Most people assume a financial advisor’s job is to pick investments.
While partly true, your financial life is made up of a lot more than a portfolio. It’s retirement planning, tax strategy, estate planning, insurance, and so much more. The advisors who truly make a difference help you make better decisions across every one of those areas.
Financial planning is how all of it comes together.
What is financial planning, exactly?
Financial planning is the process of bringing every part of your financial life into alignment. Not just your investments, but the decisions that surround them.
That includes:
Understanding which accounts to draw down first and finding a safe withdrawal rate
Exploring Social Security maximization and timing strategies
Developing tax-efficient charitable and family gifting strategies
Reviewing any insurance policies and annuities
Monitoring your financial goals and plan going forward
Your plan connects each of these areas to the others, so a decision in one part of your financial life doesn’t create an unintended consequence in another.
What the process looks like.
01. A conversation.
We begin with a collaborative conversation about your goals and your questions. Everything that follows is built around what we learn here.
02. Your information.
We’ll then gather all the information we need to understand the full picture, which you can securely upload to our client portal, mail to us, or drop off at our office.
03. The plan, reviewed together.
Once a draft is ready, we schedule time to walk through it with you. Any changes or updates are made before we make the final version of your plan available to you.
The plan represents a point in time, and it’s merely the beginning. Ongoing planning is the catalyst for your best outcome.
Clarity, wisdom, and purpose.
You’ll walk away with a personalized financial plan built around your life, one that adapts as your circumstances change and evolves alongside your goals. More than that, you’ll have the confidence to know your money is intentionally aligned with what matters most to you.
Having a clear plan and a trusted professional watching over it allows you to live with greater confidence and less financial anxiety. When your finances are in order, everything else feels more manageable.
The only Nebraska firm on the 2025 CNBC FA 100.
Ranked #5 nationally by CNBC on their FA 100 list (October 2025 to October 2026). Evaluated among thousands of U.S. financial advisor firms on credentials, assets under management, team experience, and compliance record. The only Nebraska firm to make the list, all seven years.
This ranking was issued by CNBC in October 2025 and covers the period October 2025 to October 2026. Pittenger & Anderson did not pay to obtain this rating; however, we have licensed the CNBC FA 100 logo for use in our own advertising materials.
Questions clients often ask about financial planning.
What is the difference between a financial plan and an investment account?
An investment account holds your money and puts it to work. A financial plan answers the bigger questions: how much you need, when you can stop working, which accounts to draw from first, and how to make sure a decision in one area of your financial life doesn’t create an unintended consequence in another.
Most people have an investment account. Fewer have a plan that ties everything together.
How do I know if I need a financial plan?
A financial plan is worth having if you’ve ever wondered whether you’re on track financially, felt uncertain about a major financial decision, or realized that your accounts and goals aren’t really connected to each other.
Is the plan a one-time deliverable?
The plan represents a point in time, and it’s merely the beginning. Markets shift, tax rules change, and family situations evolve. We review and adjust your plan on an ongoing basis, and that ongoing planning is where the real value compounds.
How much does a financial plan cost?
Clients who hire us for investment management gain our financial planning services on a complimentary basis. We want you to do more financial planning with us, not less.
What if I don't want or need a full financial plan?
For our Investment Management clients, we offer our Five Uses of Money analysis as an alternative to a full plan. This is a great option for our younger clients who want to know if they’re on the right path to financial freedom.
Start with a conversation.
Fifteen minutes. No presentation. No pressure. Just a call to see whether P&A is the right fit for the decision you’re facing.
