to support me in all stages of my life?�How do you work with people

to help them think about topics such as: investments, insurance, retirement, paying off debt, saving?

§Approaching RetirementYou may be asked:�What would success in retirement

look like to you?�What did retirement look like in

your family, such as parents or grandparents? �When do you want to retire?�How much financial risk do you

want to take with your investments and savings? Has it changed as you’ve grown older?�Do you have a plan for how to

start spending money once you’re not earning it anymore?

You may want to ask:�How do I figure out how much is

enough, and how much I need?�How do I create a vision for what’s

next?�What should I be doing with what

I have; how do I decide?�How do you help people think

IT’S TIME TO CONNECTHave you experienced a life change? Perhaps you:• Recently got married.• Welcomed a new child into

your home.• Got a new job/changed careers.• Are planning for retirement.• Have experienced a change in

your health.• Are helping a family member

with a health issue.

Or maybe it’s just been awhile since you’ve chatted with a financial professional. Now’s the time to reach out. Start by reaching out to your Thrivent Financial professional.

through turning savings into income, or applying for Social Security?

§In RetirementYou may be asked:�What type of financial legacy do

you want to leave? �Is your current retirement budget

meeting your needs?�When were your wills, powers of

attorney, medical directives and beneficiaries last reviewed?�Have you considered your options

if you need in-home care or assisted care at a facility?

You may want to ask:�How do you help people make sure

they don’t outlive their assets or income?�How do you help people deal with

inflation and taxes?�How do I decide how much to pass

on to my children?�How can I best support my

grandchildren’s educational goals?�How do I leave a legacy besides

passing money on to my children?

This is just the tip of the topics to consider when meeting with a financial professional. The bottom line is: It’s important for your financial professional to understand your short-term, mid-term and long-term goals and priorities, and how your faith and values inform those goals. When they understand how you want to be a good steward of your time, talent and treasures, they can help you be wise with money and live generously. n

HOW DO YOUR VALUES SHAPE YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS?

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THRIVENT IS THE MARKETING NAME FOR THRIVENT FINANCIAL FOR LUTHERANS. Insurance products issued by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Not available in all states. Securities and investment advisory services offered through Thrivent Investment Management Inc., a registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC, and a subsidiary of Thrivent. Thrivent.com/disclosures.

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3 QUESTIONS FOR EVERY LIFE STAGE No matter where you are in life today—just starting out, growing your family, nearing

retirement or already in retirement—there are three questions you should consider as you strive to be wise with money. Consider reflecting on them in the space below—

either alone, or with your spouse or your family.

As Christians, we want to be wise stewards of all the gifts we receive from God. Often that means managing the

tension between this desire and our day-to-day money

choices. So ask yourself: What’s my enough?

We manage God’s gifts wisely by putting our values and plans into practical action—using tools and products to help with things like creating a spending plan or creating a retirement strategy.

So ask yourself: What can help me move forward?

We don’t have to wait until our finances are perfect to

give of our time, talents and treasures. We want to give

generously now. So ask yourself: How can I help?