Comprehensive financial planning
In this chapter: The six-step process · Cash-flow analysis and net-worth statements
Comprehensive planning integrates all financial domains — investment, tax, insurance, retirement, estate. The six-step process: establish relationship (engagement), gather data (cash flow, net worth, goals), analyse (gap to goals), develop plan (recommendations), implement (action steps), monitor (review). Each step has documentation deliverables.
Cash flow analysis: monthly inflows minus outflows, surplus that can be saved/invested. Net worth: assets (financial + real + intangible) minus liabilities. Both must be repeated annually to track progress. Common Indian household: heavy real estate, light equity, high insurance-investment hybrids, sub-optimal liability structure (high-interest credit-card revolves coexisting with low-yield FDs). The plan should restructure all of this systematically — usually over 2-3 years to manage tax and exit costs.
A subtle insight: the "household balance sheet" view. Beyond financial assets, factor in human capital (PV of future earnings) and obligations (PV of future expenses including children's education and retirement). This holistic view often shows that even apparently rich households are net-worth-poor in real terms — and reframes priorities. CFP candidates who internalise this give better advice than those stuck on financial-asset metrics alone.